Introductions

* * * * * * * * *
Part 21

New York had been interesting, Hypatia admitted freely, although she was less willing to admit to the way both Xander and William lurked in her mind. She couldn't help remembering how they'd looked that night when they'd been drunk... and apparently horny.

Yes, that had been... interesting, as well. Still, that didn't have anything to do with her, she reminded herself as she drove through Kansas. And what a flat state.

She supposed it was pretty enough, although she wasn't really there to sightsee. Not at all, actually. She was there because of something she'd come to KNOW while still visiting with the Claimed couple and telling them... part of the truth.

A part of her hoped that what she KNEW was... wrong... even while the rest of her realized that wasn't possible. The Powers wouldn't have told her anything they weren't sure of. Still, she wished...

But it didn't matter, she told herself. "If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride," she muttered, pulling off the state route to take the back way to the outskirts of Kansas City.
Less than an hour later, she pulled into the parking lot of a large club.

Hypatia looked at herself for a moment in the car mirror then sighed. "Please let me be wrong..." she whispered before getting out of the car and pulling her leather coat out of the back seat of the rental.

The coat was new and purchased simply because she'd liked William's so much when she'd seen it, but it was also a stunning piece of workmanship. And it fit her as though it had been made for her, which it might have been, she figured. After all, she'd gone into the store she'd gotten it at because she'd just KNOWN there was something there she wanted.

And she was stalling, she realized, gazing at the club as she heaved a large sigh. Until she went inside, she wouldn't know for certain that what she KNEW was real and... she was happier not knowing. Then again, the Powers would NOT be pleased if she walked away.

They wouldn't punish her, of course, but... they had ways of expressing their disappointment. Besides, she'd made her choice, just as Trevor had. They both worked for the Powers, although in different ways. Luckily for Trev, HIS way involved having a lover... and another one soon, assuming all went well.

Yes, lucky for him. Not so lucky for her. So far she'd been pointed at three different countries and the closest thing she'd had to fun was teasing Trev and getting a vampire and his human drunk. Still, it beat the alternative, she figured.

Far better to travel the world than to be prisoner to either side in the true battle.
With that in mind she started for the club, passing rows of cars and a few slightly drunk people who appeared to be just... hanging about outside.

* * * * *

Well, it wasn't a dump, Hypatia admitted. In fact, as clubs on the edge of a city went, it was fairly nice. Not too many odd smells or stains on the floor and the people milling about seemed to be educated, she noticed after overhearing a snippet of conversation comparing the ancient Norse and Greek pantheons.

"Oh, if they only knew," she murmured to herself with a chuckle as she approached the bar. "Margarita, please," she yelled to the man behind the bar, "Rocks! Tall!"

She leaned back, elbows on the edge of the wood as the latest U2 song started to play. Who knew they'd still be just as popular as they'd been in the eighties? Still, Bono HAD done a few favors for the Powers in his time so she supposed it made sense.

The drink was on the bottom end of ordinary, but it would do its job, which was to be a prop as she wandered, looking for someone specific. She didn't know offhand what he looked like but she knew she'd recognize him when she saw him. Just as he'd recognize her on sight.

That was just the way it worked, after all. They always recognized each other. Knew each others' names instantly. Of course, because of what she retained from before, she already knew their names... and their gifts. She just didn't know what they looked like. Not until she saw them. It still gave her a decided edge, in the end.

She strolled through the club slowly, eyes darting this way and that as she sipped the disappointing margarita and plenty of people caught her eye. Unfortunately, none of them were the one she was looking for.

* * * * *

She'd ended up leaning against a wall near the dance floor after half an hour or so, figuring it was as good a spot as any for her surveillance. The margarita was long gone although she continued to sip at the slightly lime-tinged water from the melting ice. "Where the fuck is he?" she mumbled, irritated at all the people-- male and female-- who kept trying to get her to dance. She didn't dance.

Or not, she qualified, with people she didn't know and like... or at least find attractive. Hell, she'd danced exactly twice since she'd woken human and one of those times had been just to see if she could.

Finally she sighed and moved towards the bar again. Maybe she'd get herself a beer. At least then she'd look like she was in the place for a reason, what with her empty glass pretty much declaring that she wasn't there to party.

It was while she was waiting for her Heineken that she saw him.

He stood at the other end of the bar, apparently trying to order a drink. She knew him immediately, of course. "Ignatius," she muttered to herself, eyes narrowing dangerously. She hadn't thought he'd be the kind to... but obviously she'd been wrong.

She turned away quickly, not wanting the dark-haired young man to see her face if he looked in her direction. A ten dollar bill was tossed on the bar as her beer was delivered and she stalked off, not stopping until she was a safe distance away, her eyes finding and following the man as he got two drinks and strolled through the crowd towards...
"Bloody fuck. Ricardo. SHIT!"

TWO of them? Together? That was NOT supposed to happen!

"And what the fuck am I supposed to do now?" she demanded, not really expecting an answer.

Of course, she got one anyway because she suddenly KNEW exactly what she was supposed to do. Unfortunately, she didn't like it. No, more than didn't like it. She couldn't accept it.

"Not a chance in HELL!" she snarled at the Powers, although the tall redheaded man who'd been approaching her took it personally and veered off to find a less unwelcoming woman to talk to.

Hypatia snarled again then groaned as she suddenly KNEW what would happen if she didn't follow what she'd been told.

"FUCK!"

* * * * *

So she watched, moving slowly through the crowd, her eyes flicking to and away from the two men she was stalking. They'd feel her gaze if she stared too long, as she knew from experience.

She glanced repeatedly, watching Iggy choose his prey. Her eyes danced to and from him and Ricardo as Iggy chatted the girl up then bought her a drink... and she saw the small twitch as the shorter of the two men swirled some sort of powder into the girl's glass.

Her eyes hardened as she saw the girl take a sip then nod dazedly at Ignatius before following him from the club with Ricardo just a few feet behind.

Of course, SHE was trailing them herself and when she stepped outside she had no trouble figuring out where they'd taken the poor young woman. There was only one place nearby that was dark enough for what she KNEW they had planned.

She forced herself to walk softly, trying to keep the heels of her boots from clacking against the pavement as she moved to the corner of the building where the streetlight was burned out. It wasn't a place someone would take a lover; not even a one-time lover. It was too close to public. Of course, nobody would wander near there for that reason, too, and that made it perfect for what she knew was going on.

She stepped around the corner, one brow arching dangerously as she saw the recessed doorway and the man standing in front of it. "I thought you knew better, Ricardo," was all she said, flicking a finger at him and nodding her satisfaction when he jumped.

"Step aside. I won't let you two do this. Not again. You've already caused more harm than you know."

Ignatius sighed and pulled away from the girl he'd been about to sink into. He stepped from the doorway, tucking himself into his jeans slowly. "Hypatia Lee," he said slowly, sounding annoyed as he looked her up and down.

"Ignatius Farrell. Iggy," she replied, greeting him sourly, "And Ricardo Emanuel. Or should I call you Ricky?"

Ricky shrugged and gave her a smug smile. "Why be formal? We're family, after all."

"Yes," Hypatia sighed sadly. "And that fact brings me no joy whatsoever," she added quietly, "brothers."

* * * * *
(A/N: See me doing the 'I'm so EVIL' dance? *heeheehee*

Thanks to Kat, TheShadowCat, DaniKitten, RedSharpie & catsim (Cathy) for the reviews on the last part... always appreciated, at the risk of sounding like a broken record. LOL

Just a head's up, guys... this was part 21 of 38. Yes, another part of this series finished. Yay, me! *grins* More will be posted as time permits but work is being a big sucky pain in the ass right now-- NOT in the good way-- so I can't promise every day. But SOON!

And again, thanks for reading! *hugs*)