See part 1
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Part Three
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It was so fast that Angela had no time to react. Her assailant was a young and fairly good-looking black woman, dressed plainly in jeans and a sweater. She had come from the shadows in a blur, jumping Angela and pining her against the wall before she had the opportunity to make a sound.
Another woman came from out of the dark alleyway. This one had dark hair, fair skin, and a distinguished oval face. Her eyes were large and perceptive, and her whole expression was one of innocence.
"We told your friend to leave the Slayer alone," the second woman remarked, not looking directly at Angela. "She's bad. She hurts us."
"Ah... my friend?" asked Angela, through a mouth gone suddenly dry.
"You've been a bad girl. I have a special place where I take bad girls. You wouldn't like it."
"Listen, I don't know... I'm sure this is all a misunderstanding."
"I think that's correct," a third voice said from behind the women. "If we're lucky, we can correct it before you have to pay with your life."
The fair-skinned woman turned to look at the speaker, her face twisted into a demonic mask of rage and hate. The one who had Angela twisted her hands against the girl's neck almost absently, in a move that nearly made her faint. Angela collapsed to the floor while the two attackers faced the unimpressive figure of the Slayer.
"It's time to die!" the black woman said, rushing Buffy with superhuman speed.
"I quite agree," Buffy replied. The Slayer sidestepped the rush and presented her attacker with the business end of a wooden stake. The vampire disappeared in a puff of dust. In one fluid movement, Buffy got another stake out and faced Drusilla, circling warily, each woman looking for a crack in the other's defenses.
Buffy acted first, making a feint towards Drusilla with the hand that held the stake. The vampire caught her wrist. Buffy countered by grabbing that arm and twisting around, ramming her elbow against the other's side. Drusilla winced and tried to impale Buffy with her own stake hand, but the Slayer managed a throw that got her off her back. A backkick from the vampire made Buffy loose her balance, but she recovered quickly and found herself facing Dru again.
Angela watched the two combatants from the floor, as she slowly recovered the blood flow to her brain. She had practiced a little martial arts before starting on the run with Laurent, but this was way out of her league. The deadly intensity of the fighters' moves reminded her that, were one of them to make a mistake, no referee would stop the action calling out a point. This was a for-real fight to the death.
"Angelus sends his love," Drusilla taunted.
"Well, you can keep it!" the Slayer fenced back, now trying to get her enemy with a dizzying series of spin kicks. The vampire backed away, dodging without apparent effort.
A fourth player entered the scene, hugging the shadows in his approach towards Angela. "Laurent?" the girl asked, still dizzy.
"Shh," the vampire warned in a whisper. "Let's move while they're occupied. If we're lucky, they'll kill each other and you can read about it in the morning paper."
Laurent helped Angela to her feet and steadied her with a hand on the girl's shoulder. As they tried to get away from the fight, however, another one of Drusilla's vampire allies blocked their retreat.
"Going somewhere?"
"Yeah," Laurent answered. "This party sucks, and my girl has drunk too much wine."
The vampire searched for a witty remark in aswer to that, not noticing the gun now in Laurent's hand. Laurent fired a short burst, point-blank, which got his antagonist in the chest and stomach. Laurent knew that gunshot wounds couldn't keep a vampire down for long, so he dropped Angela (who fell roughly to the floor again), and slashed through the fallen vampire's neck with a large blade he carried for that purpose. Beheaded, the vampire crumbled into dust.
The gunshots had distracted Buffy, and Drusilla used the opportunity to disarm her and get the upper hand in the combat. When Laurent knelt to pick Angela up again, the Slayer was on the floor, desperately trying to avoid Drusilla's blows, which left her no opportunity to get up again.
Laurent hesitated. He wasn't sure he could leave a girl as young as his Angela (younger, in fact) to face a crazy killer vampire on her own. The Slayer _had_, after all, tried to save Angela against her assailants.
"Oh, hell," he cursed before rushing to Buffy's aid.
Drusilla felt him coming, and turned to face his attack. She thrust her fists out with superhuman strength and speed, but Laurent was more than her match. He deflected her blows and grabbed the female vampire by the throat. Using all of his vampiric strength, he threw her a few yards away.
Buffy was on her own feet now, again with a stake in her hand. She tried to ram it into Laurent's chest, and the vampire scarcely managed to kick the weapon out of her hand before falling down. The Slayer moved onward, and Laurent quickly got to his feet and ran away. Buffy tried to locate the fallen Drusilla, but she was nowhere in sight. Knowing she wouldn't get another shot at Dru tonight, the Slayer ran in pursuit of the fleeing Laurent. "We're not done playing yet, flyboy!"
She followed him to the shadows of a side alley. With the adrenaline still pumping from the combat, she squinted against the darkness to make out the shape of the vampire.
"It's no use," Angela said behind her. "You won't find him unless he wants to be found."
Buffy turned to look at her, exasperated.
"Listen," the Slayer said. "I've had a very rough year. The last vampire wannabe I met, I had to kill with a stake through his heart. Incidentally, he was my best friend, so I'm not in the mood to give you the kind and sensitive lecture."
"I'm not a vampire wannabe. Neither is Laurent."
"No, he graduated to the big leagues. So why's a pretty girl like you hanging around a bloodsucking monster like him? How did you find me, and why did you lie to Mr. Giles about yourself?"
"I need your help. So does Laurent, for that matter."
"You've got your relations crossed. I slay vampires, I don't help them."
"He's a special vampire. He deserves help."
"Did I told you I'd had a rough year? You don't _want_ to know about the last 'special' vampire I tried to help."
"Perhaps not. And perhaps you don't want to know about Laurent either. So, are you going to kill me with a stake too? I'm not even your friend."
The Slayer exhaled. "Perhaps I can spare the time to listen to your story."
"Laurent is really a special vampire. He does not like to kill, not even for food."
"I'm sorry to disturb your pretty picture, but I caught him hunting two nights ago."
"Yeah, he still does that. At least, he did until a very short time ago. But he hasn't killed when hunting in a _long_ time. He told me so."
"And you _believed_ him?" Buffy almost chuckled.
"He's a person, just like you and me. He hunts because he needs it, but he doesn't like killing, any more than we do. Or at least, anymore that I do."
"That makes no sense. He's a vampire. Do you know what a vampire is, what happens to the soul of the person he was before?"
"I know about the demon, and the hunger. We both do. With most vampires, the demon is all there is because the soul left when the body died. With Laurent, however, it's different. He never died."
"Come again?"
"Laurent's sire, the one who made him, was named Agnes. She was a great witch with wondrous power. She was not without flaws, however. She wanted to stay young and beautiful forever."
"And she thought turning vampire would do the trick," Buffy interrupted her. "I'm sorry, it doesn't work that way."
"No! Agnes was not that dumb, she was a first-rate mage. She made a bargain with a devil. Perhaps _the_ devil, the one responsible for all the other vampires. Sure, this devil said, I can keep you alive and youthful forever. But there was a price involved."
"Which involved being made a vampire."
"A special kind of vampire. It was still Agnes inside that immortal shell, it was still her soul. She had the hunger, but she had the will and the conscience to handle it, and not let the hunger control her life."
"Sure. So we get to your friend the special vampire. I hope Agnes didn't have a sex change operation."
"Not so fast. Before meeting Laurent, Agnes made a bargain with a rich landowner named Guillaume. She wanted a position as a rich and noble daughter, it seems she looked awfully young. In exchange for Guillaume's wealth and status, she offered him the eternal life of a vampire.
"Agnes," Angela continued, "tried to turn Guillaume into a vampire the usual way, by exchanging blood with him. It didn't work so well, though. At first Guillaume was gone, a wild and bloodthirsty marauder left in his place. After a while, perhaps a short one, he recovered his cunning and memories. Ever after, however, he was evil, vicious. He was a normal vampire with no conscience."
"Charming."
"So Agnes saw that she couldn't bring people over. The new vampire would, as usual, have the dead person's appearance and memories, but their essence, their soul, was lost. _Then_ she met Laurent, and fell in love with him. She considered a way to keep him with her forever, but as Laurent, not as some monster with his face. Finally she turned again to the friendly devil which had bargained with her before.
"Laurent didn't even know what happened. Agnes overpowered him, and then proceeded with the ritual that would make him a vampire like she was. He was a young boy in love with a noble daughter, and had not considered what he would do with eternal life. He never died, as Agnes never died, and he didn't even want to be made a vampire when it happened."
"That's usually the way it works. It doesn't make the new vampire any less vicious."
"Haven't you listened to a word I said? Laurent was made the same way as Agnes. It's _him_ you tried to kill before, the same young boy who lived and loved, who likes life and the living. He's not some demon trying to pass as human. The demon is inside him, as the hunger, but he has a soul."
"How do you know all of this? You couldn't have seen it for yourself."
"He told me. Wait, no, that's not all. We have a friend, a witch called Melissa. She's your standard-issue witch, not much older than I am. But she's powerful, and knowing. You can't lie to Melissa. And if she believes Laurent's story, I believe him too. Melissa's the one who told us about you... the Vampire Slayer."
"I'm delighted. And where is this other soulful vampire, the witch Agnes?"
"She's dead now. Killed by Guillaume."
"Listen, I can see you believe this story, and your witch friend too, but--"
"No, you don't understand. I _know_ Laurent. Have known him for almost two years. I live with him, from the time he awakens in the evening untill he goes to sleep with the dawn. He saved me from some awful persons in San Francisco, vampires too. I know who he is, and I know what he is, and I l-love him. And he saved your life, too, in case you didn't notice."
"I thought he was saving me for supper.... So you come from San Francisco?"
"Yes. And my name is not Patricia. I'm Angela. Angela Patricia Hall."
"I'm Buffy... the Slayer."
"I know about you. Your name is Buffy Summers."
Angela extended her hand to the other girl. Buffy studied it for a moment before shaking.
"I'm still not sure about what you have told me," the Slayer said. "But I have a friend, a friend whom I can trust as you trust your Melissa. I'll clear this over with him, and then we'll meet again. Can you come to the Bronze tomorrow night?"
"What if a vampire follows me there?"
"Sunnydale vampires steer clear of the Bronze. It's my turf. But a vampire could get you tonight. What if I walk you home?"
"I... I can't. I can't reveal Laurent's daytime haven to you."
"That's..." Buffy began, and then she caught herself. "Hmpf. Well, have it your way. But I still don't want you to get killed. Is your vampire friend still around?"
"I don't know. He's weak, though. He hasn't fed well in some time. Tonight's fight probably drained him."
"If that was him weak, I'm impressed," the Slayer said grudgingly. "Let's see... you could come over to my house. Just for tonight."
"That might work. I must go to him in the morning, however, just to see if he's okay. And you must not follow me."
"Do you think I'm crazy? I got classes in the morning."
"Then it's settled."
As they walked together, another question came to Buffy.
"Angela..."
"What?"
"You said Laurent hadn't fed well in some time. Does that mean that he never... that you...?"
"Never."
"Why? You told me he doesn't kill when feeding."
"He doesn't. It's just that... he doesn't like to use a friend that way. It's... I think he's just a perfect gentleman."
Buffy turned away, remembering when she herself had used those exact words in reference to a vampire.
She'd though she loved him, too.
* * *
"I'm sorry," Giles said during lunch break the following day. "I can't find anything to confirm or disprove Patricia's story in any of my sources."
"Angela," Buffy replied. "Her name is Angela."
"Whatever. A year before I would have thought it was impossible for a vampire to retain his soul, but Angel taught us otherwise. If there was one like him, there might be others. Nothing of the sort is registered in the Diaries, however, so I really have no data for comparison. The very nature of Angel's situation, however, teaches us that a soulful vampire is not necessarily a harmless one."
"But if he... if he has a soul, how can I kill him? Wouldn't that be like murder?"
"Actually," Willow said, throwing Giles a look, "it would be _exactly_ like murder."
"Buffy, you must be reasonable," the Watcher insisted. "We know some vampires can dissemble with great skill. This Laurent could be playing you and Angela for fools."
"Why would he do that? If he wanted to kill Angela, I guess he's had enough chances already. If he wanted me dead, he could've let Drusilla finish me off."
"There's only one vampire called Agnes on record. She's reportedly dead now, and nothing in her biography indicates that she was anything other than a common example of her evil breed."
"Maybe that's not the Agnes in Angela's story. I mean, whe haven't found Laurent in the records, and we know he exists," Willow put in. "Laurent's Agnes could be similarly unrecorded."
"That assuming that Laurent is his real na... Wait," Giles stopped himself. He went to his office and came back with another ancient tome. "Daraul's Witches and Sorcerers," he said with a self-conscious smile. "Let's see... Agnes! One of the ranking independent witches in France in the late eighteenth century. Dropped from sight during or around the French Revolution. Independent, meaning she was not affiliated with any order or coven."
"And that could be the Agnes of the story. Does it mention her age?"
"Actually, no. There is no registered birth date. This does say, however, that she looked young... childishly young. As her magick was certainly not childish, it was rumored that she'd made a bargain with the devil for eternal youth. I see your point. She could be a vampire, it wouldn't be the first time that Daraul mistakenly registered a vampire or other supernatural manifestation as a sorcerer."
"Or it might mean something else," Buffy mused. "Angela told me that Laurent's Agnes looked young, as in not able to fend for herself. That's one of the reasons she made the bargain with Guillaume."
"Very well. Let's assume that Angela's story is essentially true, that Agnes existed and Laurent is really a vampire with a soul. The question remains, what shall we do with him? He still needs blood to live, and is still dangerous."
"I'm sorry, Giles. If he has a soul, I can't kill him. If he has a soul, then he's on my side."
* * *
The vampire awoke when Angela came through the door with two armloads of groceries. It pained him to have to wake during the day, especially when he was this hungry, but it would've pained him more not to talk to his friend when she came.
"You look like I feel," he joked.
"Oh, Laurent, I'm sorry. Are you mad?"
He rose from the sofa and rushed to embrace her.
"Mad? Why would I be mad? I'm too happy that you're alive to be mad."
Angela held him tightly. "I got you in trouble."
"I got myself in trouble," he replied. "One of the bad things about being a vampire is that trouble seems to follow you around. Whether it's the hunger, or some mortal hunter, or an overly competitive kindred, you find trouble."
"How do you feel?"
"Awful, but I'll survive. Just don't ask me to lift any heavy weights anytime soon."
"Were you hurt in the fight?"
"No, I'm just weakened. Drained, hungry. Were _you_ hurt?"
"Not at all. Buffy didn't want me to walk the streets alone at night, so I slept over at her house."
"So you and the Slayer hit it off after all."
"I told her your story. At least, the part about you being a special vampire and Agnes' ritual."
"And she believed you?" the vampire asked skeptically.
"She didn't dismiss it at once, and she told me she'd check it out with a friend. I think we're on the right track."
"How appropriate. At least I'll have someone to help when my kindred come searching for me."
"Do you think they'll hunt you down?"
"For helping the Slayer against one of them? They'll come. If anything happens to me, Angela, I want you to enlist Buffy's help and run away. Find Melissa, or return to your family, but go on."
"Don't say that. You'll fight them off as you've done in the past."
"I'll try. I'm weaker now."
"Well, that can be helped."
The vampire, his arms still around Angela, froze. "What do you mean?"
"All you need is blood. And I think I wouldn't miss a few drops."
Laurent pushed her away. "Don't ever, _ever_, suggest something like that again."
"Laurent, you know you need it. And I trust that you wouldn't hurt me."
"Well, you shouldn't. I promised you and Melissa that I wouldn't hunt anymore, and I went hunting. I promised that I'd never feed from a friend, and I would be breaking that promise if I fed off you. If I promise not to hurt you, I could break that promise too. Do you know what the hunger is like now? Do you have any idea what it takes to restrain myself when you throw yourself at me?"
"I'm... I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It's no good to be sorry. Just avoid making that mistake again."
Angela took the vampire's hand in hers. "I want to help you."
"You've helped me. I can take care of myself. And if it turns out I cannot, then so be it. It will be like a rest."
"I don't want you to die."
"I don't want to die either. Not now, not like this. But sometimes things happen that I don't want."
* * *
Drusilla was not badly hurt, except in her pride. Laurent had grabbed and hurled her as if she weighed nothing, and she had hit a nerby wall hard, but even a mortal could've walked away from it.
Nevertheless, her pride was very important to Drusilla. Not to mention the benefit of having Angelus and Spike acting concerned about her.
"He hurt me," Dru said. "He was mean to me and hurt me. Kill him. Kill him for me."
"With pleasure, sweet," Spike said. "When I think that we had him in our hands..."
"Why would he be helping Buffy? Maybe he wants us out of the way so he can rule the town... If he manages to kill her."
"No," Drusila shook his head. "I told you. He's like you were, Angelus."
"Dammit! How many cursing gypsies can there be?" Spike exclaimed.
"Enough to pose a problem, it seems," Angelus considered. "We can't allow a traitor vampire to roam through Sunnydale. Much less one as strong as Laurent."
"So we kill him?" Drusilla asked hopefully.
"If we get the chance. But he can be helpful. Buffy has a tender heart. If I know my Slayer, Laurent is as we speak getting closer to her than any of us has managed in quite some time."
"What use is that to us, except to the degree that we must now fight the Slayer _and_ him?"
"What has a soul can be corrupted. One day I'll have Buffy on her knees, begging to be made a vampire. But this 'good' vampire can provide a little entertainment until that day comes."
Spike made no comment. It was a risky game that Angelus proposed playing. But the potential gain was enormous. And if Laurent rose to the challenge and presented a threat to Angelus, well... his sire was a big boy. He should be able to handle it, or he would deserve his fate.
Spike was thinking more and more that it would be better if Angelus hadn't returned to them. Things had gone downhill from that point.
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