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Brenda smiled and stood on her tiptoes to come face to face with Angel. She smiled playfully and brushed her hand against his cheek. "Can I keep him?" she asked Carly.
Angel blinked in surprise, then caught Brenda at her wrists. "You two are bolder than the others," he said simply.
"Bold?" Brenda asked, pulling away. She ran her tongue across her teeth. "I have every reason to be bold. She placed her hand gently on Angel's chest and stood up to reach him again. "I'm sure we'll be seeing much more of each other soon," she said, then smiled and walked with Carly back to the other room.
"Well," Angel breathed after they
had left. "Where did you find those two?"
Buffy blinked, and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She rolled over in the bed she shared with Willow and shook her friend awake. "Willow," she caled softly. "Rise and shine." She gasped as the figure beside her sat up, and pulled the covers tightly around her. "Xander!" she screamed, ready to jump out of the bed. "What are you doing in my bed?"
Xander flushed and looked toward the other bed, flustered. Willow and Giles lay snuggled together, Willow's arm draped comfortably around the older man's shoulders. "Oh, we, uh---oops," he said, and covered his face, mortified.
"We'd better wake Willow up before Giles does. He'll freak out," Buffy whispered, and started to tiptoe across the room in her nightgown.
"As much as he drank last night, Buffy, I don't think he'll be waking up for quite a while." He bit back an angry word when Buffy did not acknowledge him.
"Come on, Willow," she whispered urgently. "Wake *up*!"
Willow stirred in the bed and then
her eyes fluttered and opened. She regarded Buffy with a dreamy expression.
"Oh, hi Buffy," she mumbled, rubbing at her eyes. "Did I sleep in?" She
noticed Xander and Buffy's expressions and turned to look behind her. "Oh
my god!" she exclaimed, jumping out of bed.
"Yeah," Xander said. "Imagine *my*
reaction."
Willow's eyes widened as she looked back and forth between them. She turned beet red. "Oh," she said. "I guess we must've, uh---climbed in the wrong beds."
"You *think*?"
The conversation cut of abruptly
as the hotel door was flung open. The teenagers watched with wide eyes
as a strange man and women strolled into the room. "Alright, so which one
if you is the slayer?" the man asked.
"So, you know all of our names. Now why don't you introduce yourselves?" Buffy prompted leaning back casually in her chair.
"I'm Nick Boyle," the man said, and indicated the woman at his side. "This is Rachel Corrigan. She's a psychiatrist."
"Well, that's great. We could use one about now," Xander cracked.
"I could use a Tylenol," Giles groaned, and let his head sink into his hands.
Nick smiled tightly. "Too much to drink?" he asked sympathetically. Giles only groaned again.
"Well, let's see," Willow said. "Two at Luke's Club."
"Another three at Jason's penthouse," Xander added.
"And the minibar here in the room," Buffy finished, and patted her Watcher's shoulder. "You'll be all better soon," she assured him. Giles looked up at her balefully, then turned to the two newcomers.
"What exactly do you want with Buffy?" he asked them.
Rachel opened her mouth to respond, but Nick put a hand on her arm to stop her. "We're part of a special group," he said. "It's called the Legacy. It was started years ago to battle evil."
"What kind of evil?" Buffy inquired.
Nick shrugged. "Whatever we come across. Ghosts, spirits, cults." His jaw tightened slightly at the latter. "Werewolves-"
"Lupen," Rachel corrected.
"Whatever. Werewolves. Vampires-"
"Vampires?" Buffy said, and leaned forward. "You've been up against a vampire before?"
Nick stared down at his hands, clearly embarrassed. "Well-"
"He was seduced by one," Rachel finished for him. "And bitten. It was another member of the Legacy. She is no longer a vampire, of course."
Buffy's eyes widened. "You know how to reverse the process?" she asked excitedly.
Xander groaned. "Oh no."
"It isn't that simple," Rachel said slowly.
"We aren't here to *save* vampires, we want to kill them," Nick said, shaking his head. "Alex was a special exception. Most are vampires for a reason." He turned to his companion and smiled charmingly. "I always thought Derek would make an interesting blood sucker," he joked.
"Hey!" Buffy said, leaning across
the table toward them. "We're talking about something *important* here,
remember?" All eyes were fixed on her. "Good. Now, I have some vampires
to find----tonight. Anyone want to come along?"
Carly waved Brenda over to join her at the side of the building. "Shh," she whispered, and crept out into open. Brenda followed stealthily after. After about twenty yards, they came to a halt. "Okay," Carly said, pulling up short. "This is a little stupid. We're *vampires*. Why are we sneaking around like a pair of thieves?"
"I don't know," Brenda hissed, pinching Carly's arm. "You were the one who started creeping around."
Carly looked as if she might make another comment, but she bit it back and started toward the main entrance of the hotel. "Okay," she said. The penthouse is on the top floor. We can't go in the front, though."
"How are we going to get in?" Brenda asked.
"We'll have to climb in the window," Carly replied. "Come on, I think I saw the fire escpae around the side of the building. They circled around until the found the ladder, and Carly realized with irritation that the ladder hung above their reach. "Great," she said quietly to Brenda. "How do we get up?"
Brenda stared up at the ladder for a long momnet, and then grinned at her companion. "Here," she said and stooped over with her hands clasped together to form a cup. "Come on," she said to Carly. "I'll give you a boost."
Carly stepped up into Brenda's hands and pushed herself up toward the ladder. She hung on to the bottom step of the ladder and dangled there. She looked down at Brenda on the ground mournfully. "How are you going to get up?" she whispered down to her.
Brenda made an irritated face and snapped her fingers. "Ssh," Carly hissed, unhooking one arm from the ladder to put a finger to her lips. She lost her grip on the ladder and hung precariously by one arm. She felt sweat pop out all over her forehead, and she strained to lift the other arm up to the ladder again. She had nearly succeeded in this when a voice behind her startled her from her task.
"What are you doing?" Angel asked, coming up behind the women.
Carly let out a surprised yelp and her other arm slid out from behind the ladder rung. She dropped limply to the bushes below. "Ouch," she muttered, rubbing her elbows where she landed.
Brenda burst out in laughter and hooked arms with Angel. "See what a clutz she is," she said with a satisfied grin.
Carly brushed herself off and glared at Brenda.
"What are you two *doing*?" Angel repeated, looking at the women strangely.
"We're getting in to see Jason," Carly explained.
"Why didn't use the front entrance?"
"Wouldn't that be a little obvious?" Brenda asked. "I mean, we're vampires now-"
"You look the same," Angel said, his tone exasperated.
"Oh-" Brenda and Carly said together. "Well," Carly said quickly. "We thought it would be better to sneak up on him."
"Carly," Angel said slowly. The
women watched him patiently. "You're a vampire, remember?" They nodded.
"You have to be *invited* in," he finished. Realization dawned on their
faces, and Angel sighed in relief. "Come on," he said, turning away, and
motioned for them to follow.