Devil You Know

***** Part 4: ...

Durby's Dinner and Hotel 4:30 a.m. :

"Spike!" Jim ground out between clinched teeth.

Still chuckling, Spike replied, "Sorry for the surprise wake up call, constable, but it seems I gave your guide there a bit of a fright."

He didn't look one bit sorry, in Jim's opinion, but he chose to keep it to himself. That didn't mean he wasn't going to keep a close eye on the vampire just in case he tried to pull something. Even when keeping an eye on the blonde man, he still wasn't ready for what he had up his sleeve.

"Spike? So you're the one from Jim's vision!" Blair exclaimed. Getting over his initial shock, he tried to push past Jim to face the blond.

Arching his scared brow at the guide's antics, Spike extended his hand to meet the younger man's but was blocked by the sentinel's body.

"Guilty as charged," the mischievous merriment evident in his voice, "And you must be Blair. I must say, pet, that the constable described you dead on." The latter was accompanied with a leer while nodding his bleached head toward Jim.

Blair looked over at Jim in time to see the older man blush. *Jim just blushed. Jim never blushes. What did he say about me?* Blair filed the question away for a later time.

"Breakfast?" Spike asked as he went to stand by a beautiful green eyed brunette woman. Jim sighed to himself when he realized he had been so focused on Spike he never even realized she was there.

Jim glared harder and answered, "Breakfast would be fine, since we're up anyway." *Damn it, there's that smile again.* He thought about staking the vampire as he moved forward, making sure that Blair was still behind him the entire time.

"AHEM!" The woman glared at her companion.

"Oh, right!" With a horrified look on his face that Jim didn't buy for a minute, Spike exclaimed dramatically, "Where are my manners?" Taking the hand of the woman next to him, he continued, "Detective Jim Ellison, I would like to introduce a friend of mine. This is Jera Lawson. My closest friend in this world in life and un-life."

"I have heard much about you sir." She replied as she stepped forward and extended her hand to him. Her smile was warm, her manner unthreatening, and almost caused Jim to relax completely. Almost. Shaking her hand briefly, he noticed three things right off the bat about her.

She had the oldest eyes he'd ever seen in a young face, which was saying a lot given his years in Vice. There he'd seen fourteen year-old's with the eyes of 50 year-old's; she was more like twenty going on two thousand. Her scent was off, too, tinged with an ozone smell he connected with thunderstorms and lightning. That and she didn't react at all to the strong static spark that flew from his hand to hers when they touched.

"And this is his guide." Spike indicated the man behind the detective.

Blair nodded. "Are you a vampire as well?"

"No, she isn't." Jim answered before anyone else. "She isn't really a mortal human either."

A musical laugh like none either Jim or Blair had heard before escaped the woman's throat "Human? Yes. Mortal? No. Like Spike I am an immortal. Just a different kind is all sugar." A saucy grin played upon her shimmering ruby lips. Jera looked over at her friend. "You were right sweetpea. He is good." "It's hard to explain," she said, not at all patronizingly. "I'm human, I died, but I didn't die, and most things won't kill me. Of course just what I am exactly no one's figured out, and honey, I'm sure not digging to find out."

"I'm Blair Sandburg." Blair introduced himself from behind Jim. He was trying to get past the older man a second time but to no avail. Sighing, he switched tactics and just peered around larger man instead. The two immortals leaned to their right to peer back at the smaller man with amused grins on their faces. The smile that was returned in kind by the clear blue-eyed man was a dazzling one, even if it was a bit shaky with suppressed laughter.

"What do you say about getting this show on the road, gentlemen? I have a shop to open in a few hours."

Smirking, Spike announced, "Always to the point. That's my Jera pet for you." Shaking his head, Spike smiled fondly at his friend.

Rolling her eyes, Jera indicated that they should take their seats around the table.

Shifting her gaze to Jim, she asked, "By the way darlin', what gave me away?".

"I can smell it as well as sense it." Jim offered as a way of explanation.

Blair shot Jim a look that clearly said *I want details later, Mister!*

Jim groaned inwardly, knowing his guide was going to waylay him with hundreds of questions the minute their visitors left. All Jim really wanted was for Blair to lay him. Spike handed out the gourmet coffee and Jera's special chocolate raspberry truffle muffins.

"Oh man! These are sinful." Blair moaned in pleasure after taking his first bite.

Jim nearly swallowed his tongue at the sound his guide made. *Damn, I'm going to need a cold shower* he thought. Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Jim took a swallow of his coffee, hoping to distract himself from his fantasies of his moaning partner. The exotic taste of the coffee exploded on Jim's tongue. Somehow the taste was familiar but unknown. Smacking his lips, he tried to analyze the flavor only to come up short. Confusion multiplied and streaked his face as he took a larger swallow; it was no use. He just couldn't remember where... Eyes shot wide as the taste finally registered within his mind. "Coe le! Na hu mon La Que`a Chopec?"

Laughing, Jera nodded her head.

"Someone mind telling me what's going on, or should I just assume I need to climb up a water tower with a paint can to defend my sister's honor." Spike said sarcastically in his best impression of southern redneck.

Jera laughed harder at the horrible accent. Only after managing to get herself under control did she explain. "Do you remember the time I spent in Peru?" At Spike's nod she continued, "Well Jim here seems to be a fellow tribal member. He just figured out my secret ingredients in the coffee."

"And you're still drinking it.... BRAVE man." Spike ducked just in time to miss getting hit by a piece of muffin.

Blair watched the scene unfold before him, laughing at the antics of the two immortals. Spike was the first to bring up the true reason for the visit.

"As fun as this is, we should start talking about why we're all here." Pulling out the files hidden with in his duster, Spike handed them out to everyone.

Jera opened her folder and looked at the sentinel. "I hate to hit you with this first thing sugar, but there is something you need to know. The case you two have been assigned to isn't what you think it is. It's a lot bigger than even the police are willing to acknowledge. Inside you'll find the names of all the victims- - human AND demon.

"We know of 12 teenagers so far. " Jim told the immortals.

Blair looked over at his friend before opening his own file and questioned. "How many more are there that we don't already know about?"

Doing a quick tally, Jim swore to himself. "Fifteen more, Chief."

Blair, feeling a little green but trying not to show it, set down his coffee. "Do we know his M.O.?"
"That's the thing, sweetpea, we don't have a clue other than the fact there isn't hardly enough left to fit into a baggie." Jera replied.

"Actually, pet, that i'n't true." at Jera's raised brow Spike explained, "Look at the locations. All the murders take place around one of three places: the Bronze, the cemetery, and the main opening for the Hell Mouth."

Taking a closer look at the places the bodies were found, Jera had to agree. "He's right. The first body, which was human, and the last two, which were demon, were found near the cemetery. The next few were found in the back of the High School, which is close to where the opening is located. The rest were found in the back alley of the Bronze."

"So what kind of place is the Bronze?" Jim asked as he made notes of what the immortals were telling him.

"It's the local hang out for the kiddies round here. It's also one of the best hunting places for us vamps. Gotta warn you tho constable. The slayer and her scoobies hang out there, so be careful not to step on her toes." Grinning wickedly, Spike chuckled, "Course wouldn't hurt my feelins none iffin you want to rough up the slayer and her flunkies a bit, so long as you leave my Xanpet alone."

"Ssssppppiiikkkeeee." Jera warned.

"What?" Spike looked innocently at his dearest friend.

Shaking her head "Can the look, puddin'. I know you better than that."

"Awww. Getting' so a bloke can't have no fun anymore." the blond pouted.

"What's a slayer?" Jim asked clearly puzzled.

Rolling his eyes, the vampire snarled. "She's a bleedin' pain in the arse is what she is."

The female next to him laughed and answered. " The slayer is the one genetically chosen once every generation to destroy demons, slay vampires, and stop plots to open the Hell Mouth and/or the destructions of the world."

"She's superfast for a human, as strong as most vamps, and damn hard to kill." Spike put in, "Trust me. I've tried." Sighing, he added, "She is also one of Xander's friends. Don't know why he likes the chit, but he does."

"Which brings up the other reason we are here. Xander. How is the kid doing?," the sentinel wondered.

"He's doing okay considering we haven't found his guide yet. Would love to know how we're going to find the wanker."

They worked on a game plan, throwing out ideas of how to handle both problems. Time past quickly, as their conversation changed minutes into hours. Blair's sense of connection to Spike grew with every moment; it was as if he where sitting down with a brother he hadn't seen in years. All too soon Jera and Spike stood to leave.

Nodding to himself, Jim confirmed. "So we're agreed then. The best place to start on the case is to talk to the slayer and let her know we're here. We'll try and get her help. This will give both Blair and I a chance to meet with Xander and work with him without anyone finding out we know Spike."

"Its better that way, Jim. They'd be suspicious of you once they find out we're acquainted with each other. Especially Xander and the slayer's watcher." Spike muttered.

Jera glanced at her watch. "Well it's been fun gentlemen, however, it's now 6:30 and I have a shop to open. Will, do you have the ring?" Looking over at her sunlight impaired friend.

Holding up his hand Spike quipped, "Like American Express, I never leave home without it." The whap to the back of his head was no deterrent for the smile born on his lips.

"Smartass!" Jera chuckled.

"PhD certified, pet," he said with a wiggle of his bum.

"More like FDA approved." Winking, Jera pinched his ass and bounced out of Spike's range of fire over to Jim and Blair. Shaking each man's hand she spoke softly, "It was a pleasure to meet you both and I look forward to seeing you again. Blair, if you ever need any hard to find books, give me a jingle, sugar. I know Will does."

"I'll do that." Blair's smile was warm, and for the hell of it he embraced the immortal in a hug.

Laughing Jera smiled at the young man in her arms. He reminded her of another young scholar she had once known long ago, before the... change. Her William.

"I know what your thinking luv, so get it out of your head. He belongs to the constable so there'll be no keeping him." Spike teased. Blair watched as Jim yet again blushed from head to toe. //Why is he blushing? Jim never blushes and here he is blushing. That makes what twice in one day and it was only 6 am?// Blair thought.

"One last thing..." Spike reached into his jacket and pulled out a folder. Passing it to Jim he parted with words that the ex-soldier couldn't help but take to heart. "Things are not what they seem here in Sunny Hell." The vampire's face morphed into its true form, "So you can't take anything for granted." His golden eyes flicked to Blair and back again to Jim "Not anything, pet."

Alley near the Bronze - same day 4:30 a.m. :

Blood dripped from tired fingers. Pieces of flesh, bone, and brain matter covered everything in the little alleyway behind the dollar store. He'd spent hours ripping the body apart just trying to stop the feelings. Blasted redhead had made him hurt her. It was all her fault. The girl had set his teeth on edge. Made him feel things he didn't want to remember feeling. Things he hasn't had to face since he was ... *NO! Don't think about it. * He berated himself. She's dead now and the feeling was gone. It was over. At least he hoped so. She wasn't the first to make him feel this way but he hoped she was the last. He just wanted to forget. Forget the love, laughter, feeling of being whole and the pain of having it all ripped away and left alone.

He was cold, empty, and had to shut out those memories just to move on, just to keep on living. He'd come here to do a job and that was what he was going to do. Looking at his clothes he wasn't surprised to see he was covered in blood. Even made him smile a bit with a bit of nostalgia. He remembered when he and his lover would roll in the floor making love smearing blood and what ever else they'd been using to... *SHUT UP! STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT!*

He needed a shower. Yes, that was it. He needed a shower and clean clothes. Wash away the blood, tears, and sweat. He'd forget then and he'd be fine again. Yes everything would be just fine. Just fine.
*****