Introductions

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Part 7

"You’re going to be too late," Hypatia said sharply as she stepped past Trevor and spun, glaring at him. "You wouldn’t listen and now HE’S paying the price! Gods, Trevor, I didn’t think you were so fucking selfish!"

Trevor blinked, frowning, his hand still on the doorknob of his and Elliot’s apartment. "And hello to you, too. Come in. Oh, wait… you ARE in. Now you can LEAVE."

"Have you entirely lost your mind?" she demanded, her hand on her hips as she glared dangerously at him. "You knew what would happen if you kept up this stupid jealousy! You SAW it! Fuck, Trevor, you’re… such a BASTARD!"

"What are you TALKING about?" the dark-haired man yelled back. "I haven’t SEEN anything in over a week, you crazy bitch!"

That was impossible, and Hypatia knew it. Or did she? Everything she KNEW said her brother had to have SEEN but she couldn’t deny that he looked completely baffled to see her, much less seeming to have a clue. "Fuck. Okay. I… believe you. Shit. Look, you need to get to Tulsa. Tonight. Something’s going to happen… IS happening."

Trevor didn’t know what was going on, but if Hy said he had to go to Oklahoma of all places, he was sure she was right. That didn’t mean he had to like it. "Okay. I’ll go get Elliot and we’ll…"

"NO! I don’t… look, Trev, if you don’t go RIGHT NOW you’re going to be too late and there won’t be any salvaging the situation. I… I’ll tell Elliot. He’s with William and Xander, right? YOU get to the airport. There’s no TIME!"

And for some reason, he was suddenly just as panicky as she was. "Okay, fine. But Tulsa’s a big…"

"The Doubletree. Downtown. Room 1736. And HURRY."

The young man grabbed his jacket and wallet and was out the door and in a taxi before he realized he hadn’t even asked who he was looking for or why.

* * * * *

Harris was still laughing as he answered the rapid tapping on the door. One brow arched when he saw the entirely unfamiliar woman. "Hello…"

"Hello, Xander," the woman said quickly. "It’s nice to meet you."

Harris blinked then groaned and called towards the kitchen. "Spike… did you rent me a woman again? It was funny when you did it to Willow, and the first few times here, but…"

Hypatia shook her head quickly and called out in the same direction. "William! Tell your Claimed to move! I need to see Elliot!"

She pushed her way past the tall brunette man who looked like he was trying to catch flies in his open mouth then grinned slightly. "And believe me, Xander, if I were available for rent, the last thing you’d find it is funny. Exciting, definitely. Memorable, certainly. But funny…? No." Her eyes darted around the room, finding the blond man laying on the couch. "Elliot. Hypatia Lee. Nice to meet you. You’re going to Tulsa. Now."

Elliot looked at the strange woman as though she’d lost her mind. "Okay… and why would I do that?"

The woman sighed and spoke as though to a small child. "Because, Elliot, if you don’t more things will be ruined than you know, starting with your Robert." She nodded when the man suddenly sat bolt upright. "Trevor is already on the way. It would be best if you arrived shortly thereafter. I’m afraid you’re both going to be too late to keep the boy from being damaged but having you there will help the healing process, assuming my brother can manage to keep himself from being a raging asshole... which is doubtful," she admitted with a frown.

"Wha’…" Elliot’s mind was reeling even as his heart began pounding madly. "What happened to Robert? Damn it, tell me!"

She did, quickly adding "It hasn’t happened yet, exactly… not completely. But… it will have by the time you leave. Just… go! Fuck, you men are more chatty than most of the girls I know!"

"Here, mate," Spike said, handing Elliot a credit card. "Do what you need ta."

"Th-thanks, Will," Elliot said, looking lost. "I… clothes… plane! I don’t…"

"Worry about it later, El," Harris insisted. "Buy whatever you need. Just… get where you need to be."

"I… yeah." The blond man paused at the door, looking back quickly. "Just one… Hippopsha? Why did you send Trevor? He doesn’t much like Robert…"

The woman snorted softly. "It’s Hypatia. Say it with me. Hi-PAY-she-uh. Not so difficult. And you’ll see. Now hurry!" she ordered, telling him the hotel information as well.

* * * * *

"Right, then," Spike growled a minute or ten later as he hung up the phone. He’d called ahead and paid for a ticket for Elliot’s flight, then called the bloke’s cell and told him the particulars. All they could do now was wait. "Right, then," he said again, "Got a question for you."

The woman sighed, having done all she could for the moment. "More than one, I’m guessing. Do you mind if I sit down? I’ve been a bit on edge."

Harris shook his head and swallowed his own questions, choosing instead to go into the kitchen for three beers. He returned swiftly, handing one to the black-haired woman and one to his claimed, kissing the latter softly before collapsing at one end of the couch with his own bottle.

Hypatia smiled a real smile for the first time. "Thank you, Xander. I can use this." She took a long swallow, waiting for the inevitable questions to emerge.

* * * * *

"Because I KNOW things," Hypatia said again a good hour later. "Not things like… where you left your keys or anything, but…"

"But things like knowin’ young Bobby’s goin’ ta be raped, ‘ey? Soddin’ useless ta know about it if you can’t stop it!"

"That’s the problem! I shouldn’t have HAD to stop it, or even interfere! Trevor was supposed to SEE it and make sure it didn’t happen! But he didn’t and I don’t KNOW why! The POWERS don’t know why!" She almost wanted to cry, even though she didn’t do that sort of thing. "But time went on and I kept waiting to KNOW Trev was on his way and he didn’t leave, and… shit, I thought he was jealous and ignoring the situation but he honestly didn’t SEE!"

Harris nodded. "I can see how you might believe Trev wouldn’t want to help Robert. Hell, he and Elliot almost split up because of him. But he would never let something like that happen to anyone. Not even the guy he hates right now."

Spike snorted and shook his head. "Luv… th’ last thing Trevor feels about th’ boy is HATE. Yah, he’s jealous over his El, but… think it’s also bein’ jealous that Bobby wants El instead of HIM."

"Oh, come on, babe! Trevor wants Robert? Please. Can you believe this guy?" he asked Hypatia, hitching his thumb towards his vampire with a grin.

"No," she said slowly. "It’s not common for a vampire, even one with a soul, to be so perceptive."

"There, see, babe…? Oh." Harris blinked. "Oh… but why…?"

The woman shook her head. "Because as I’ve said repeatedly, my brother is an idiot."

"An’ that leads me ta my next question, pet," the vampire said, cocking his head at the woman.

"Know what Trev is. Not sure how you can be his sister. You don’t even smell related, much less that closely. Care ta fill us in?"

Another sigh. "Well, it’s… complicated."

"Yah, pet… everythin’ is with you lot."

"Okay… okay. I suppose you have a right to know, and I KNOW Trevor hasn’t told you all of it." And somehow, even knowing that it might come back and bite her in the ass, she… wanted to tell the two men everything. Or as close to everything as she could.

She sat back against the couch and sipped her beer again as she ordered her thoughts and began to speak.

"I don’t know exactly where Trevor began with the story," Hypatia said slowly, "So I’ll start at the beginning. But first I need to ask you a question, William. Or Spike if you prefer."

The vampire rolled his eyes. "Enough stallin’. Ask an’ get on with it. An’ Spike’s fine." He nodded.

"All right. Spike. And I’m not stalling. I said I’d tell you and I will. In MY way." The woman arched one slender brow, smiling when the blond sighed. "I’d like you to ask your demon something. Ask it if it… recognizes me. Not this human shell, but that which resides within."

His eyes rolled again, but he did as she‘d said, although it wasn’t really ‘asking’ as such because his demon and soul weren’t precisely separate. It was more like… examining.

The look on Spike’s face when he found the answer was priceless, Hypatia thought with a small grin. "It does, doesn’t it?"

"Bloody. Hell."

"What’s going on, guys?" Harris slipped in, somehow feeling like his former donut-getting and somewhat useless self. "I… fuck." He sighed and tried to relax when his claimed squeezed his fingers.

"I’m sorry… Harris. I was making a point to Wi… Spike. The demon within him… well, it knows what I was. It can… taste it, I suppose, regardless of what I’ve become. And the demon will tell you if I lie, William. More than any scent every could."

The blond frowned but nodded slowly. Didn’t mean he wasn’t still going to check the air, but… she was right. His evil half would probably know. Still, he had another question.

"If my demon knows you, pet… why doesn’t my soul? Seems it should recognize anythin’ th’ rest of me does…?"

Hypatia sighed and finished her beer, setting the bottle gently on the floor. "Because, Spike… your soul is human. Human souls didn’t exist when my kind were… brought into creation. They have no referent."

She almost smiled at the shocked silence that one statement bought her. She did smile when Harris, as he preferred to be called, got up and came back with a third beer for each of them, his eye wide and confused.

"Humans hadn’t even begun to swing in trees when we were… born," she added.

* * * * *

(A/N: Thanks to TheShadowCat, RemityGirl, Megora, ladyicondraco and RedSharpie for the reviews. Much appreciated as always.

And you're right, RedSharpie. Rape is NOT cool. Hopefully I didn't imply that it was.

More angst to come of course, but then... well, I'm hoping for a happy ending. If not in this story then in the next. *sniggers*)