Back In The Game

Los Angeles May 13th 1 p.m.

Andrew was looking at the pictures that the recon person had taken of the battle between Angel's group and Wolfram and Hart's army. His heart sank as he recognized Spike in his leather duster with blood on his face meeting up with Angel right before the fight started. Something kept bothering him about the whole thing; he just couldn't put his finger on it.

"Why would Angel and his crew take out a few important players, knowing the partner's would send the demon squad from Hell to kill them?" Andrew thought out loud, having heard of the vampires and the others assassinating major clients of the law firm.

"What?" Barbara asked.

"Something just does not jive here. Why only take out some important clients only to bring on the wrath of The Partners if the plan was taking over the whole kit and caboodle?"

"I was thinking the same thing actually." Barb sighed. "And who is the hot blond guy?"

Andrew wondered if he could do something to make her forget about the blond vampire. He really didn't want the resurrection of Spike to come to light; it would really look bad that he hid his coming back from everyone.

The newly appointed watcher walked over to the L.A. Slayer, with his briefcase and the photos in his hands. He looked into her eyes and softly repeated. "You did not see a blond in the pictures, there was never any discussion about a blond helping out Angel’s band of avengers."

Barbara felt a little dizzy as she repeated the words back to him slowly as he confiscated the photos with Spike in them, placing them in his briefcase to destroy later on. When he had them out of sight, he coughed bringing her out of her trance. She woke up remembering nothing about a blond male, only the blonde ditzy secretary that worked for Angel and her telling Andrew that she had left L.A. on a red-eye to Vegas last night.

"Good, we'll see if we can pick her up there." Andrew smiled as he patted his briefcase smugly as he silently congratulated himself. "Well, I couldn’t tell them all my secret Jedi tricks now, could I?" Feeling proud of himself for being able to protect Buffy from any other heartache with finding out about Spike, on top of this trouble with Angel would bring.

"I think we need to investigate this further, but I have an errand to do first." Andrew sighed. "Then maybe by tomorrow we will have enough to call the bosses and give them a proper update."

He wanted to go to Spike's apartment and see what he could find there. Then he wanted to go to Wolfram and Hart as well and see if the building was safe enough that he could maybe get a look at some of Angel's files.

Barbara gathered up all of her things and nodded her agreement. "I'll take a couple girls and hit the underground and see what we can come up with." She offered a lopsided smile. "Could be enough dust has settled that some more clear information is available now."

"Good idea, you check your resources and meet back here around five pm. Then we can plan our day tomorrow, I'm going to try and get into Angel's office today and will let you know how that goes.”

"Great." Barbara smiled as she left the room, not remembering anything about a hot looking blonde dude in leather on a rainy tragic night.

Andrew quickly left, going outside to catch a cab to the address he had listed privately as the last home of one William the Bloody, otherwise known as Spike. "Please, oh pal, oh buddy of mine, have something, anything that would lead me to believe in yours and Angel’s innocence."

*******

Connor woke up from a dream about his father. It was like he had been there watching everything clearly. He could see Cordelia and his father dancing in a living room looking like they were happily in love. He looked at his watch and noticed it was going on two in the afternoon.

His father's room was bare of any personal items, most of them he had taken with him to his apartment at Wolfram and Hart. But the bed was still here, the sheets had a musty like odor, but he could still smell a touch of Angel’s cologne. He was sure the dream was meant to let him know his father was safe and happy now.

Connor stretched, dreading getting up and facing the day. His thoughts on how he just found his real family, only to lose them again. He moved quickly off the bed and realized his dear old dad would not want him sulking, but thinking clearly on how to best deal with getting out of town.

He took a last look around before going to wake up Lorne and get a plan together on what they should do next. His thoughts were to lay low for a while, move around and use some of the Green demon’s contacts to flush out more info on what really happened in the alley.

*******

Spike woke up feeling a tingle that something wasn't right. He could hear two sets of heartbeats, and a sense of familiarity in the air. He didn't want to move, he could tell that her Highness was still sleeping. The vampire worried that maybe he took too much last night when she let him have a sip of her royal blood.

"I am awake," she voiced.

"Well, then I guess we can get up and offer our guests welcome." Spike said with a smirk on his face. "I think our little Greenjeans has come home and brought a friend."

"Do you speak of the one called Lorne?" Illyria asked as she sat up at the side of the bed. She was surprised at how rested, but also how tired she still felt. Especially having never lost blood in battle and then offered it to a vampire before.

"He did not join us in battle. Why?" she asked.

"Don't really know until we ask, but my suspicion is the bloke didn't want one of us dying trying to protect him for one, and the other is the boy is a singer, not a fighter." Spike shrugged. "If he did his job and walked away, that’s enough for me."

"If what you say is true, then yes, it was smart on his part to have stayed out of the battle." The blue demon agreed after thinking how different the battle may have turned out if he had in fact came and caused the others to be more concerned about his welfare then that of themselves.

"Well, Luv, let's go say hi to our company and welcome them to Hotel Apocalypse." Spike sighed as he walked over and opened the door for her to exit before him with a dramatic swing of his hand. "After you, your Highness."

"Your humor sometimes annoys me, like now." She glared as she walked past him and out the door.

"Well, Pet, since I don't have me Gramps to irritate anymore I guess the tradition falls to you now, don't it?" Spike chuckled as he watched her spine straighten. He was surprised she chose to ignore the word Pet, and the implication that he was going to annoy her any chance he could get.

The vampire heard Lorne talking to another male as he and Illryia walked toward the office that helped the helpless. He recognized Lorne's scent, and for some reason the other person's smell was familiar as well, and the voice was vaguely familiar, too.

Lorne stopped talking a he watched Spike and Illyria walk into the office, his heart sped up and a look of shock come upon his face. It caught Connor's attention, causing the young man to turn and see what had made Lorne look like he had seen a ghost.

"Spike, Illyria, you're alive," Lorne gasped as he stood and stared. "Oh thank the sweet PTB for something."

"I remember both of you from the tour Angel gave me," Connor stated as he took in the couple's bloodied appearance. "I take it you fought in the battle?"

"Yeah, we did." Spike looked at the boy more closely this time. Thinking to himself that there was something different about the boy.

"Angel, did he…?" Lorne just could not come right out and ask. "Wes, and Gunn too?"

Spike looked over at the one good-hearted member, other than Fred, of their group and dreaded telling him the full story. Suddenly the Miss Royalty came to his rescue.

"They died bravely in battle."

Connor bowed his head and fought back the tears. He remembered what his father had told him that as long as he was okay, then it was okay, the evil had no hold over him.

"There's something different about you mate. What is it?" Spike moved closer, taking a deep whiff at the boy's scent when it hit him. "How could it be possible? Why didn’t I smell it the first time we met?"

Connor looked at Spike like he was crazy. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I smell them on you, Angel and Darla, I smell them," Spike growled.

"They're my parents." Connor said, "Now, who are you to know how my mother smells on me. Wait, that doesn't sound right or maybe it does. I don’t know anymore."

"Well, in the vampire family tree that would make you my relation of some kind." Spike laughed. "Darla sired Angel who sired Dru, who sired me…so you try and figure it out."

"We Are Family," Lorne sang softly, trying to bring some humor to the situation.

Connor looked at the blonde vampire and smirked, "Maybe I don't feel like acknowledging my vampire kin?"

Spike snorted. "I guess that’s up to you, denial boy."

"Call me Connor and I'll refrain from calling you BBB."

"BBB?" Spike smiled, already liking this part of his family, even if the boy was bred by the Bitch and the mighty Poof.

"Beached bottle blond." Connor shrugged, liking the fact he did still have family. "Oh, has anyone ever told you the eighties are over?"

"Yeah, and been told by better." Spike looked over and noticed that her Highness had taken a seat and was quietly was watching the show. "Care to tell me how the hell you exist?"

"Do we really have the time for this discussion or can it wait for later?" Connor asked. "I would rather make plans to get as far away from evil incorporated and then talk about resurrection, sex, death, and weird labor stories along with growing up way too fast and furious. Then if you can fit it in I'd like to hear about my father's last battle with evil."

"Well, that would depend on if you want to help us nab a baby from its uncaring bitch of a mother?" Spike smiled evilly.

"What?" Lorne asked.

"That little junior I nabbed from the evil-sitters from hell, well seems like his mother could give a rat's arse about him either," the blonde vampire informed them. "I won’t fail him, not after what we’ve already lost here- he deserves a chance."

Lorne looked at the vampire and felt for him. "Boy wonder, have you thought of what to do with said infant when you have rescued it from its evil mother?"

"He comes with me and Blue here, till we find him a good safe, clean, children free of being sacrificed, family," Spike reasoned. "With all those self-help books for dummies, out there, we should be able to handle a small human for a week or so until we find someone to take him in."

Three heads turned to see if he looked like he had been nipping at the bottle while they hadn’t been looking. "We can't take a baby on the road?"

Spike looked at the green demon and smiled. "You plannin' on comin' with us, there GreenJeans, 'cause you're more then welcome to travel with us."

Lorne smiled and looked at the other three in the room and knew they would make it with or without him. His concern was if he could survive without them right now?

"Count me in Captain Midnight. I'm sure we can find a decent home along the way for the little boy wonder." The green demon smiled as the blond vamp offered up a glare that otherwise would have made him run.

Connor smiled as he looked over the rag tag group and knew this was where he belonged. He felt a connection with Spike, something close to what he felt toward Angel the night the spell hiding his past was broken. "Does this baby have a name?"

"I'm sure dear ole mum gave him something, but we’ll change it." Spike smirked. "The boy is getting a new chance on life, so with that he gets a new name."

"And that would be?" Lorne asked.

"I think I'll let the imp inspire me." Spike shrugged. "Whoever takes him on, will change it anyway."

"I agree." Lorne smiled. "So let's get a plan, we'll need diapers, formula, baby clothes, baby books, diaper bag, oh the list is endless."

"One step at a time." Spike winked. "How about you and the boy here, go and get what we need."

"I'm not a boy." Connor glared at the vamp. "And what do we do for money?"

"He likes to call you out of your name, I find it is a show of acceptance for him," Illyria explained, having kept quiet as the others planned and talked. "I think we should go in and just take the infant and leave quickly. I think the rest of the clan will not wait for very long before they go to reclaim him."

Lorne sighed as he moved over behind the desk as he said, "We never moved the emergency cash that Angel had hidden here, in case something like this happened.

The others stood and watched as the empath pulled up one of the boards and pulled out a large metal box. Inside the box was a large amount of cash along with several cards. "The cards will allow us to withdraw from some accounts that Angel put in fake names in case we needed to go under."

"Hats off to Peaches for thinking ahead of the game he decided to play with Wolfie and company." Spike nodded. "Angelus was always leaving backups, good to see that part of him didn't go into hiding when the Poof came to be in control."

"The Poof?"

Spike laughed. "Your dear old Da, is who."

"You should not speak ill of the dead." Connor glared.

"I'm not speaking ill, it was a compliment actually." Spike winked as he took the cards and looked at the alias his Grandsire had set up. "Very good, none he used while he was the big bad."

"All new names he made up before we entered the evil kingdom of doom and gloom." Lorne sighed.

"Alright, here's how it goes." Spike's mind started to plan. "Me and Green Hornet here will try and find us a safe place to meet. Can't come back here, too familiar if the baddies are lookin' for Junior here, or you- Mr. Song and Dance."

"I think Junior and Blue here should do some baby shopping, pick up a book or two on baby care as well as all the things we'd need." Spike started to pace. "We will need a set of wheels that would accommodate the four of us and a baby."

"I know where we can get the getaway car," Lorne offered. "He’ll ask no questions."

"Okay, the ride taken care of." Spike frowned. "Where to meet?"

"Cordy's place is still vacant, and I don't think they'd look there," Lorne offered. "Wesley kept it vacant for Dennis' sake. The ghost didn't want anyone to live there, he wanted time to grieve over his mistress."

"Know where that is?" Connor asked, and then watched as Lorne wrote down the address to Cordelia's apartment, along with simple instructions.

"Okay, let's try and be there about an hour before sunset. I want to grab the brat as soon as the sun goes down." Spike looked at the others. "Timing is important here, I can feel it in my bones that it will mean life or death if we mess up here."

"Then we don't mess up," Connor said as he turned to the familiar blue female demon. "So, do you have a way to camouflage yourself?"

"Yes," she said as she transformed herself into Fred's image.

Connor felt lightheaded when he noticed who stood before him. "Fred?"

"She is who occupied this shell before I took over," Illyria explained. "I take it you knew her as well."

Connor felt like he was in a daze, "Yeah, I knew her."

"Then I'm sorry for not warning you, if I had known I would have warned you." She looked apologetic, which was unlike her, causing Lorne and Spike to wonder what was happening to the usually uncaring Goddess.

"Sorry, sweetness, I should have told you." Lorne sighed. "I promise that we will take time to sit and talk about what has happened while you were away trying to be normal."

"Okay," the young man answered.

"Can you do this, Junior?" Spike asked, not realizing the boy had known who Fred was. "I can understand if you can't."

Connor shook himself and got a hold of his emotions. "I can do this. The explanations can wait for a more appropriate time."

"That's taking it like a man in charge of his destiny." Spike winked as he patted the boy on his shoulder. "That talk will come and explanations given all around."

Spike wanted them gone so he could move on and try to forget the memories that invaded his brain at the mention of trying to find a normal life. It reminded him of Buffy, and how she had moved on to her so-called normal life with a being he despised more then any thing or anyone in his entire existence.

He couldn't help but think how she accepted The Immortal so openly, and thought he was something she had to hide. It seemed even the idiot scoobies welcomed the bastard with open arms. He wondered if the beast slept with them, too. Spike shook himself out of the thoughts that should have no importance to him any longer.

By what Andrew had said, she knew he was alive, and he had been right about not contacting her. He couldn't help but realize she wanted nothing to do with him and her words of love were lies. Just her way of offering up a dying vamp some cold comfort before his soul was sent to Hell.

"Alright kiddies, lets go and rescue a baby and start a new life for ourselves." Spike voice sounded forced and was noticed by the other three in the room. They just didn't know the reason for the vamp's change in behavior as they noticed the anger radiating off of him.

"Okay, Ria, let's go." Connor forced a smile on his face, as he accepted the cash and one of the credit cards from Spike.

"Ria?" She glared.

"Yeah, I can't call you Fred or Illyria, they would be recognized." Connor explained. "You can call me Ron."

"Your explanation makes sense." The blue demon nodded, otherwise no emotion shown.
She looked over at the vampire. "Do you need nourishment before I leave?"

Spike smiled as he shook his head no. "Not yet,Your Highness. I’ll pick up some while we are out."

She nodded, feeling slightly upset that he had not taken what she had offered, but hid it as she followed the young man who had been attracted to her when they had first met. She tried not to think further about the vampire that had come to mean something to her, she just hadn't figured out what.

"Alright, I will bring the car to the back entrance and meet you there," Lorne instructed as he moved toward the front door. "So don't forget your blanket and sunblock."

"Yeah, meet you there." Spike nodded as he put the metal box under his arm and moved quickly upstairs to grab a few blankets.

On his way back down, he opened up the weapons cabinet and noticed a set of curved knives in special shoulder holders. He picked them up and wrapped them in one of the blankets, and as he looked down, he noticed a scroll that looked old. He picked it up and added it to the knife set. He then ran to the back door using one of the other blankets to cover him so he could get into the protected car.