Lycanthrope, Vampirism, and Magick

Lycanthrope, Vampirism and Magick Chapter Six


They left the next night, Xander carrying Wyatt and Phoebe, Chris. The plan was complicated, but it was all they had. They would sneak out while Piper, Paige and Leo used magick and illusions to create the effect that everyone was still trapped in the house.

Most of the plan hinged on secrecy. The bad guys couldn’t know they had left, so the only way Xander could think of to get everyone out was a bit extreme. Phoebe had been the hardest to convince.

They had bound the children’s power temporarily, just for a day or two till they got far away from San Francisco. Then Piper and Paige had done a spell on three amulets, one for Phoebe and each of the babies that would turn them into wolves whenever they were wearing them. They were going to walk right out of the house under their watcher’s noses.

Of course all of this happened after the big emotional scene. Xander finally went through his past with everyone, Mummy-girls, slayers, Graduation, Oxnard, vampires with souls in Los Angeles, everything.

It was hard for him, ever since the Christmas after his…identity crisis, as he liked to call it; he’d done his best to put thoughts of Sunnydale and the people he left there behind him. Sitting with Phoebe ne sne side, Paige on the other and Wyatt in his lap he was very glad he’d made friends with the Charmed Ones in such a short time, he couldn’t face going back alone without a pack.

They had left the Manor three hours ago, Phoebe carrying Chris while he handled Wyatt who was bigger. They were headed northwest, to Sacramento before turning and heading to L.A. Xander wanted to put a lot of distance between them and the Manor in case they were found out as soon as possible, and avoid the Hellmouth and Sunnydale.

Intellectually he knew that this was probably going to be big. Angel could never keep a secret from Buffy and if the vampire was still in L. A. and willing to help the Sunnydale gang would be called in. So it was inevitable that he’d have to face everyone, and the thought would have made Xander growl if Wyatt’s small furry form hadn’t have been in his mouth.

Phoebe was tiring, she didn’t have the constitution of a werewolf, just the form of a wolf, and they kept on having to stop and rest. She wasn’t going to be able to go on foot all the way to L.A. That much had become apparent.

They had carried little; Xander had a small pack around his neck that had money and hand written spells in case they needed any extra help. He was going to have to find a car or something and clothes if they were to change plans.

Fortunately they were in the city of Stockton. They were hiding in the back alley in the red light district: perfect hunting grounds. He left Phoebe and the boys behind a dumpster, morphing to human long enough to tell her to stay put for a while.

Years of being a were had left him with the knowledge that Sunnydale-syndrome, people not seeing what they don’t want to, happened worldwide. Well, he’d never really left North America, but if you can get by as a werewolf in downtown Toronto and Times Square in New York, well you can get by anywhere. So he morphed to his halfway state, leaving him the use of human hands and fingers but the powers of the wolf.

Quickly climbing the fire escape of the building they were next to, Xander took in the lay of the area. It wasn’t the worse area he’d seen, the Combat Zone in Boston was much, much worse. Still there were a few targets to be had, even if it was early in the night.

There, a rashva demon. Those slimy things were always Xander’s favorite to hunt if he needed money or anything like that. Status hungry, they were always wearing expensive jewelry, drove the fastest and flashiest cars, and usually ran a stable of whores that fed off of human emotions, draining the johns’ of their life-force, so Xander had no problems with killing that sort and stealing whatever he could from them.

He waited as three females gave what money they had to the demon and went back to work, leaving the demon alone in the mouth of an alley about ten feet from where he left his charges.

He climbed down off the roof and into the alley behind the pimp. Reached up and tapped him on his shoulder, rashva demons may be a good businessman, but they had the common sense of lemmings with depression.

His prey reacted just as he predicted, chasing him into the alley where Xander could quickly disarm him, chopping at the arm with a switchblade in its’ hand. He used a piece of pipe he had picked up in the alley to kill the demon, the length just long enough to penetrate the brain from the eye socket.

Xander worked quickly, stripping the corpse of his black shirt, leather pants, cowboy boots and jewelry. While looting the pockets for any weapons bigger than the knife, cash, and most importantly keys, and he couldn’t help but laugh at himself.

Here he was, trying to get to L.A. to visit Angel, and he was goend end up dressed like Deadboy Jr., with the exception of the snakeskin boots. He would have to find a Wal-mart or something for more clothes and for supplies for the kids.

Using the car alarm attached to the keys, Xander quickly made plans as he went to get his pack.

***

North to Sacramento where Xander felt comfortably far enough away from San Francisco to stop for clothes and release Phoebe from the spell. She was now taking her turn at driving, the babies in the back in the car seats they’d bought, and other supplies in the trunk of the Lincoln Continental.

They were continuing west, getting to the outskirts of Carson City, and Xander was glad of the top of the line car and air conditioning he’d managed to…acquire. Phoebe had fussed about the larceny, but as Xander pointed out they needed the money and transportation and it was a demon. It wasn’t like his family was going to report the car stolen or anything.

Xander shifted in his seat, trying to get comfortable enough to rest a little before it was his turn to drive. They were going to be traveling through some sparsely populated areas, Indian reservations, Air Force bases, even through MohaMohave Desert itself and he was letting Phoebe do the driving in the more populated ones. That way when it came to his turn he could use his reflexes and others gifts to really get the lead out, push the big car to it’s limits.

“If you don’t sit still I swear to gods I’m gonna stop this car and make you drive the entire way!”

“Sorry Phoebe, I can’t help it, I’m nervous. Deadboy and me never did get along that well, but hell, not to sound clichéd I was a different person then. I was totally afraid to admit to myself that he was sexy as hell for a brooding bastard. If I met him for the first time now I’d take it as a challenge to fuck an expression onto his face!”

“Xander! Little ears!”

He grinned self-consciously. “Oops. Sorry. I just know the Scoobies will end up being there, if things are still true to form Buffy will come running when he calls and vice versa. The last time I tried talking to them I got Spike for god’s sake! Who knows if he even passed along my message? And now Leo says he’s got a soul too and died once? It’s just weird. Everything’s changed but I’m afraid Buffy and Willow will act like I’m still in High School or something. Either that or Buffy will try to lock me up somewhere for everyone’s own good, can’t have a were running loose after all!”

“Xan honey you’re jumping at shadows. It’s been what, five years since you’ve seen them? You’ve grown up, maybe they have too. You need to give them the benefit of the doubt and no matter what happens, you’ll always be welcome at the Manor, you know that! Wyatt would be crushed if his Uncle Fluffy doesn’t give him rides once a week, you know that!”

Xander pulled at his hair, tugging it in frustration. “You are not going to add to my problems by telling them that name are you? “

“What makes you think Wyatt won’t?”

“Oh god, kill me now! Maybe I’ll just stay on four feet the entire time!”

A few moments of silence before Phoebe was speaking again. “So… Xander, you’d like to, how did you put it? Fuck a new expression on this Angel’s face? Do tell!”

Xander just groaned and slid further down in his seat. He should have known, leave it to Phoebe, the yenta of the Wiccan set. This trip was going to suck.

****

By the next day they were in Los Angeles, having driven through the night. Not like Area 51 was going to be visible during they daylight, wt? t?

Still they had run into unforeseen problems. Xander’s friend in L.A. that could help him find Angel was the Host of a bar. They found Caritas to be a big pile of rubble; something that surprised Xander considering it was magicked so no violence could take place.

”Damn, I guess things have changed since I passed this way five years ago!”

“Well we could always try the phone book.”

Xander couldn’t help but turn and look at Phoebe like she had a second head. “Umm and look under V for Vampire? S for Soul? Like that’s going to help.”

“Sometimes Xander you’ve got to keep it simple, look for you’re friend’s name or something.”

They were both bone tired even though they had managed to sleep in shifts in the car. The babies were fussing and Xander was so ready to just find a place and sleep for a day, even though he knew they had to get somewhere protected.

Walking down the street they finally found a phone booth with the yellow pages still attached. Before either adult could reach for it though, Wyatt pointed at it and it orbed over. The child pl wit with the pages while they looked to make sure no one had seen.

“I guess the spell binding their powers is over.”

“I just hope no one felt that!” Phoebe couldn’t help but worry; she had no actpowepower to fight with.

She reached for the book Wyatt was playing with and looked down.

“Xander! Look at this!”

It was an ad. Angel Investigations. We help the hopeless.

“Doesn’t sound like Deadboy’s style, but hey it’s better than anything else I’ve got.”

He drove quickly to the address in the book, trying to keep his attack of nerves at bay. They ended up at huge old-fashioned hotel, like something out of the fifties, and once again Xander had doubts if this was a good idea.

Before he could say anything Phoebe was out of the car, grabbing both children and walking towards the front door. All his worries that this was the wrong place were relived when they entered the lobby.

There, behind the counter was not only Lorne, but to Xander’s surprise the Watcher, Wesley, along with a girl with long brown hair and a handsome black man. They didn’t even notice the new arrivals, their entire focus on Angel and Spike. At least Xander was certain it was Spike.

They were fighting in the middle of the lobby floor, chairs knocked over and everything. Xander’s nostrils flared as he caught the scent of not only anger, grief and frustration, but also lust. The pheromones hit him like a ton of bricks, making him half hard.

He growled under his breath and Phoebe had the nerve to look at him and grin. Oh yeah, he was screwed, and not in the good way.

Not yet.