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Lucy crouched under the table carefully avoiding getting her dress dirty. Why was this always happening to her? Everything always went along just fine and then - bam! - the lights went out and chaos ensued. It just wasn't fair. And now someone was screaming and the lights were off and, well, she was scared. Then a thought siezed her. Spike looked strong. He'd take care of her! She didn't have to worry after all. Carefully, she squirmed out from under the table and stood up. She brushed herself off quickly just in case any stray dirt had somehow made its way onto her dress and then looked up...and then immediately fainted.
Drusilla glanced at the sprawled-out form of Lucy Coe and then back at Spike. He shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention back to Angel, Carly, and Brenda, who were standing in the middle of the club having their supper. "Wonder what her problem is," he said softly to Drusilla. Then he rose his voice and called out to the three other vampires, "Save us some! We were here first after all!"
Angel dropped the now-still body he was holding and looked up at Spike. He licked the last traces of blood off his lips and fangs and then allowed his face to morph back into its human form. "Don't worry, Spike," he laughed. "There's plenty to go around. Girls," he called to Brenda and Carly. "It's time to go."
*****
"Earth to Willow!" Xander said
impatiently, waving a hand in front of the dazed face of his best friend.
"Wil, did you find anything?"
"Wha-?" Willow asked, shaking her head quickly to clear it. "Oh, um, not yet," she added.
Nick looked up from where he was cleaning his gun at Emily's desk. He smiled up at Willow. "That's okay," he told her. "Keep looking."
Feeling her heart flutter in her chest at his smile, she smiled back at him shyly. "Okay," she said dreamily.
Xander shook his head. What was up with Willow today? She was definitely not acting like herself. He walked over to Emily's bed and plopped down beside her, causing her to nearly faint. His mind quickly turned to the other group. He hoped they were okay. He also hoped that Lucky kid was keeping his hands off Buffy. They were startled when the door to Emily's room suddenly flew open.
"Emily-" Ned started as he walked into the room, then cut off when he noticed the small crowd gathered in the room. His eye fell on Emily and Xander on the bed and his eyes widened.
Emily blushed and smiled to cover her embarrassment. "Uh, Ned, these are my friends--Willow, Nick, and Xander." She cast her eyes down when she said the latter, and Ned chuckled.
"Oh---I see." He looked curiously at Nick. "Does he go to your school?" he asked lightly.
Nick smiled. "No. I'm Nick Boyle."
"And *this* is his gun," Xander said, lifting the piece in his hand.
"*Gun*?" Ned asked, and looked at Emiy, shocked. "Is something going on?" he asked with a guarded look at the former SEAL.
"No," Emily said quickly. "Nick is a security guard," she said truthfully. She bit her bottom lip and looked to Xander for support.
"Oh, right," he said after a short pause. "Yeah, Nick is the night security guard at, at--"
"The library," Willow finished for him. "We were going to head over after we finished this project for science."
"Oh," Ned said unsurely.
"Yeah," Willow said, crossing over to stand beside Nick. "Nick is my brother," she added. "He's going to give us a ride over to the library." She put an arm Nick and he gave her a quick squeeze. Her breath caught in her throat, but she forced herself not to drop any hints to Ned.
Ned nodded and started to leave the room, then lightly smacked his forehead and turned back to Emily and her friends. "I almost forgot to tell you," he said. "Lucky called. He said something about you meeting him at the docks."
"Oh, yeah," Emily said, jumping to her feet. "Of course. Yeah, we were going to meet him there and head over to the library together."
"The library," Ned said with a slight nod. "Of course."
"Yes," Xander agreed. "Reading is good."
****
Jason glanced around at the rest of the group. "Well, this is it," he said quietly.
"Weren't we just here last night?" Buffy asked Lucky. "This is your dad's club, right?"
Lucky nodded and glanced at his watch. "I told Emily that we would meet her at Bannister's Wharf at ten," he said. "Which leaves us--fifteen minutes. Look, why don't you guys go ahead without me and I can get my dad and meet you there in say---half an hour?"
"Okay," Jason agreed. Buffy nodded. "Just make sure you stay with him," Jason added.
"Yes, Jason," Lucky said, annoyed. "I won't run away or anything. I jsut have to run in, tell my dad the situation, and then take him over to meet you guys. It'll be fine."
"Okay, let's go," Buffy said, and Rachel, Giles, and Jason followed after her.
Lucky wacthed them leave, then smiled, slowly shaking his head. He sighed mournfully at the sight of Buffy's retreating back, and then walked into the club. He was greeted by blood. It was everywhere. He gagged and stepped further into the room, struggling to see in the dark. He recognized the blood, even in the darkness of the room. It could not be mistaken for anything else. He took another tentative step and his foot slid out from beneath him. He was sent sprawling in a pool of fresh blood.
He squeezed his eyes shut, and started to push himself back up, but was stopped by a familiar voice near him. "Hey, Cowboy," his father said, and then the lights flashed back on.
Lucky let out a strangled cry and clambered to his feet, slipping three times in the blood before finally getting vertical. "Oh, god," he moaned, covering his mouth with a hand. Bodies littered the floor around him. He lifted haunted eyes to the bar, and saw his father, covered in his own blood, swaying gently by the counter.
A small smile played on the corners of his mouth. "I've been waiting for you, Lucky," he said, and laughed as his son stumbled back. "I want you to meet some of my friends."
Dru and Spike emerged from a dark corner of the room, while Carly approached from around the bar. Angel also made his slow way toward the boy. They advanced on Lucky slowly, backing him up against the door. Lucky breathed heavily, fighting the coming panic. Luke watched his son, the smile spreading. Lucky finally got enough sense to turn and run, and whirled around to grab the doorknob.
Brenda was there in a flash. "I don't think so, Lucky," she said, and her face morphed into that of the vampire's.
Lucky choked and started to back
toward the ring of vampires around him. "No," he whispered. "Stop, Dad,
Dad! Da--" His voice turned into a garbled strangle as
Brenda's fangs sank deep into his tender flesh.