Heath, Sophie & Elizabette.
Elizabette hummed slightly as she swept into her hotel room. Heath followed her and dumped Sophie on the bed. The Slayer roused slightly, eyes sliding open a crack. She had two fangmarks on her throat which were still leaking blood.
"Hmm..." Elizabette mused.
"Call Angelus now and tell him about his present? Yes, I think so."
She sat on the bed next to Sophie and fussed with the girl's hair slightly.
"Oh, he's going to *love* you. You're so sweet and pure..."
Sophie moaned slightly and Heath grinned.
"You know, ten minutes could take care of that..."
"Hush!"
Heath felt his face as he turned his head back to face her after her vicious slap. He raised an eyebrow slightly.
"She is *not* for you."
Elizabette stared him down, then picked up her cell and dialled Angel's mobile phone.
"Just saying..." Heath sighed and flung himself down across the bed.
Angel
Angelus sighed as he lifted his phone up.
"Hmmm?" he said into it.
Sophie & Elizabette.
"Sire? It's me, Elizabette," Elizabette said.
"I've got a present for you...say hello, Sophie..."
She put the cell to Sophie's mouth and the Slayer whimpered slightly as the vampiress pulled on her hair.
"No...please...oh no..."
"She's very sweet," Elizabette said, bringing the phone back up to her own mouth to talk to her Sire.
Angel
Angel closed his eyes slightly.
He cleared his throat.
"Bring her to me," he said, imitating Angelus's growl.
Heath & Elizabette.
"Of course, she is for you," Elizabette said.
"Where are you?"
"I don't like this," Heath said, listening in.
"Quiet, Childe," she snapped at him, covering the mouthpiece for a moment.
"Just saying I have a bad feeling."
Angel
"Hyperion. Thought I might terrorize the locals," Angel said.
Cordelia looked at him strangely.
Heath, Sophie, Wesley, Serafina & Elizabette.
"See you in few then, Sire. Ciao!" Elizabette said, then hung up.
Heath looked sullen as he picked up Sophie. Her head lolled against his shoulder as he started out the door.
"*Really* don't like this."
"Hush," Elizabette said sharply, picking up a fan and flicking it out with a descive sound to fan herself lightly.
She followed him out the door and down to their car. Heath put Sophie in the backseat, then turned back inside for a minute.
"Be right back."
He armed himself heavily. None of it showed above his clothes. Then he went back out and got in the car. They arrived at the Hyperion shortly and Heath hefted Sophie onto his shoulder again.
"Sire."
He nodded at Elizabette and followed her into the hotel's foyer.
"Bette!" Serafina squealed.
Wesley started and dropped his pen.
Angel
"Elizabette, Heath," Angel said, nodding.
He'd briefed the others on to act like he was still soulless. And scary.
Heath, Sophie, Wesley, Serafina & Elizabette.
Elizabette bent slightly to pick up Serafina as she ran over to the vampiress.
"Hello, poppet. Been good for Daddy?"
"Course! Where have you been? Bring me any presents?" Serafina babbled at her.
"London, England. And of course."
Elizabette shifted her slightly and then dug in the pocket of her coat.
"Here."
Serafina oohed over the miniature china doll and hugged it.
"She's pretty. Thank you, Bette."
She wriggled slightly and Elizabette put her down. Serafina ran out of the room to play with her new doll. She passed Conner and hissed at him, before disappearing. Connor snorted and folded his arms, staring at Heath.
Heath grinned back unpleasantly, one hand on Sophie's ass as she hung over his shoulder like a limp heap of material.
"Hey, *mate*."
"Don't call me that, *demon*," Connor growled back.
Heath chuckled and let his eyes flicker gold.
"Yeah, mate. It's f*cking fantastic."
Sophie struggled weakly and Wesley swallowed as he watched her legs kick faintly. Heath held her easily however. He caught Wesley's look.
"Lamb to the slaughter, Wes. So hurting when I turned up. Didn't manage to catch her little sister though. That was gonna be the next big thing and then she fell into my arms like a ton of bricks."
Angel
Angel looked over Sophie, vamping out.
"She smells fantastic."
Heath, Sophie & Elizabette.
"Tastes sweet...but all thrumming with that Slayer power," Heath said.
"Easiest and nicest way for us to keep her weak. Feed from her occasionally."
He propped Sophie on her feet and the Slayer sagged into his arms.
"Prongs...Prongs, wake up now. There's a good little Slayer."
"He hunted her so well," Elizabette purred.
"I was so proud."
Sophie's eyes flickered open for a moment, then closed again weakly.
Angel
Angel slapped her cheeks lightly.
"Hey girl, wake up. Kinda hungry, myself."
Heath & Sophie.
Heath stared into Angel's eyes, the sinking feeling increasing fast. Something was off here. He wasn't sure what yet though.
Sophie's eyes flickered and she opened them to stare dazedly at Angel.
"Uhhh..."
Angel
"Well, morning sleepy head!"
Angel looked at Heath.
"This is no way to treat a guest, is it? Come on, we'll get you some nice chains."
Heath, Sophie & Elizabette.
"Speaking of chains..." Heath began slowly, staring at Angel.
"Shouldn't you be in some if they know you're all nasty and fangy again? Connor told me *all* about the Beast. He hates you, you know. So, Angelus...or should I say, Angel, how about we cut the crap?"
"Heath!" Elizabette snapped.
"How dare you?!"
"I don't happen to have a Ring like you do, Sire. I'm still chancy about my skin. And where's his minions if he's evil? Why aren't the humans dead or turned? He'd be dust if Connor got in five feet of him with an ax and a stake."
Heath shoved Sophie down and away from the two vampires, then flicked his wrists slightly, letting two stakes slid down into his hands.
Angel
"Caught out."
Angel looked at Cordy.
"Get them out of here."
Heath, Sophie, Wesley & Elizabette.
Elizabette snarled with fury, eyes glowing gold and face ridging.
"Not again!"
"Yeah, again," Heath said wryly, staring at Angel and settling into a fighting stance.
"Go, Sire."
He kicked out at Angel, stepped back to kick Sophie in the throat, then vaulted to tackle Connor to the ground. He grunted as the stake in Connor's hand slid into his chest, thankfully missing his heart. Wesley went down under the counter to grab his crossbow as Elizabette ran to her fighting, snarling Childe.
"Heath!"
Sophie tried hard to breathe. A horrible rasping cough sounded through her throat and she started to black out.
Angel
Gunn ran over to Sophie and picked her up, helping her outside.
"It's ok. I'm Gunn, I'll get you out of here."
Angel dodged the kick and punched Heath swiftly.
Heath & Elizabette.
Heath rolled, smashing his fist into Connor's face. Elizabette put her hands over her face, helpless to do anything but watch.
Connor tried to work the stake upwards towards the vampire's heart. Heath grimaced in pain.
"Ready to die, mate?" he whispered into Connor's ear, before slamming the teen's head back against the floor.
Connor grunted and let go of the stake. Heath pulled it out and threw it at Angel with deadly accuracy. If he hadn't have had a Gem of Amarra, he'd have been staked and dusted. Heath slammed Connor's head back down into the floor, then kneed him in the balls. They came up against a wall and Heath used that to slam Connor's head once more into something hard.
Angel
Angel grabbed Heath and threw him across the room, watching him hit the wall with a thud.
"Get. Out."
He snarled at them.
Heath, Wesley & Elizabette.
Heath held his head carefully, then inspected his shirt.
"Owe me a shirt, Connor. And you still owe me for that beer."
He got up slowly and painfully as Wesley trained the crossbow on him. Heath grinned cockily, through the effect was somewhat spoiled by the blood sodden shirt.
Elizabette crossed over to Heath quickly, fussing over him. Then she turned back and threw up her hand. Wesley went flying.
"Levitatus," she said coldly.
Wesley hit a wall and slid to the ground, groaning in pain.
"Pyro, pryo gaurdium," she said, and pointed at Connor.
A wall of flame leapt up around him and Connor threw his hand up in front of his face.
Angel
"Elizabette, go. Now."
Angel narrowed his eyes at her.
Wesley & Elizabette.
Elizabette stood her ground and glared back.
"Whyfor? You're not my Sire, Angel. Why then should I do as you command? Angelus is more then you ever will be. Deluded into thinking you fight on the side of right and somehow, somehow, it will all be well. Lubrus!"
Wesley's feet slipped out from under him and he fell down again.
"You're fighting against your own nature, Angel."
She closed her eyes briefly, searching for a spell.
"Maleficius, infernus. Powers of below and beyond, hear me..."
"Angel, stop her!" Wesley said.
"That's a desouling spell!"
Angel
"Elizabette!"
Angel drew in a pained breath, falling to his knees.
Wesley & Elizabette.
Elizabette hissed in pain as a crossbow bolt thudded into her heart. Wesley cursed as she didn't disappear into a flurry of dust and ash.
"HEAR ME! From light you come, to light you go, a soul set free, a soul unloosed. Demon, come forth! ANGELUS! I CALL THEE HENCE!" Elizabette screamed, fingers tightning around the bolt in her chest.
Angelus
Angelus lay on the ground, coughing slightly.
God, it felt like someone had hit him over the head.
Heath, Wesley & Elizabette.
Elizabette stood there for a moment longer, then gracefully crumpled to the floor.
"Sire!"
Heath caught her awkwardly and gently pulled the bolt from her chest. Wesley reloaded with shaking hands. The firey wall surrounding Connor winked out and he moved towards the weapons cabinet in a low crouch.
Heath turned and snarled at Wesley.
"You are so dead, Watcher."
Angelus
Angelus stood up.
"Hmmm, thanks babe."
He shrugged and walked out.
Heath.
Heath lifted Elizabette tenderly in his arms and strode towards the exit. He left after Angelus and whistled down their car. Phillipe rolled the window down.
"Oui, M'sieu?"
"Take her, I'm going Slayer hunting," Heath snarled.
"If he," jerking his head at Angelus, "wants to come, let him. Elizabette would like him to be around."
Phillipe put Elizabette gently in the backseat and Heath whirled, scenting the air.
"C'mon Soph...I know you were bleeding..."
Scent found, he set out.
Heath.
"That would be up to M'sieu Heath or Madam," Phillipe said softly.
"I drive for Madam. Would M'sieu like to come back to the hotel or should I go?"
Heath hunted steadily along Sophie's and Gunn's trail. When he found Sophie, alone, he grabbed her and started back, whistling slightly. After all, Elizabette would want her Sire to have her present. And a happy Sire made for a happy Childe.
Angelus
"Hmmm, so you're just a little lap dog, yeah?"
Angelus cocked his head slightly.
"Oh well. I'm going to go for a hunt. Bye Phil."
Heath
"Au reviour, M'sieu," Phillipe said gravely.
"Bon chance."
He pulled away from the curb smoothly, Elizabette unconscious in the backseat.
Heath headed back to his and Elizabette's hotel. He chained Sophie up, changed his shirt and went hunting. He had a particular type of human on his mind tonight...tall, broadshouldered men with brown hair and soulful eyes...since he couldn't kill the real one, he'd kill subsitutes instead.
Angelus
Angelus watched as a cab driver hopped out for a smoke. He went over, vamped out and killed him, then exhaled the smoke.
"Mmm, how nice."
He hopped into the cab and started it up.
"Back to Tulsa for me."