Immortal Knight

A Knight In LA

“Can’t stop there pet, wot about all this prophecy stuff you were talking about?”


“Very long story Spike, and I’d really like to get cleaned up a bit first, between the being dead thing and you giving me an impromptu shower, I’m feeling a little icky. You could always try feeding us too.”


“Still a bottomless pit? Peaches here can order you something and I’ll show you both where to get cleaned up.”


“You’re an absolute angel sweetie, any chance you could find a little something for me to wear?” Amanda gave Spike her best pleading look.


“Wrong vampire luv, me Sire here’s the bleeding angel, not me. Hell Xander did you have to go and teach her the puppy dog eyes?”


“Not taking the blame for that one Spike, she perfected that look centuries before I was born.”


“Centuries?” Xander’s story finally began to seep into Spike’s brain; the two people in front of him were Immortal, and for all her youthful looks, this woman wasn’t what she appeared to be. “So exactly how many centuries are we talking here?”


“Darling you should know better than to ask a lady’s age. Lets just say I’m a little older than I look and I have quite the thing for younger men.”


Angel resisted the urge to bang his head against the desk, exactly when had he lost control of the situation? For all his talk Xander still hadn’t told them why he was breaking into Wolfram and Hart, and Angel had more questions than answers. And what was with the personality change, the Xander Harris he remembered hated vampires, souled or not, so why was he treating Spike like a long lost brother? The easy relationship between them just didn’t make any sense. Why did Spike get to be Xander’s friend, when the boy had always treated Angel like a plague carrier? More importantly, why the hell was it bothering him so much? He was going to have to stop calling him a boy, the bumbling child he remembered had turned into a confident and sexy man. Wait a minute, Sexy! This time Angel just gave in and let his head thump down onto the desk; please tell me I didn’t just think of Xander Harris and sexy in the same sentence?


“Oi, Angel, get your arse in gear, I’m gonna get Harmony to find something for Amanda to wear and show her where to get cleaned up. Why don’t you take Xan up to your apartment and let him use your bathroom, you should have something he could change into.”


“Fine, but I need to talk to you, so just let Harmony help Amanda, come on Xander I’ll show you where to go.”


Having left Xander in his apartment making use of the sumptuous bathroom, Angel made his way back to his office; desperately trying to rid his brain of the persistent images of a wet and soapy Xander in his shower. Something was definitely wrong with him; maybe it was a spell, yeah that had to be it. Immortals must have some kind of freaky attractiveness mojo going on, there’s no way he’d be lusting after Xander otherwise. Having convinced himself that it wasn’t real, Angel set out to ignore the feelings he was having, telling himself that he’d left out the silk shirt and leather pants because they were the only things he had that would fit Xander. Nothing at all to do with the fact that he wanted to see the man in his clothes, wanted to see the leather and silk clinging to every inch of that hard body. No, he just had to ignore whatever it was Xander was doing to him until he could find a way to fix it, maybe Wes could knock him up some kind of repellent.


Spike wandered back into the office, keeping a careful eye on his Sire. The old poof smelled right off, pheremones and anxiety and anger all over the place. At first he’d thought Angel was lusting after Amanda, and that once again he and his Sire were going to end up falling for the same woman; then he’d noticed how the pheremones spiked every time Angel looked at Xander. This could be a lot of fun, Angel needed somebody to loosen him up, he’d been broodier than usual of late, you’d have thought that getting the soul on permanent would’ve cheered him up; but no, Angel seemed to revel in being a miserable bastard. Xander could be good for him, and watching them both figure things out would certainly keep everyone else entertained. There were no other two people on earth worse at relationships then Xander and Angel, if they gave out awards for fucked up love lives they’d be at the top of the list. Of course Spike would run them a close third, but his flirtatious conversation with Amanda had given him hope that his luck was about to change.


Angel watched his Childe warily, really not liking the smirk currently decorating his face, when Spike looked like that it usually meant trouble of some kind; and Angel would end up bearing the brunt of it. “So what’s going on with you and Harris, you two seemed almost friendly.”


“That’s ‘cos we are friends, got to be quite close back in the Dale, wot with me shacking up with him and all.” And there went the pheremones again, Angel really didn’t like the idea of Spike and Xander together.


“You and Harris?”


“Not like that you daft git, like I said, friends. He’s good company once you get him away from the chits.”


Angel was saved from having to respond by the sound of Harmony’s voice from the intercom, telling them that Wes needed to see him right away. Before Wes could get started with whatever business had forced him come and see them, Angel interrupted with questions of his own, “Wes what do you know about Immortals?”


“I assume you mean the race, not Immortal demons of some kind,” At Angel’s nod, Wes continued to talk, “They’re pretty much human, they don’t have a particular affiliation to good or evil, just free will to chose. The difference is that when an Immortal goes evil they have the ability to do a great deal of damage, because of their longevity. They don’t interact much with the demonic community, they seem to spend most of their time killing each other. There’s supposed to be some kind of prophecy that states that the last living Immortal will achieve some great reward, but nobody has ever established what that reward could be. ”


“So they don’t have any other powers, beyond the healing or the long life, no inherent gifts at all?” Okay Angel knew he was clutching at straws, but he was desperate here.


“No, and I must ask what’s brought up this sudden interest in Immortals, they’re not something I have any in-depth knowledge of. If you need more information you should try files and records.”


“Or you could just ask an Immortal.” They all turned to look at Xander as he sauntered into the room. “Really not feeling the trust here Angel, if you wanted to know something you could have just talked to me or Amanda. Hi Wes, good to see you again.”


“Good grief! Xander Harris, I’d no idea you were in LA. I thought that the Council wanted nothing to do with us,” then Wes realised what Xander’s words had meant, “You’re an Immortal?”


“Yes Wes, I’m an Immortal, and I’ve no idea about the Council, haven’t seen any of them since we left Sunnydale. As for being here in town, well we were trying to rob the place, of course that’s before I knew you guys were in charge here now.”


“You were trying to rob us?”


“Not you Wes, Wolfram and Hart, and we didn’t exactly get very far, what with the poison gas killing us right after we got through the door.”


“Poison gas? Angel we have poison gas?”


“I didn’t know either Wes, and I fired everyone responsible,” Angel felt quite proud of himself for managing to answer Wes. He hadn’t exactly been listening closely, being too busy staring at Xander again. The young man hadn’t bothered with the shirt and had come back downstairs wearing nothing but the leather pants. It was distracting to say the least, the pants rode low on his hips and he’d only fastened half the buttons, on the exposed skin of Angel could see a tattoo; beautiful runic script, curling round Xander’s abdomen. Angel couldn’t take his eyes off it, though he tried to convince himself it was because he was trying to decipher the words, not because he wanted to run his fingers over it.


Wes followed the direction of Angel’s gaze and noticed the tattoo, “Oh my, that’s certainly an unusual sentiment.”


“You can read it? What am I saying, you’re a Watcher of course you can read it.” There was a slight hint of panic in Xander’s voice.


“Beloved Property of Death, is it to do with your status as an Immortal?”


“That’s what it means? No wonder you wouldn’t tell me.” Amanda strolled into the office, wearing nothing but a very small towel.


“Clothes didn’t fit luv?”


“I didn’t even try Spike, it was all pink, now can you imagine me in a frilly pink frock?”


“Not exactly your style I’ll bet. The flustered looking bloke is Wes, he’s the brains around here.”


“Nice to meet you darling, I’ve been trying to find out what Alex’s tattoo meant for months, but he just wouldn’t tell me.” Amanda reached up and placed a soft kiss on Wesley’s cheek, before moving to sit on the couch. She only made it about half way before Xander grabbed her by the arm and stuck a hand down the front of her towel. Ignoring the shocked looks of the other men, he retrieved Wesley’s wallet and returned it before sitting down himself.


“I wouldn’t really have kept it, I was just keeping my hand in.”


“Of course you were, could you just try and remember why we’re here and leave the petty larceny until you’re on your own time. If we go back without the pendant, I’m sending you in first to explain things to Cassie.”


“You wouldn’t?”


“Try me.”


“I could tell everyone about the tattoo.”


“Go ahead, it’s not like this day could get any worse.” Xander sank down onto the couch and buried his head in his hands.


Angel decided it was time he regained control, starting with Wes, who’d been standing with a stunned fish expression on his face ever since Xander had given him his wallet back. “Wes, you told Harmony that you had something important to discuss with me?”


“What…yes I did. We had a call that an important client is coming in and I thought that as CEO you should be the one to meet with him.”


“Well as you can see, I’m a little busy here. You’re much better with clients anyway. Everyone’s always telling me how un-diplomatic I am. I’m sure you’d handle it better.”


“You don’t understand Angel, apparently this man was Wolfram and Hart’s first client in this dimension,” seeing that Angel still wasn’t getting it, Wes continued, “This means he’s been a client for over three thousand years.”


“It’s not like you haven’t had to deal with demons before Wes, just treat him like any other client.”


“We don’t know that he is a demon, his species isn’t listed in any of the files, we don’t even have his true name; just a set of code words to access his accounts. All I know for sure is that he’s using the name Adam Pierson at the moment.”


Xander’s whimper went unheard by everyone but the vampires, the humans also missed his anguished muttering, “I just had to tempt fate didn’t I? This day now is the worst ever.”


Angel tried to figure out what had bothered Xander, whilst also trying to talk to Wes, “I thought that files and records knew everything. How can this client not be listed?”


“I’ve no idea, but he’ll be here any minute and right now we don’t know anything about him.”


“He’s a cantankerous, pig headed, arrogant son of a bitch.” Xander’s voice carried to the whole room this time.


“You forgot devastatingly attractive and completely irresistible.”


Angel spun round to look at the intruder, he saw a youngish man, thin, not completely unattractive; this was the mystery client? He looked and smelled human, and he hadn’t taken his eyes off Xander. Oh shit he was another Immortal, probably one of the ones Xander had talked about.


“You know Cassandra and I were worried sick about you two. She’s been sat up all night imagining the terrible things that you were suffering. We expected to find you in a cell, not taking drinks with the bosses.”


“We?” For the first time Amanda’s voice was without it’s usual confidence.

“Yes we, Cass is just outside having a little chat with that vampire ditz.”


“It wasn’t my fault Methos, they’d changed the system from the specs you got us.”


“Amanda my dear, we asked for your help because you’re supposed to be an expert at this, what on earth couldn’t you handle?”


That was it Xander had had enough, “Poison gas Methos, not even Amanda could do anything about that. What I don’t understand is why you made us break in at all, seeing as how you’re some sort of big shot around here? Why the hell didn’t you just come and get the damn thing?”


“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean Alex, I’ve never been to this office before.”


“Give it up old man, Wes already told us that you’re a client, their first client apparently. The kind of client who gets whatever he wants, so I really don’t get why you had me and Amanda crawling round the sewer systems, when you could have just asked for the damn thing.”


“It was necessary.” Angel wandered just when his office became grand central station, when a tall brunette woman joined the conversation.


“Necessary? Wait, let me guess, you had a vision?”


“Not exactly Alexander, I just felt that this was the best course, over the centuries I’ve learnt to trust my instincts.”


“Well did your instincts tell you we’d wind up dead on the floor of the vault?” Xander knew he was sounding like a petulant brat, but it had been a long and crazy day, and he was too pissed off to care.


“Alexander.” Just one word from Methos, but the tone of command was obvious to all, Angel watched as Xander immediately reigned in his anger and apologised; and wondered how this man had such a hold over the boy.


“I am sorry Cass, but it’s been a hell of a day. If anyone but these guys had been running Wolfram and Hart, Amanda and I could have been dead for real.”


“It wouldn’t have happened, I told you that the Powers have plans for you Alexander, they wouldn’t have let you die here.”


“I’m sorry Cass, but I don’t have your blind belief in them, I’ve seen them use to many people, watched them allow their champions die, if they think it’s for the greater good.”


“You judge them too harshly sometimes, they never claimed to be perfect.”


“We’ve had this argument too often Cass, we’re never going to agree. I was just trying to explain to these guys why we had to have the pendant, but seeing as you’re here I’ll let you do the honours.”


“Perhaps you could introduce us first.”


“Sorry Cass. Wes, Spike, Angel, Methos, Cassandra.” Xander pointed to each in turn and then sat back to allow Cassandra to talk. Wesley got in first.


“Methos…..i’m sure I’ve read that name somewhere….. Methos …..Death……Bloody hell, you’re one of the horsemen of the apocalypse.”


Angel just couldn’t believe it, this man was one of the legendary horsemen, he didn’t even begin to look powerful enough; then he got his first look at Methos’ eyes and shivered as he saw the depth of strength and power in their ageless depths. Then Angel realised something else, Methos had a proprietary arm wrapped around Xander’s waist. Methos also known as death, Angel’s eyes went back to Xander’s tattoo and flashed gold as his demon raged at the idea of anyone but them owning the boy.


tbc……