See Part 1.
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Part Five
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"And... Angela stayed over at your house again?" Willow asked.
"Yes. Laurent is off somewhere, doing whatever it is that reformed vampires do," answered Buffy.
"Uh... hunting?" Xander put in.
"I'm still confused about this whole thing. I mean, what can we do? Laurent is still a vampire. It's not very likely that Giles can find a cure."
"Yeah. And you're the Vampire Slayer. Perhaps if you staked him you would be... putting him out of his misery."
"Xander, that is _so_ cruel!" the Slayer exclaimed.
"Yeah," Willow said in agreement, throwing him a hurt look.
"Hey, I have learned not to trust any vampire. So bite me."
"No, thanks. I'll leave that to Cordelia."
They entered the library, which was devoid of students as usual. Giles was in his office, going through his books with an unidentified man. Judging by the number of books stacked in front of them, they had been at it for a long time.
"Giles?" Buffy called. The Watcher came out to greet them.
"Good day, Buffy. How's everything?"
"Slow. No slayage last night. Maybe..." Her eyes narrowed at something behind the librarian. "Giles!"
Giles looked back, expecting the unexpected, but it was only Laurent that was coming out to them.
"We meet again, young Slayer," the vampire said in greeting.
"Uh... call me Buffy," she said awkwardly.
"Buffy it is."
"Giles, you know him?" Willow inquired.
"Since last night. He came to leaf through my books."
Buffy studied the vampire a little more closely. She noticed a little coarseness to his skin, a little sinking of his eyes.
"Laurent," she said, "whatever lifestyle you're in, it's not helping your complexion."
"Blame it on late nights and a strict diet. I'm just hungry."
"H-how hungry?" Willow asked warily.
"I'm not going to go into a frenzy and kill all of you, if that's what you fear," Laurent assured them. "But maybe I'll have to hunt tonight."
"Ah... hunt?"
"Livestock, Buffy. Animals."
"Ah," the Slayer said, relieved, and then grimaced. "Eeww!"
"For us, it's a necessity," Laurent replied drily.
"I'll bet it was a vampire who invented blood sausage."
"You'd lose, probably. We prefer our blood warm. And most of us have no qualms about taking it from the source."
"You're getting that hungry look again," Xander remarked, and none of them could tell if he joked.
"Well, I'm kinda trapped here for the time being," the vampire commented, pointing to the skylights on the roof.
"We'll keep that in mind, in case you start running through the halls in a ravenous rampage."
Buffy winced at Xander's light tone. "Don't even joke about it," she said.
"You seem remarkably blase about all this," Laurent said.
"We've been around," Willow replied. "And then some."
A girl came through the door. Buffy, with her Slayer alertness, noticed that Laurent seemed to be waiting for her before her approach was noticeable.
"Hi, guys," Angela greeted before taking in the entire tableau. Then, "Laurent."
"Angela," he responded, raising a hand.
"Didn't expect to find you here."
"I'm researching."
"Oh. Any progress?"
The vampire shrugged. "Does no progress count as progress?" He was looking down in frustration. Angela walked a few steps towards him, raised her arms as if to embrace him, then drew back. The Slayer and Slayerettes looked away, uncomfortably.
"How do you feel?" the girl asked.
"I'll survive. After all, I never expected this to be easy."
"You're weak. You shouldn't be trying to be awake by day."
"I'll take care of myself. Why don't you go along with your friends and have fun?"
Taking their cue, the youngsters went away, Buffy catching Angela's arm and leading her away.
* * *
"So, what do you for fun around here?" Angela asked. "Besides slaying vampires, I mean," she added in a whisper.
"Oh, it's pretty much a routine," Willow answered. "We haunt around the school, trying to stay away from Principal Snyder. At night we go to the Bronze. That's when we have nothing slayery to do, which isn't very often. Last week was the full moon, and before that... Oh, and I teach a computer class, because the teacher died recently and they haven't found a substitute."
"Wow. You must lead an interesting life."
"We hang around," Buffy answered. "What about you, how did you hook up with Laurent?"
"I... you could say I fell in with the wrong crowd. I got in so far over my head that a bathyscaph couldn't have found me. Laurent saved my life, and then I ran away with him."
Buffy's eyes got very large. "You ran. Away. Like... a runaway kind of thing."
"I'm eighteen, now. Two months since. So I'm officially no longer a runaway."
"Did it have something to do with vampires?" Willow wanted to know.
Angela nodded. "And witches. And priests. I was a freshman at the University of San Francisco."
The Slayerettes looked at each other. That could happen to any of them. They couldn't run around, slaying vampires, consorting with all sorts of supernatural beings, and not pay the price. They had lost friends, academic status and many other things to their slaying jobs. Any of them could be dead now from several close calls... and Angel, the good Angel, had been resposible for saving all of their lives at some point.
"Did I hit a nerve there?" Angela asked at their sudden silence.
"I just thought that only happened to the Slayer when she lived upon a Hellmouth," Buffy explained.
"Not likely. In fact, a lot of people _I_ know would wish that their brush with the supernatural had been as easy as yours. At least you got a score of superpowers to go with the whole deal."
"And a score of duties to keep lest the end of the world comes. And a score of prophecies saying I was to die. I hope you'll excuse me if I don't do any cartwheels."
"Sorry. I didn't mean it like that."
"I know what you meant. Let's go. Willow and I are supposed to go home and study our French. You and Xander can hang around and make us envious, and Cordelia will probably come after shampooing her hair," Buffy added, grimacing at the image.
"Perhaps I could help out a little," Angela offered. "Living with Laurent and all, I've picked up a little French."
"You're my savior. Let's go."
* * *
"I think it's time to call it a night," Laurent said, rubbing his eyes.
"I thought vampires were n-nocturnal," Giles pointed out.
"Precisely. I must hunt now."
"Oh." Giles looked away uncomfortably.
"Are you going to stay?"
"N-no. I think I'll call it a night, too."
"Fine. Walk you to your car. Not," Laurent hastily added, "that I think you unable to take care of yourself."
Giles almost smiled. "I'm sure. Uh, Laurent, you did say to Buffy that you were going to hunt for animals. I-I mean, you are not going to look for human prey?" he asked, locking the library doors.
"Relax. Actually, 'hunting' is not a proper term for what I intend to do. 'Weasel loose in the henhouse' would be more like it. I'm going to be some poor farmer's worst nightmare."
"Hmm. I suppose it's better than having you feed from humans."
"Undoubtedly. Especially for the humans who might be involved."
"I-if you want, I can drop you off at the outskirts of town. I don't actually know any farm close by, but..."
They were walking through the school parking lot, when Laurent's heightened senses picked up something. Softly, he said, "Giles, run."
"What?" the Watcher shot back, confused.
"Run!" Laurent shouted.
They made a dash for Giles' car, Laurent lagging behind to make sure the librarian made it. The footsteps surrounding them were quickening their pace; and they were many, far too numerous to count.
Giles managed to reach the car and get in. Laurent vaulted over it to get on the passenger side, but then a pair of hands grabbed him from behind. He kicked back, not turning. "Giles, start the car!" he cried, while trying to open the passenger door.
Fortunately, this wasn't a typical horror movie, and the car started on the first try. Laurent was still struggling with his attacker to get the car door open and himself in. By this time, the vampire managed a good look at their aggressors, noticing the twisted, demonic faces. The fang gang was on the move.
"Giles, drive! I'll catch up!"
Several vampires were now surrounding the car, trying to slow its progress out of the parking lot. Abandoning his tries to get in the car with the Watcher, Laurent cut through their ranks in an attempt to drive them off and cut a path for Giles' tiny car.
His foe of the moment was Lydia, the vampire who'd introduced him to Angelus. She was proving to be a surprisingly good fighter. But Laurent saw that the car was now out of the parking lot and with a clear path ahead, and was starting to pick up speed. He vaulted over Lydia and started to run with all his might, towards the retreating car.
"No!" he shouted towards the driver. "Don't slow down!" The vampires were hot in the trail of the car, and Laurent himself. They were gaining some distance, but that was only because Giles wasn't putting on too much speed.
He tried his final running effort, and then a jump that, if timed properly, would have landed him atop the car. Sadly, he didn't have the opportunity to know if his jump had been timed properly. In a tackle that would've been the dream of any football defense, Lydia broke his flight and landed with him. Laurent suffered a blow to his head that almost blacked him out, and could only look despairingly as Giles' car sped away.
* * *
"All right," Buffy said, "let's see if I got this right: je veux conn..."
"Uh-oh, we got company," Xander said, looking out the window.
Buffy looked up, frowning. "What do you mean?"
Xander opened up before whoever was outside got the chance to knock. Wordlessly, he gestured inside. Giles' familiar figure stepped in, looking around for Buffy.
"Giles? What are you doing here?"
"They... They got Laurent."
"What?" said Angela, in a nearly inaudible moan.
Buffy got to her feet at once. "I think we better step outside to talk. My mom's upstairs, and I don't want to explain anything right now." As all the gang went out to Buffy's porch, she continued. "What do you mean, they got Laurent?"
"They attacked us on the school parking lot. I managed to get away, but last time I saw Laurent he was on the floor, with about a dozen vampires swarming over him."
"Angel?"
"I didn't see him. But either he or Drusilla must've been leading the attack."
A high-pitched but very soft moan issued from Angela's throat.
"Did you actually see him dead?"
"He was grossly outnumbered. No matter how strong he is, he couldn't have come out on top of that. If they wanted him dead, he is dead now."
Placing a comforting hand in Angela's shoulder, Buffy said. "But he is not. Because they don't want to kill him."
"That is correct," Giles nodded. "He is the bait."
"And I'm gonna bite," Buffy concluded.
"Buffy, please," the Watcher pleaded.
"There's no other way, Giles. If I wait a minute more, Angel will find some sick way to use his death as a message. He wants me to go to him."
"And you'd be crazy to give him what he wants!" Xander exclaimed.
"That's right, Buffy. You are not ready."
"Am I not? And who's going to pay for that?"
"Hey," Willow put in, "where's Angela?"
They all turned to stare at her, and then look around.
"She was right here!" The Slayer exclaimed. "She was right besides me, for God's sake!"
The Slayerettes looked helplessly at each other. Once again, Angela's ability to pass unnoticed had worked.
"You don't think she went to find Laurent, do you?" Cordelia asked. "I mean, it would be suicide!"
"I'm afraid that's exactly what she did. Girl's not playing with a full deck."
"We have to find her," Giles whispered.
"And Laurent. Giles, you and I will go to the school and see if Angel left one of his messages. The rest of you start looking for Angela. Move!" the Slayer exclaimed. "Keep together, and be careful."
The Slayerettes got quickly underway while Buffy stepped inside Giles' car.
"Don't get too close to the school," Buffy cautioned her friends as they passed by in the car. "If you get about halfway without finding her, head back home."
* * *
The school parking lot was deserted when they got there. Giles was not surprised. With that strength in numbers, it shouldn't have taken them very long to subdue Laurent and take him wherever they wanted to take him, or kill him if they wanted him dead... although he agreed with Buffy that it would make no sense to waste that much effort just to kill one renegade vampire. Their move here had to be related in some way to Angelus' war against the Slayer.
"Stay in the car," Buffy commanded him. "I'm going to take a look around."
"Not very likely," the Watcher replied, reaching into the backseat and bringing out his trusty crossbow. "You are strong, Buffy, but they were many. I'll help where I can."
Buffy smiled, warmed by his Watcher's protectiveness. "Come on, then. But I think they're gone. I'm not getting any vampire vibes."
So they got out of the car, and started to slowly make their way towards the school, all senses on overdrive, Buffy on the lead.
"Now where?" Giles asked when they reached the door to the school building.
"Hello, love," a familiar voice said behind them.
Giles turned, his crossbow aimed at the vampire's chest.
"What took you so long?" he teased.
"I'm not in the mood for one of your games, Angel. What did you do to Laurent?"
Angelus chuckled. "You are not in a position to command, Buffy. I have your friend. If I want to play a game, we'll play a game."
"Play with this!" The Slayer cried as she charged her former love. In a blur of speed, Angelus got out of her way and close to Giles. He struck the librarian in the face with a casual backhand, and was gone before Buffy's next attack came.
"Giles!" the girl screamed. "Are you ok?"
"I...," the Watcher moaned, shaking her head to clear it. "God, Buffy, I'm sorry."
"He caught you off-guard. He's got a real knack for that. But if he went through all that effort, then Laurent is still alive."
"But in his hands. What will we do?"
Buffy shook her head. "Wish I knew."
* * *
Deep down, Angela was smart enough to know that her decision to look for Laurent on her own was a bad one, bordering on the suicidal. But she had never been able to think clearly when Laurent was involved. Besides, she was tired of being a pawn to forces she couldn't confront. She was not strong like Buffy, and had no magick like Melissa's. Everytime she got in trouble, one of her friends (most often Laurent) had to bail her out. Well, that stopped here. This time Laurent was in trouble, and _she_ would be the one to bail him out.
In her fantasies, she was already getting Laurent out of wherever they had him (and stealing a kiss from him in the bargain), when she noticed the woman. She was pretty, red-haired, and dressed entirely in black. Because Angela hadn't met any of Sunnydale's vampires, other than Drusilla (and the two anonymous ones that Buffy and Laurent had killed), she didn't recognize Lydia. But by this time, she was savvy enough to know that anyone who walked the nights of Sunnydale was suspect until proved innocent.
"Excuse me, miss," Angela called out.
"Yes?" Lydia said with a wide smile (fast food!, she was thinking).
"Eat this!" Angela sprayed the woman with the holy water that she had loaded into a water pistol (both from Buffy's stock). Lydia, surprised by her meal's sudden aggresiveness, had no time to fully dodge. The water caught her in the arm, which started to smoke and filled her with pain.
Angela pressed her advantage, bearing on the vampire with the gun squirting all the way. But Lydia was on guard now, and her superior agility quickly eliminated Angela's advantage of suprise.
"I wanted a happy meal!" Lydia complained, attacking Angela from behind. "Which you aren't." Angela tried to turn, but the vampire efortlessly restrained her. "You are Laurent's little dolly, aren't you? Does he feed you his blood sometimes? I've never tasted vampire blood before, even at one remove." With that remark, she sank her fangs into the neck of the defenseless girl.
This didn't go quite as I expected, Angela thought as the blood loss made her swoon. When Lydia retired her fangs, the girl was weak and dizzy, and heard the vampire's voice as if from very far away. "Perhaps the bosses will want you." Angela felt a hand patting her cheek. "This must be your lucky day."
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