Those who say the past is not dead should stop and smell the smoke

[prodigal_slayer]

We had to keep an eye on him, that was for damn sure. I nodded at Wes because the only words that seemed to be comin' outta my mouth were 'I'm sorry'. Didn't think either of them wanted another meaningless apology from me, so I just set my lips into a thin line as Wesley turned and headed up the stairs to his bedroom. With a heavy sigh I tilted my

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[_wes_pryce_]

I agreed with her that it wasn't going to be easy to get Angel out of the hotel. Hell, getting him out of that bloody room was going to be a a difficult task. And then I'm putting it mildly. We were both still alert while we made our way over to the docks. I kept my shotgun at the ready. It may not kill any vampires, but it did enough damage to slow them down. We can't all be Slayers, and some of us need a little aid.

A sudden scream made us freeze for a moment. We exchanged a look before taking of in a run toward one of the alleyways. I held back, letting Faith go in first. A couple of vampires who were harassing a girl. I had to wonder what a girl like that was doing here at this hour. She didn't look like your normal...type, of girl that would hang around here. Though, by now the 'normal type', knew it was rather stupid to do so. Unless one had a death wish.

I let Faith handle the vampires, frowning when one of them managed to get to her and flattened her on the pavement. She had it under control though. The two others were advancing in on the girl again. Leveling my gun, I shot one in the face. Taking the opportunity of the distraction, I flicked my wrist. The stake shot out, directly in the heart of the other one. I glanced down at the one who was not without much of a face. Taking pity on his whimpering, I staked him as well. I'll leave the hand to hand combat to Faith for now, I'm not quite ready for that yet.

There were still two lurking about in the shadows, I noticed. I made my way over to the girl though, grouching down next to her while keeping an eye on Faith. "Two more to your right, Faith!" I yelled out at her, before turning back to the girl. "It's alright," I assured her. "Faith will get rid of them, you're quite safe now." I couldn't know that, but it had worked in the past. Why change it when it's not broken, right?

[neverbeenfree]

Angrily I shoved the stake straight up and into the vampire's house, coughing on the dust that managed to make it's way inside of my mouth. Eww. Spitting it out onto the pavement, I sprung up to my feet quickly and looked down at Wes who was trying to get the sniffling and crying girl to stand up. Looking her over it was suddenly easy to see why she'd been in a dark alley in the seedy part of time at night. She was a hooker. No one else wears platform shoes like that. Damn.

Glancing up at the vampires observing me from the shadows, I gripped my stake tightly and began making my way over to them. "Hide and go seek? Not exactly original but props for tryin'." I managed to get out right before I had to duck a fist. Grabbing the vampire's arm I threw him at his pal, watchin' 'em both hit the pavement hard. Come on, get up and fight me you fucking wuss vampires. What's it take, ya know?

Finally they both got up and flanked me on either side. See! Now they were startin' to think like evil blood sucking demons. Gang up on the slayer so I can kick your respective asses. They both lunged at me at the same time, I shot out a kick at the one in front of me as the one from behind wrapped an arm around my chest. Smashing my head back into his nose I felt the bone break and he cried out before lettin' me go. Spinnin' around I shoved him hard into the wall before letting my fist fly across his face a couple times.

Still gripping the stake in my hand, I didn't even turn around but I knew the other vamp was almost on top of me. Easily and without looking I shot my hand out and staked him, before staking the vamp I had pinned against the wall all in the same move. Oh yeah, I still had it.

Brushing dust off my clothes I walked back to Wes who was still tryin' to convince the hooker to get up off the ground.

"Thank you so much." She said through tears as she looked up at the two of us. "Those things were going to kill me!"

Yeah, well. Try NOT walking around in dark alleys after dark, dumbass and then you won't have to worry about it.

[watcher_pryce]

The girl keeps on sobbing and mumbling incoherently for a moment, clinging onto me. I manage to pry her loose, getting her up from the floor. And now that I can take a good look at her, I'm rather shocked. Bad make up, very obvious clothes and far, far to young. Resisting the urge to sarcastically ask where her parents are, I turn back to see if Faith needs any help.

She seems to have everything under control though. Including the mandatory witty banter it seems. I'm still not getting that, and I doubt I'll ever will. Perhaps I really don't have a sense of humor when it comes to that. Perhaps it's because I need all my concentration during a fight. Not all of us have super powers. Though, Gunn didn't either and he did it as well. It must be an American thing then. That's it.

Leaning back, I watch with a small smile as Faith easily dispatches of both vampires, looking quite pleased with herself. It was obviously what she needed right now. Being all cooped up in that hotel, itching for a fight. It may very well be what Angel needs too. Though, I doubt one fight will do the trick for him. Hell, I doubt it'll do the trick for Faith. I know I'm still feeling a bit...edgy.

"Yes, they were," I say, turning back to the girl. Giving her a reassuring smile, I wonder how to proceed here. She's far to young to be in this line of work. And she really shouldn't be trotting around here, that much is certain. "Can we drop you off at your parents house?" I ask, innocently, as though I've no idea what's going on. The girl gives me a strange look and takes a deep breath.

"Uhm," she starts, quickly looking down at her feet. Good god, those aren't shoes. Cordelia would, no doubt, have something to say just about now. If not to the girl, then about the shoes.

[prodigal_slayer]

I raised an eyebrow at Wes when he offered the little cupcake a ride home. What? Couldn't we just shove her in a cab and be done with it? We already saved the day here, why we gotta be playin' bus driver for teenage hookers?

"Okay." The little blonde muttered and I couldn't help rollin' my eyes. Alright if we're playin' taxi to the little girls let's get this show on the road. Least it was better than sittin' at the hotel waitin' for Angel to emerge from the batcave....or his room, whatever you wanted to call it.

She walked unsteadily in her platforms between Wesley and I as we led her back to where we had left Angel's car. Not exactly a killer fight but it was a little something to get the blood pumping in the right direction. Still, I didn't wanna go back to the hotel yet. Gotta be a bar or something open around this shithole of a city.

Climbing into the passenger seat, Pretty Woman got in the back and tilted her chin down as Wes got in the driver's seat and turned the key in the ignition. The engine roared to life and I lit up a smoke as Little Miss Muffet started rambling off directions to her house to Wesley.

[watcher_pryce]

I could tell Faith wasn't happy to be taking the young...girl, back to her parents. But I was very averse to leaving her here. Or to leave her to make it back on her own. At least this way, I'd make certain she's with her parents. I'm sure they'll have something to say about all this. I'm not sure about the background, but I can't always assume every parents is as mine. Or Faith's for that matter.

We ended up in a rather upscale part of Los Angeles, which made me raise my eyebrow. I was starting to see the bigger picture here. Rebellious teen, no doubt. Wanting to show her parents that she could make it on her own, or something rather. Well, she certainly showed them eh? Faith stayed in the car while I helped the girl out and to the house.

Her parents were angry, understandably, but relieved. They thanked me profusely with the usual sobbing, offering me some reward. I refused, or tried to. But for some reason, I ended up with a wad of money anyway. And quite a lot at that. I shrugged, bid my goodbyes and walked back to the car again. Looking at the folded bills in my hand a bit weary. Getting in the car, I handed it over to Faith. "So," I said, starting the engine again. "More Slaying? Or did you want to go back to the hotel?" I'd rather not, the place is very suffocating. Or perhaps that's the mood. Probably.

[prodigal_slayer]

I whistled low when we finally pulled up in front of the girl's house. Talk about swank town USA. Damn! These rich little bitches got it all and she wanted to piss it all away in the seedy fucking alleyways down by the docks? What a dumb bitch. Leaning back in my seat, I lazily smoked a cigarette with my boots pressing against the dashboard. One thing to be said about L.A. yo, you can't beat the weather.

Fiddling around with the radio, I finally looked up when Wesley slid back into the driver's seat. "Not the hotel, dude I'd rather go to a Bible Study then go back to that hotel right now." I said absently as he pulled Angel's car away from the curb and back onto the road again. Wasn't long til we were in downtown L.A. again, still hours before sunrise.

Hadn't been payin' attention before but I glanced down at what he'd smacked into my hand and my eyes widened. Holy shit! Where'd he get all this bank?

"Dude!" I snickered countin' out the bills in my hands. And I hadn't wanted to drive that chick home. How fast my mind could change. Not that I ever worried about money but havin' some? Never a bad thing. "Okay. Fuck slaying. Let's go get drinks." He gave me a dubious look and my smile widened. "C'mon man. We been sittin' around that hotel for days hangin' around Captain Depresso. Dont' you think we deserve a little break?"

How could he say no when I put it like that?

[watcher_pryce]

When the corners of my mouth almost curled up in a smile at her words, it actually hurt. When had been the last time I'd smiled? Or laughed? Either of us. Walking through that hotel I saw the happy memories there. The laughter and the fun we'd had. Gunn and I playing some dumb game. Cordelia and I bickering for hours on end. Angel, brooding in some corner while keeping an eye on us. Fred... I guess there's not much to smile, let alone, laugh about lately.

So, not back to the hotel then. I had no idea where to go, but I drove back to downtown, we could figure out what to do from there. Some more Slaying, I suppose. Or maybe we can just drive around, though that'll get boring at one point. Not to mention that I've not slept at all yet and I'm still healing. It'll take more then a few weeks, but it's alright. I was quite pleased with how well the fight went. Shooting, fine, I shot them. But still.

"That much?" I wonder, when she finishes counting the bills, once she finally discovers them. Raising an eyebrow, I giver her a hesitant look. But then she was smiling, and I blinked. Hadn't seen that in... Have I ever seen her smile? I can't quite remember. Possible when she took off for Sunnydale after we got back Angel. That alone is enough to make me cave. Anything to see her smile, anything to shake that damn depressing mood.

"Alright," I nod, turning the car around a bit. "But we'll go to a real pub then. Where they have *actual* beer and whiskey. Not that watered down camel piss you lot around here pass off for alcohol."

[neverbeenfree]

"A pub, huh?" I asked, arching an eyebrow up as I laughed a little bit when he gave me a serious look. What the fuck was a pub anyway? I was guessin' bar since they'd apparently have beer and whiskey there, instead of camel piss which I guessed was what he thought I'd been drinkin'? "Whatever yo. Long as they got lots of alcohol? We'll be five by five."

It wasn't much longer til we pulled up in front of a bar. Looked like a bar to me. Bar, pub...whatever it was. It was better than goin' back to the hotel of angst. I was liable to go crazy in that joint for real. Handin' the wad of bills to him, I watched him push it into his pocket. Hey, I trusted him. What was he gonna do? Run off with it and refuse to pay for my drinks? Pretty sure I could catch him easy if he tried that.

The two of us walked into the bar and I arched an eyebrow up in his direction again. This was a pub? This? Just looked like a dive bar to me. But hey, that was my territory you know? Well there were no white trash bikers playin' pool or anything so it wasn't completely my territory but close enough.

"Jack and Coke." I requested from the bartender before he turned his attention up to Wesley.

"He's payin'." I said with a nod at Wes as I sat down on the barstool and lit up another cigarette.

[watcher_pryce]

It's not all that far to the pub. I used to go there, especially after my break up with Angel Investigations. I guess I like to torture myself, since that was the place I learned Gunn how to play darts. And I just know he liked it, no matter how hard he protested. We even played a few rounds of games over in my office at Wolfram and Hart. Before...before things went bollix up.

Accepting the money from her, I frown at it before putting in my pocket. Funny, in the old day's we'd be happy with so much money. Cordelia would be squealing my head off and jumping up and down blathering on about clothes. Now? I don't really care, other then the fact that it'll pay for our drinks. I pause a moment in front of the pub before following her inside. If I listen close enough, I can still hear Gunn laugh.

"Whiskey, no ice," I tell the bartender as he turns his attention to me. His eyes flick over to Faith and back to me. I raise my eyebrow and then pay twice the amount for our drinks. It's not as though we can't afford it. At least it'll get him off our backs. Picking up our drinks, I nudge Faith and point toward a small table in the back before heading that way. Wonder what the chances are of getting her to play a game of darts with me.

[prodigal_slayer]

Following Wes to the table in the back, I wondered if this was always par for the course with him. What was I thinkin'? Course it was. Sittin' in the back of the bar, club, pub whatever and watching everyone, staying hidden from view. He was a watcher after all, and it looked like old habits died hard. With a shrug I set my drink down and sat across and to the side from him, so I could watch too. Watching wasn't really my specialty, I was more a girl of action. If tonight's activity had been my choice? I'd be in the center of some jam packed dance floor right about now. Sweating and writhing with the rest of the City of Angels.

A silence fell over the two of us and I knew we were sliding back into the wicked sad end of things again. Man, hadn't we escaped the hotel so we could get away from that for a little while? I wondered if gettin' Angel outta there would be as easy as gettin' Wes outta there for a little while. I highly doubted it, cause Angel was about ten times more stubborn than Wes. I kinda wanted to just pound his head into the floor until I got through to him, but half of me knew how sad Angel was and wanted to comfort him. Shit. This was so not my territory.

Glancing up at Wes I followed his gaze to a dartboard. Frowning I glanced back up at him. "You wanna play?" I finally offered, and okay darts weren't exactly an extreme sport, in fact they looked kinda boring. He better appreciate my attempts to humor him. He gave me a surprised look but I just stood up with my drink still in hand and walked over to the dartboard. Just hit the bull's eye, right? Couldn't be that hard. I got slayer aim. Just like throwin' knives, only slightly less lethal. Hell, I could make these lethal. What were we doin' again? Oh right. Darts.

"I just hit the target, right?" I asked, handing Wesley his darts.

[watcher_pryce]

Considering we left the hotel because the brooding silence was getting to us, it was a little strange to find that same sort of silence when we sat down and sipped our drinks. Or maybe it wasn't all that strange. It's not as Faith and I have a lot in common to talk about. I don't know anything about what she likes, and she doesn't know anything about what I may like. And the things we do have in common. I think we can count those on one hand and they're all topic we'd rather not discus right now. Angel being on top of that list.

I sipped my drink, watching Faith, watching the people in the pub. Normal people, who didn't know about the brave warriors who'd died to save them all. Seemed like such a waste to me. The world should know how Gunn, Spike and the other had fought and lost, just so the so called innocents could sit here and get drunk. But that wasn't how it worked, it never worked that way. And no matter how much Angel was going to brood, and ponder and guilt himself. It wasn't going to change.

We need to snap that sod out of this. Before we all ended up just as dead and gone. And possibly forgotten.

Faith's voice tore me out of my thoughts. Which was a good thing, I was almost falling prey to brooding myself. I was surprised that she offered to play with me. Didn't really seem like her kind of game. Certainly, one needed a good aim. But other then that, it wasn't a very fast and violent game. Or very physically taxing for that matter. I nodded at her, and accepted the darts she handed me.

"Yes, Faith. Just hit the target." I narrowed my eyes at the dartboard and then glanced back at Faith. "And much like live itself? The bullseye, in this game, isn't always the best throw."

[prodigal_slayer]

The bulls eye wasn't the best throw? Well, fuck then I didn't know what I was doin'. Thought you were supposed to hit the bull's eye in this game. Not that it really mattered cause I didn't give a fuck about darts, just lookin' to do something that would snap us out of the inevitable funk we kept slidin' on into. If darts was his game then I guessed darts was what it was gonna have to be.

With a shrug I absently bit on my bottom lip as I took aim with the dart. I'd always had pretty good aim with a crossbow in my hands, this couldn't be that much different right? Quickly I let the dart fly and it hit the bull's eye straight on. Best throw or not? Check out my aim! It kicked ass, I dared him to beat me at that shit. Course, he was shotgun man so his aim might be even better than mine.

"Now what do I do?" I asked him as I turned around to face him. He opened his mouth to answer me when suddenly a screaming noise filled the bar. Narrowing my eyes I turned around and watched as a woman came staggering in.

"What the..." She was screaming and there was a bunch of people around her, tryin' to help her. The bartender was on the phone to 911 before I could even figure it out. The thing that struck me was the scorch marks on her skin, burned in so deeply and marring every inch of her skin. Symbols and stuff. Right. So this was our territory right? Unless it was some weird freaky cult thing.

Turning to look at Wes I waited for him to say something, cause really? He'd know better than I would about stuff like this.

[watcher_pryce]

Standing back, I watch her throw the first dart, not at all surprised she hits the bull's eye. Actually, it's rather an unfair game, with her being a Slayer. I should give her a handicap. Put her back a few paces, blind fold her or some such. Only, that would be rather obvious around here. Then again, most demons and vampire's can sense a Slayer, and most humans can be fooled easily.

Taking a sip from my whiskey, I put the glass down on the table and walk toward her when she asks what to do now. I was just about to explain the more simple game, since we were only trying to pass time and have some fun, when there was some commotion from up front. Frowning, I glances past Faith to see a woman staggering into the pub.

I move a bit into the shadows automatically, narrowing my eyes at the sight. Familiar marks. Then again, after doing research for so long, everything will start to look familiar after a while. But these? Are familiar. And they're not good either. Which, I guess, Faith gathered since she's looking at me.

"Taxlicsk demon clan," I whisper, keeping my eye on the girl. "They sacrifice human women who are about three months pregnant, to release their goddess Texclisa from her prison. And really, she shouldn't be released there." Which, I suppose, she also gathered. "We have to stop them. She's already bearing the marks, and blood has been spilled. They don't need much more to complete the ritual."

[prodigal_slayer]

"Taxawhat demon?" I hissed at him, joining him in the shadows, so we could watch all the people rushin' around the lady still moanin' from the floor. We could go ask her what happened but there were way too many people crowdin' her right now and I was sure in the next few minutes there'd be an ambulance and EMT's surrounding her too. Shit. But Wes seemed to know what these guys were all about. Some goddess wanted to break out of her prison? Sounded like the serious big evil type stuff.

Wait a sec. This was perfect. Something for us to fight, and solve and....something to bust Soul Boy outta the funk he was in. Cause...it'd work right? He'd see that people were in trouble and stuff and he'd wanna save the day cause that was what he did. I thought anyway. Couldn't tell these days with the way he'd been holin' himself up in that hotel. Hadn't even bothered to patrol or nothin' since I found him in that alleyway. Who was gonna protect L.A. while he was all holed up?

"Should we go tell Angel?" I asked Wes curiously, waitin' to take my cues from him. He knew Angel better than I did when it came to this stuff, and he knew what was goin' on which was way more than I could say for myself at the moment. I hoped this would work. We could go back to the hotel. We could tell Angel, he'd put his frowny face aside, gear up and we'd go save the day. Case fucking closed. It was that easy, right? Fuck. I ain't no hero, I didn't know how this shit worked.

"What do you think?" I asked Wes as the EMT's finally rushed in and swarmed around the screaming woman, tryin' to get her to calm down so they could patch her up and cart her off to the hospital.

[watcher_pryce]

"Taxlicsk demon," I muttered back at her automatically. I guess years of having to do that made it some kind of reflex. I don't even know I'm doing it until the words are already out of my mouth. Cursing under my breath, I watched as quite a crowd gathered around the woman. Bugger, it would've been so much easier if we could ask her where this ritual had taken place. "They want to open a portal to the dimension she's been trapped in," I mutter.

There's only one place, if I remember correctly, where they can do this ritual. I just don't remember what the specifications were. Dammit, I need to look that up. Of all the things not to remember right now. Then again, maybe not. Faith's words make me pause for a moment. Several moments actually. She may be onto something there. Clever girl.

Narrowing my eyes, I look at Faith thoughtfully. Get Angel into this, might be a good idea. I've no real idea how he's going to react. I mean, the last few times I caught him in this mood and unprepared? He either jumped on me naked, or tried to suffocate me. Luckily, I now have Faith. She can go get him without being...knocked down. Much.

"I think that's a good idea, or at least worth a try. I need to look up the place where they're holding the ritual. So we needed to go back to the hotel as it was anyway." I pull my coat from my chair and shrug into it. "Err...You're telling Angel, though. I don't fancy getting jumped on again." Flashing her a grin, I slide past the crowd toward the door.

[prodigal_slayer]

Portals? Shit. This was the serious evil! I knew it! Damn. Sometimes I'm way too good. And okay, so I didn't technically figure out anything, but still. Props to me for tryin'. But this was good, cause it was gonna give Soul Boy something to focus on besides how fucking miserable he is now without his kid. My eyes widened in surprise when Wes made his little comment about gettin' jumped on. Jumped on? Hey! I knew it! They were totally fucking. Not that I was all that surprised. I mean, Wes was Brittish and Angel was a vampire. Course they were fucking. But it wasn't fair dammit. Did he know how long it'd been since I'd gotten a little action? Not since before I left Rome, that was for damn sure. But those Italian boys......

I was so lost in thought I hadn't realized that Wes had already left the bar, waiting for me to trail along behind I guess. Go tell Angel what the deal was while Wes went and got his research on. We needed to find out where they were tryin' to open this portal and how to stop it. Then we'd kick some ass. Sounded like a good plan to me and suddenly I was all kinds of pumped up. If I wasn't gettin' any ass might as well at least get action where I could get it. Not as though I'd have any trouble gettin' a little play if I really wanted to.

Easily I fell into step next to Wesley as we headed for the hotel. Hopefully, Angel would be all gung-ho about takin' down these Taxi demon guys.