Part 5<\/b><\/p>\n
The two vampires watched with keen interest as a black body bag was hauled out of the house on a gurney. Clinging to the shadows, Angel and Spike were able to watch the scene before them without drawing unwanted attention.<\/p>\n
They watched as an old woman pulled up in a late model Oldsmobile and rushed over to a small child. The police officer relented his grip on the girl as the woman approached.<\/p>\n
\u201cPoor girl,\u201d Spike murmured. \u201cThat must be a grandmother or something.\u201d Angel nodded his agreement. \u201cHow do you think Grandmum will tell her that she will never see mommy again? Or do you think she already realizes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think kids are a lot smarter than they are given credit for,\u201d Angel answered softly. \u201cShe knows something is wrong. At that age, I don’t know if a child understands the concept of dead.\u201d<\/p>\n
Spike remained silent for several long moments. \u201cDo you ever think about all the kids that lost their moms and dads because you killed them?\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel cast a glance at his grandchilde. This was actually hurting Spike to talk about. \u201cYeah,\u201d he answered. \u201cI do. After what I’ve done, there is no way not to think about all the families I wrecked throughout the centuries. But you learn to exist with it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you?\u201d Spike asked. He lit a cigarette and took a long drag from it. He offered another to Angel, and was slightly surprised when he accepted.<\/p>\n
As Angel lit his, Spike continued to stare at the flashing lights on the police cruisers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’re fucking monsters, you know that?\u201d Angel blew a puff of smoke and murmured his agreement. \u201cNo matter how many horrible things this bloke here does, you and me have done thousands of times worse. Soul or not, we’re going to hell. So why the fuck should we bother? When in the grand scheme of things nothing that we do will matter. Not to the big man upstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel took a puff from his cigarette before answering. \u201cBecause in the grand scheme of things, the grand scheme doesn’t matter. Not to us. Because you’re right, we’ve earned a one-way ticket to hell. But we can’t be concerned with that. The only thing we can be concerned about is the here and now and the people that surround us. It’s all about the moment, Spike. That hopefully we can protect the ones we care about, and maybe if we’ve extraordinarily lucky, we can find a little love on the way. And maybe by doing so, we can make the next moment a little bit better than the one before it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Spike chuckled slightly as he tossed his cigarette stub away. \u201cSince when have you been a philosopher?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAround the same time you became someone I could relate to.\u201d The vampires fell into silence as they watched the crime scene.<\/p>\n
Only after the final police car left did they risk entering the taped off home.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, where the hell does he get off giving us orders?\u201d Buffy continued to rant. \u201cThis is our pond. We make the rules here. You don’t see me going to Los Angeles and giving him orders.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about that whole Faith thing a few years back?\u201d Willow asked.<\/p>\n
Buffy quickly waved that off. \u201cThat’s different. Faith is a killer and she was totally playing him. She got him to feel sorry for her so that Angel would protect her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, Angel was only trying to connect with her,\u201d Giles reminded. \u201cAngel and Faith share several similarities. In all honesty, he was the best man, er, vampire for the job. Besides, I told you to not make a scene. I’m confident that Angel’s insight will prove fruitful.\u201d<\/p>\n
The five continued to make their slow loop around Jacobsen Park. They had been like this for a couple hours. The group would listen to Buffy’s ranting, and then they would have a full fledge discussion on the seeming evolution of Angel’s character, as well as his actions toward Cordelia.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd what is that about?\u201d Buffy asked again. \u201cI mean, he’s all moony eyed over Cordelia Chase, and he’s barely spoken two sentences to me. I thought I was the one he had this big love affair thing with.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe he’s afraid to stir up old feelings,\u201d Xander offered.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe he just likes Cordelia more than you,\u201d Dawn suggested. And from the death glare Buffy sent her, that was entirely the wrong thing to say.<\/p>\n
But then again, Dawn was a teenager and didn’t know when to shut up. \u201cIt’s really sweet the way he’s so attentive of her and always at the hospital by her side. For a minute you can almost believe romanticism isn’t dead.\u201d<\/p>\n
A large grin came across her face. \u201cMan, I wish I could have seen the whole ‘BUFFY! VAMPIRE!’ thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
A vampire sprang from some nearby bushes. Dawn whipped out a stake and jammed it in his heart without looking. She smiled in satisfaction at the dust floating in the breeze. \u201cAngel with a sense of humor,\u201d she concluded. \u201cSo cool.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, it was a riot,\u201d Buffy deadpanned. The group would make one final loop around the park before heading back to the Magic Box.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
Angel watched as a frustrated and nervous Lana entered the house. \u201cWhat’s wrong, Lana?\u201d He held a sleeping Jordan in his arms as Joshua played with his GI Joes on the floor.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cHe showed up at work today,\u201d Lana said. \u201cHe was asking my co-workers a bunch of questions.\u201d Angel immediately understood the only ‘He’ it could be was Jeremy. \u201cI saw his car in the supermarket parking lot when I got groceries. And I swear that he followed me most of the way here.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Angel gently laid Jordan’s sleeping form on the couch and stood up. \u201cAre you sure?\u201d he asked. He moved over to a window and peered out, mindful not to be in the sunlight. \u201cHe shouldn’t be around you. When the sun goes down, I’m going to go pay him a little visit.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAngel, I don’t want you hurting him,\u201d Lana pleaded.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cDon’t worry, Lana,\u201d Angel assured her. \u201cI won’t hurt him. I wouldn’t risk your case like that. Besides, I need to be invited in to hurt him, and I seriously doubt he’ll invite me in.\u201d Lana nodded slightly in agreement. Angel did have to be invited in since he was a\u2026well, not normal.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Lana sighed. \u201cBut be careful.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Angel smiled slightly at her. \u201cI will,\u201d he promised. \u201cI’m not going to allow him to intimidate you. I promise to keep you and the kids safe.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Joshua looked up from his GI Joes. Who was he supposed to keep them safe from? Oh well, Angel was big and strong and brave. He wouldn’t let anything happen to them or mommy.<\/em><\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n Spike was the first one to enter the woman’s bedroom. Angel followed a few steps behind as he shuffled through some mail. \u201cHer name was Kayla Kurtis,\u201d Angel observed as he read an envelope. He tossed the mail on top of a dresser and began to survey the room.<\/p>\n \u201cNo message on the wall,\u201d Spike noted. \u201cWhy do you think that? Certainly doesn’t fit the MO. Copycat maybe?\u201d<\/p>\n Angel opened up Kayla’s closet and poked around. \u201cThey didn’t need to leave a message this time. By now, they must know I’m here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis isn’t a demon, is it mate?\u201d Spike asked. \u201cYou know something, but you haven’t talked to Giles about it.\u201d<\/p>\n Angel sighed and shut the closet. \u201cCordelia woke up during my last visit. She said that two humans are behind this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs she sure?\u201d Spike stared at the bloody sheets that still adorned the bed. \u201cSo instead of some demon running around doing this, it’s a human monster. Well, isn’t the Hellmouth full of surprises?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust goes to show that you don’t need horns, fangs, or a tail to be evil.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA-bloody-men,\u201d Spike agreed. He followed Angel as his grandsire crossed the hall into the child’s room. The walls were painted in a soft pink. Stuffed animals adorned the cabinets and bed. In wooden block letters above the bed was the name ‘Amanda’. \u201cAmanda Kurtis,\u201d Spike murmured. He grabbed a small picture frame off the wall. \u201cPretty girl.\u201d<\/p>\n Angel looked at the photo and nodded his agreement. The child was wrapped in the loving arms of her mother, a wide toothy smile gracing her face. \u201cDo you smell that?\u201d Angel asked.<\/p>\n Spike looked at his sire curiously before taking a long whiff of air. His eyes widened in recognition at the scent. \u201cTears,\u201d Spike answered. \u201cThe little girl was crying.\u201d His hand went to the doorknob. \u201cAngel, look at this.\u201d<\/p>\n Angel knelt down and looked. \u201cThe door was jimmied open. They must have locked Amanda in here to keep her out of the way. The police had to break the lock to get in.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy would they do that?\u201d Spike asked. \u201cWhy not just kill the girl? Leaving her alive increases the chance of being caught.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause they don’t care,\u201d Angel said. \u201cThey don’t want to hurt the girl. They just want to hurt me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAngel, you said you haven’t used the name Liam in centuries. If the killers are human, then how could they know your true name?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don’t know,\u201d Angel sighed. Both vampires startled when Angel’s cell phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket and answered.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah? Hi Fred. Did you do that research for me? Great. Can you send the information to my e-mail address? No, I’m not close to a computer right now. I’m at a crime scene. Another woman was killed today. I’ll check the files when I get back to the Magic Box. I’m sure Willow won’t mind me using her laptop. Thanks Fred.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour girl found something?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo she says. Let’s go to the Magic Box so we can see what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n Spike followed his grandsire from the bedroom. \u201cIf you think it’ll be easy to pry Willow away from her laptop, you got another thing coming,\u201d Spike informed him. \u201cI had to beg to the chit for half an hour just so I could get online for a Formula One race update.\u201d<\/p>\n Angel gave him a strange look. \u201cYou think I’m kidding? The girl would probably sacrifice her scanner to the computer gods for a higher speed processor.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Spike my boy, you got to know how to sweet talk a lady. It’s all in the eyes and lips. You know, the puppy dog look. I work it over on Cordelia all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNeed I remind you that Willow’s gay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo? Spike, you’re talking to the mack daddy of the puppy look. When we get back, just watch and learn. Maybe you can work it on Buffy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMack daddy? Since when the bloody hell have you been from the hood?\u201d It was then that Spike realized what Angel said. \u201cHey! How did you know about Buffy?\u201d Angel grinned in amusement as Spike followed him out of the building.<\/p>\n \u201cHey Poof! I’m talking to you! Hey!\u201d<\/p>\n