Memories Maketh the Man, Chapter 18
Sep. 7th, 2014 10:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
maryperk73703Something is going on at WRH, Cordelia has a quest, and things are happening in good old Sunnydale.
Chapter 18
"I can't take this anymore," Mercer grumbled. "My wife has threatened to divorce me if I don't get my dick back."
"What are we supposed to do?" Lindsey asked. "Littlecook can't find hide nor hair of Lilah."
Mercer gave Lindsey a dirty look. "Quit being a pansy, McDonald. I found a reversal spell that should help. It's the strongest, most potent one in the Wolfram and Hart archives."
"Uh, okay?" Lindsey's tone of voice was hesitant. "When are you planning on doing this reversal spell?"
"In about twenty minutes." Mercer looked proud of himself. "Would you like to watch?"
Lindsey shook his head. "Unfortunately, I have an appointment away from the office that I must attend," he answered. "I'm sure the results will be spectacular."
Mercer nodded. "They will be." A sly smirk slid across his features. "Then, McDonald, we'll see who the senior partners favor."
"Yes, we will." Lindsey vowed to himself to be out of the building as soon as possible. He made a great show of looking at his watch. "Will you look at the time? I don't want to be late."
Mercer's smirk grew while he watched Lindsey make his escape. He rubbed his hands together in anticipation. Finally, the senior partners would see him as a rising star. Maybe he'd leave McDonald in the dust for a change.
Lindsey was ten blocks away, power walking to get as far from his work place as possible, when a shockwave threw him to the ground. He rolled over to see what had happened. Lindsey gaped in astonishment as the Wolfram and Hart building started to shrink.
Lindsey stumbled to his feet, and he took off at a dead run towards Wolfram and Hart. It took him a few minutes to get back. What he found was ...
Nothing.
It was as if the building had never existed. There was no wreckage to indicate an explosion. Nothing to indicate what had happened.
"It was the darnedest thing," an old man standing near Lindsey commented. "That building just sank straight down into the ground. It was full of lawyers, maybe Lucifer himself was calling those sons of bitches home." His companion agreed into his cup of coffee.
Lindsey stood there staring at the now vacant city block, wondering about his near miss. He felt a presence at his side. When he glanced over he recognized one of the mail room workers.
"Cinco," Lindsey greeted the masked Mexican ex-wrestler.
Cinco held up a box of full coffee cups. "Coffee break. Cinco's lucky day."
Lindsey nodded. "Mercer was gloating," he muttered. "He was trying to get our dicks back."
"Too many men are too attached to their dicks," Cinco replied.
"Yeah," Lindsey agreed, even though he really didn't. He liked his cock and he wanted it back. He just knew trying to reverse some magic was easier said than done. Lindsey cleared his throat while he repressed the urge to speak.
"Here, have a coffee. Might as well." Cinco handed Lindsey a Styrofoam cup. "It's not like Jenkins will be back for it anytime soon. They're locked away tighter than a bruja's heart."
"What the fuck happened?" A voice shouted.
Cinco and Lindsey turned towards the voice.
"I'm Knox. I'm in R&D. I had a doctor's appointment this morning. What is going on?" the newcomer said.
"This is Cinco." Lindsey gestured towards his companion, who offered Knox a coffee. "I'm McDonald."
"Yeah, you're one of the bigwigs of Holland Manners'," Knox said. "Now can either of you two tell me what happened here?"
"We got lucky," Lindsey replied. "I don't feel the Wolfram and Hart contract hanging over my head anymore. Maybe we're free."
Knox paused and tilted his head. "I don't either. What does that mean?"
"Where ever they went ..." Lindsey shrugged towards the empty lot. "They're not coming back."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
PYLEA
When a loud rumbling echoed through the woods, Angel looked up from the wild animal he was feeding on. In the distance, he could see a sky scrapper rising high above the trees. Angel dropped the dead animal. Finally a sign from home. Maybe now he could get back to Sunnydale before anything terrible happened to Buffy.
Angel fell to his knees when he felt an involuntary shift come over him. His mind filled with chaos and feral like feelings. Thoughts of Buffy fell away as the primal demon inside him took control.
Several miles away, Cordelia and Klempt were discussing the quest that she needed to go on to become the Groosalug's Queen.
"It must be something fabulous," Klempt said. "Something that will make the bards sing of your greatness for a millennium, your majesty."
Cordelia thought about that for a few moments. "You know, you're right. The bards must make music in my honor. Any ideas? I'm afraid I'm new to your land."
"Hmmm, that is a hard one, I agree," Klempt answered in a thoughtful voice. He tapped his chin while he contemplated his Pylean history. After a few moments, he gave an excited shout. "I know just the thing. If we could find the five parts of the Crown of Divination, it would prove that you can see the future."
"I suppose," Cordelia said with a hesitant tone. She didn't like the sound of the Crown of Divination since she wasn't really psychic. "Sounds good to me. Where do we start?"
"According to legend, they were sent to the Pits of Chaos by the evil Queen Ythe many, many centuries ago. The Priestess foretold of the Queen's downfall which made the Queen so angry, she smote the Priestess. Then, she split the Crown into five parts. The Queen had five of her bodyguards take the pieces to the Pits of Chaos." Klempt shuddered at the thought of the Pit of Chaos, but he had resolved himself that this was the best way for the cow to prove herself. "They never returned."
"And you want us to go to this Pit place and get them? I was thinking about maybe a quest to the mall." Cordelia grimaced. "I'm really good at finding a sale."
Klempt glared at Cordelia. "I can sell you to the highest bidder instead," he threatened. "You look like you have plenty of meat on your bones. I know the Klandashia farm pays well for field cows."
Cordelia wrinkled her nose. "I am so not a field cow. Fine, we'll go to the Pits of Chaos and find this Crown of Divination. How do we do that?"
"You're the one with the power of fore site, your majesty." Klempt bowed low.
"Of course, I am." Cordelia let out a sigh. "Well, let's get the show on the road." She marched away from Klempt.
"Uh, wrong direction." Klempt pointed in the opposite direction of the way Cordelia was walking. She turned around without a word, and she marched the way the green-skinned demon was pointing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
"So, you're a Slayer." Xander attempted to fill the silence with small talk. "Were you surprised when you become one?"
"Yes," Kendra replied in a soft voice. "There are several potentials with better skills than I have."
"Really? How do you know that?" Xander asked with genuine curiosity.
Kendra studied Xander from beneath her eyelashes. "I met them. Faith from Boston and Cassandra from Las Vegas."
"Ah, Las Vegas. Sin City. My parents got married in Vegas." Xander tilted his head. "Come to think about it, I'm pretty sure they were married by a demon. Anyway about these other girls, why them and not you?"
Kendra lowered her eyes to stare at her hands. "They're so smart and tough."
"You're smart and tough." Xander lowered his head until he could catch the Slayer's eye. "You are. Don't let anyone ever tell you different. You travelled all the way here to Sunnydale, by yourself."
Kendra shook her head . She'd done what she needed to do. There was nothing smart about that.
"Maybe you should come see Brenna," Xander suggested. "She's a type of angel. She knows all about the supernatural. Buffy's seeing her." He leaned in to whisper. "Best thing ever though is her husband owns the donut store."
"Maybe." Kendra shrugged. "I think we're being watched."
Xander made a big show of yawning and stretching. He looked around the street, trying to catch a glimpse of anyone watching them. "I don't see anyone," he said after a bit.
"I know what I'm feeling," Kendra stated with a trace of indignation.
Xander raised a hand. "Hey, I believe you. I just think we're the most suspicious looking things on the street. This guy is hiding someplace, waiting for Buffy to come home."
"How long should we wait?"
"I don't know," Xander replied while he looked up and down the street.
Mrs. McNeil stepped out on her porch with a martini glass in her hand. "You kids are lucky you're not at the high school," she said, her words slurred with alcohol. "There was a shooting. Some cop was there for something. She went bonkers and shot the principal."
Xander leapt to his feet. "What? My friends are at a job fair at school." He turned to Kendra. "We need to go."
"What about ... you know, the man?" Kendra waved a hand at the salesman's car.
Xander grimaced. "Maybe you and Buffy can come back later. Right now, I think we should check on everyone at school." He tried to hide his fears from Kendra.
"I'm sure everyone you know is unhurt," Kendra replied. She was unsure of how to reassure the teenage boy.
"I need to see it with my own eyes," Xander said. Then, he paused for a moment. "If Buffy's hurt, someone will have to tell Spike. I just hope he doesn't kill the messenger."
"We shall go back." Kendra nodded. "We will catch the assassin another time."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
"Joyce, I just heard on the radio," Louisa, Joyce's assistant, said. She hated to interrupt her employer with her new man friend. Louisa had noticed that Joyce never dated or talked about any men, not even her ex-husband. "There was a shooting at the high school."
"Buffy?" Joyce gripped Phillip's arm. "I have to go check on Buffy!"
"Let me drive you," Phillip replied. He pulled his rental car keys from his pocket. "You are too stressed to operate a car properly."
Ted stepped out of Joyce's office. "Mrs. Summers, I need to ask you a few questions."
"Louisa knows everything about the gallery. She can answer your questions," Joyce replied. She turned to Phillip. "Let me get my purse."
"But ..." Ted broke off when Louisa glared at him. "Right, well, I need to know which shipping and receiving program would be best suited to your business."
Louisa shooed Joyce and Phillip out the front door of the gallery before she turned to Ted. "Show me what you have."
It was a short, quiet drive to the high school. Joyce was lost in her own thoughts, and Phillip didn't want to upset her any more than she already was upset. He knew from experience that nothing he could say would ease her mind. Phillip hoped that nothing had happened to Buffy. It wouldn't be just her mother that would be hurt by her loss.
Joyce was out of the car and rushing towards the ambulance where she could see her daughter sitting before Phillip even stopped the car. "Buffy, are you hurt?"
'No, I'm fine, Mom," Buffy reassured Joyce. She looked past her mother at Giles' friend. "Hey, Phillip."
"Miss Summers, I'm pleased to see you're unhurt," Phillip replied.
Xander and Kendra rushed up. Xander was panting and out of breath, but Kendra looked like she had barely broken a sweat. "Are you okay, Buffy?" Xander gasped out.
Buffy gave a laugh. "I'm fine. The only person hurt was Oz, and he was only winged." She gestured towards a nearby ambulance.
"Your neighbor said Snyder was killed," Xander huffed. "Tell me she wasn't just having drunken ramblings."
Buffy grimaced. "Right between the eyes. Did you find the third assassin?"
Xander shook his head. "We were waiting for him to return to his car when Mrs. McNeil told us about the shooting."
"I think he is somewhere waiting to ambush you," Kendra said.
"We need a Scooby meeting," Buffy replied. "Xander, could you go tell Spike to meet us in the library?"
"I just hope he doesn't beat up the messenger." Xander grimaced. He leaned in to wink at Kendra. "You want to go for a stroll in the cemetery with me, Slayer?"
Kendra blushed, and she ducked her head. "That would be nice."
An hour later, Giles surveyed the group gathered in the library. Spike and Buffy sat together, and next to them were Joyce and Phillip. Xander sat beside Kendra while Willow talked quietly with Oz. It was a most interesting group of people he was associating with now.
Oz leaned forward, and he spoke to Buffy. "You know, vampires explains so much about Sunnydale."
"The Hellmouth is a wonderful thing," Buffy laughed. "And it's not just vampires. There's lots of other things that go bump in the night around here."
"I'll keep that in mind," Oz replied.
"Now, on to business, I'm certain the policewoman was the second of three assassins," Giles announced. "Xander, did Kendra and you find the third one?"
Xander shook his head. "We were waiting for him to possibly return to his car when Mrs. McNeil told us about the shooting. We were worried about the gang." He waved towards Buffy and Willow.
"I sent Dalton over to keep an eye for him," Spike drawled. "At last check in, the car was still where it was when Harris had been at Buffy's house."
"We know he's there, I think I should go back to the house," Buffy suggested.
"No, Buffy," Joyce cried out. "He could kill you."
Buffy reached out to take her mother's hand. "Mom, I'll take Spike with me. I'll be okay."
The library phone started to ring. Giles crossed over to the counter to answer. "Hello, Sunnydale High School Library, Rupert Giles speaking." He paused for a moment while the other person spoke. "Yes, she is here. Joyce, it's your assistant."
"Louisa." Joyce rose to her feet, and she took the receiver from Giles. "Are there any problems, Louisa?" She stopped talking and listened. "What kind of questions?"
"That doesn't sound good," Spike muttered. "Who the hell is Ted?"
Joyce hung up the phone. "He's the man in charge of updating the gallery computers. He was asking Louisa where I lived and if I was single."
"Well, if he shows up at the house, we'll take care of him too," Spike said.
TBC
Chapter 18
"I can't take this anymore," Mercer grumbled. "My wife has threatened to divorce me if I don't get my dick back."
"What are we supposed to do?" Lindsey asked. "Littlecook can't find hide nor hair of Lilah."
Mercer gave Lindsey a dirty look. "Quit being a pansy, McDonald. I found a reversal spell that should help. It's the strongest, most potent one in the Wolfram and Hart archives."
"Uh, okay?" Lindsey's tone of voice was hesitant. "When are you planning on doing this reversal spell?"
"In about twenty minutes." Mercer looked proud of himself. "Would you like to watch?"
Lindsey shook his head. "Unfortunately, I have an appointment away from the office that I must attend," he answered. "I'm sure the results will be spectacular."
Mercer nodded. "They will be." A sly smirk slid across his features. "Then, McDonald, we'll see who the senior partners favor."
"Yes, we will." Lindsey vowed to himself to be out of the building as soon as possible. He made a great show of looking at his watch. "Will you look at the time? I don't want to be late."
Mercer's smirk grew while he watched Lindsey make his escape. He rubbed his hands together in anticipation. Finally, the senior partners would see him as a rising star. Maybe he'd leave McDonald in the dust for a change.
Lindsey was ten blocks away, power walking to get as far from his work place as possible, when a shockwave threw him to the ground. He rolled over to see what had happened. Lindsey gaped in astonishment as the Wolfram and Hart building started to shrink.
Lindsey stumbled to his feet, and he took off at a dead run towards Wolfram and Hart. It took him a few minutes to get back. What he found was ...
Nothing.
It was as if the building had never existed. There was no wreckage to indicate an explosion. Nothing to indicate what had happened.
"It was the darnedest thing," an old man standing near Lindsey commented. "That building just sank straight down into the ground. It was full of lawyers, maybe Lucifer himself was calling those sons of bitches home." His companion agreed into his cup of coffee.
Lindsey stood there staring at the now vacant city block, wondering about his near miss. He felt a presence at his side. When he glanced over he recognized one of the mail room workers.
"Cinco," Lindsey greeted the masked Mexican ex-wrestler.
Cinco held up a box of full coffee cups. "Coffee break. Cinco's lucky day."
Lindsey nodded. "Mercer was gloating," he muttered. "He was trying to get our dicks back."
"Too many men are too attached to their dicks," Cinco replied.
"Yeah," Lindsey agreed, even though he really didn't. He liked his cock and he wanted it back. He just knew trying to reverse some magic was easier said than done. Lindsey cleared his throat while he repressed the urge to speak.
"Here, have a coffee. Might as well." Cinco handed Lindsey a Styrofoam cup. "It's not like Jenkins will be back for it anytime soon. They're locked away tighter than a bruja's heart."
"What the fuck happened?" A voice shouted.
Cinco and Lindsey turned towards the voice.
"I'm Knox. I'm in R&D. I had a doctor's appointment this morning. What is going on?" the newcomer said.
"This is Cinco." Lindsey gestured towards his companion, who offered Knox a coffee. "I'm McDonald."
"Yeah, you're one of the bigwigs of Holland Manners'," Knox said. "Now can either of you two tell me what happened here?"
"We got lucky," Lindsey replied. "I don't feel the Wolfram and Hart contract hanging over my head anymore. Maybe we're free."
Knox paused and tilted his head. "I don't either. What does that mean?"
"Where ever they went ..." Lindsey shrugged towards the empty lot. "They're not coming back."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
PYLEA
When a loud rumbling echoed through the woods, Angel looked up from the wild animal he was feeding on. In the distance, he could see a sky scrapper rising high above the trees. Angel dropped the dead animal. Finally a sign from home. Maybe now he could get back to Sunnydale before anything terrible happened to Buffy.
Angel fell to his knees when he felt an involuntary shift come over him. His mind filled with chaos and feral like feelings. Thoughts of Buffy fell away as the primal demon inside him took control.
Several miles away, Cordelia and Klempt were discussing the quest that she needed to go on to become the Groosalug's Queen.
"It must be something fabulous," Klempt said. "Something that will make the bards sing of your greatness for a millennium, your majesty."
Cordelia thought about that for a few moments. "You know, you're right. The bards must make music in my honor. Any ideas? I'm afraid I'm new to your land."
"Hmmm, that is a hard one, I agree," Klempt answered in a thoughtful voice. He tapped his chin while he contemplated his Pylean history. After a few moments, he gave an excited shout. "I know just the thing. If we could find the five parts of the Crown of Divination, it would prove that you can see the future."
"I suppose," Cordelia said with a hesitant tone. She didn't like the sound of the Crown of Divination since she wasn't really psychic. "Sounds good to me. Where do we start?"
"According to legend, they were sent to the Pits of Chaos by the evil Queen Ythe many, many centuries ago. The Priestess foretold of the Queen's downfall which made the Queen so angry, she smote the Priestess. Then, she split the Crown into five parts. The Queen had five of her bodyguards take the pieces to the Pits of Chaos." Klempt shuddered at the thought of the Pit of Chaos, but he had resolved himself that this was the best way for the cow to prove herself. "They never returned."
"And you want us to go to this Pit place and get them? I was thinking about maybe a quest to the mall." Cordelia grimaced. "I'm really good at finding a sale."
Klempt glared at Cordelia. "I can sell you to the highest bidder instead," he threatened. "You look like you have plenty of meat on your bones. I know the Klandashia farm pays well for field cows."
Cordelia wrinkled her nose. "I am so not a field cow. Fine, we'll go to the Pits of Chaos and find this Crown of Divination. How do we do that?"
"You're the one with the power of fore site, your majesty." Klempt bowed low.
"Of course, I am." Cordelia let out a sigh. "Well, let's get the show on the road." She marched away from Klempt.
"Uh, wrong direction." Klempt pointed in the opposite direction of the way Cordelia was walking. She turned around without a word, and she marched the way the green-skinned demon was pointing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
"So, you're a Slayer." Xander attempted to fill the silence with small talk. "Were you surprised when you become one?"
"Yes," Kendra replied in a soft voice. "There are several potentials with better skills than I have."
"Really? How do you know that?" Xander asked with genuine curiosity.
Kendra studied Xander from beneath her eyelashes. "I met them. Faith from Boston and Cassandra from Las Vegas."
"Ah, Las Vegas. Sin City. My parents got married in Vegas." Xander tilted his head. "Come to think about it, I'm pretty sure they were married by a demon. Anyway about these other girls, why them and not you?"
Kendra lowered her eyes to stare at her hands. "They're so smart and tough."
"You're smart and tough." Xander lowered his head until he could catch the Slayer's eye. "You are. Don't let anyone ever tell you different. You travelled all the way here to Sunnydale, by yourself."
Kendra shook her head . She'd done what she needed to do. There was nothing smart about that.
"Maybe you should come see Brenna," Xander suggested. "She's a type of angel. She knows all about the supernatural. Buffy's seeing her." He leaned in to whisper. "Best thing ever though is her husband owns the donut store."
"Maybe." Kendra shrugged. "I think we're being watched."
Xander made a big show of yawning and stretching. He looked around the street, trying to catch a glimpse of anyone watching them. "I don't see anyone," he said after a bit.
"I know what I'm feeling," Kendra stated with a trace of indignation.
Xander raised a hand. "Hey, I believe you. I just think we're the most suspicious looking things on the street. This guy is hiding someplace, waiting for Buffy to come home."
"How long should we wait?"
"I don't know," Xander replied while he looked up and down the street.
Mrs. McNeil stepped out on her porch with a martini glass in her hand. "You kids are lucky you're not at the high school," she said, her words slurred with alcohol. "There was a shooting. Some cop was there for something. She went bonkers and shot the principal."
Xander leapt to his feet. "What? My friends are at a job fair at school." He turned to Kendra. "We need to go."
"What about ... you know, the man?" Kendra waved a hand at the salesman's car.
Xander grimaced. "Maybe you and Buffy can come back later. Right now, I think we should check on everyone at school." He tried to hide his fears from Kendra.
"I'm sure everyone you know is unhurt," Kendra replied. She was unsure of how to reassure the teenage boy.
"I need to see it with my own eyes," Xander said. Then, he paused for a moment. "If Buffy's hurt, someone will have to tell Spike. I just hope he doesn't kill the messenger."
"We shall go back." Kendra nodded. "We will catch the assassin another time."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
"Joyce, I just heard on the radio," Louisa, Joyce's assistant, said. She hated to interrupt her employer with her new man friend. Louisa had noticed that Joyce never dated or talked about any men, not even her ex-husband. "There was a shooting at the high school."
"Buffy?" Joyce gripped Phillip's arm. "I have to go check on Buffy!"
"Let me drive you," Phillip replied. He pulled his rental car keys from his pocket. "You are too stressed to operate a car properly."
Ted stepped out of Joyce's office. "Mrs. Summers, I need to ask you a few questions."
"Louisa knows everything about the gallery. She can answer your questions," Joyce replied. She turned to Phillip. "Let me get my purse."
"But ..." Ted broke off when Louisa glared at him. "Right, well, I need to know which shipping and receiving program would be best suited to your business."
Louisa shooed Joyce and Phillip out the front door of the gallery before she turned to Ted. "Show me what you have."
It was a short, quiet drive to the high school. Joyce was lost in her own thoughts, and Phillip didn't want to upset her any more than she already was upset. He knew from experience that nothing he could say would ease her mind. Phillip hoped that nothing had happened to Buffy. It wouldn't be just her mother that would be hurt by her loss.
Joyce was out of the car and rushing towards the ambulance where she could see her daughter sitting before Phillip even stopped the car. "Buffy, are you hurt?"
'No, I'm fine, Mom," Buffy reassured Joyce. She looked past her mother at Giles' friend. "Hey, Phillip."
"Miss Summers, I'm pleased to see you're unhurt," Phillip replied.
Xander and Kendra rushed up. Xander was panting and out of breath, but Kendra looked like she had barely broken a sweat. "Are you okay, Buffy?" Xander gasped out.
Buffy gave a laugh. "I'm fine. The only person hurt was Oz, and he was only winged." She gestured towards a nearby ambulance.
"Your neighbor said Snyder was killed," Xander huffed. "Tell me she wasn't just having drunken ramblings."
Buffy grimaced. "Right between the eyes. Did you find the third assassin?"
Xander shook his head. "We were waiting for him to return to his car when Mrs. McNeil told us about the shooting."
"I think he is somewhere waiting to ambush you," Kendra said.
"We need a Scooby meeting," Buffy replied. "Xander, could you go tell Spike to meet us in the library?"
"I just hope he doesn't beat up the messenger." Xander grimaced. He leaned in to wink at Kendra. "You want to go for a stroll in the cemetery with me, Slayer?"
Kendra blushed, and she ducked her head. "That would be nice."
An hour later, Giles surveyed the group gathered in the library. Spike and Buffy sat together, and next to them were Joyce and Phillip. Xander sat beside Kendra while Willow talked quietly with Oz. It was a most interesting group of people he was associating with now.
Oz leaned forward, and he spoke to Buffy. "You know, vampires explains so much about Sunnydale."
"The Hellmouth is a wonderful thing," Buffy laughed. "And it's not just vampires. There's lots of other things that go bump in the night around here."
"I'll keep that in mind," Oz replied.
"Now, on to business, I'm certain the policewoman was the second of three assassins," Giles announced. "Xander, did Kendra and you find the third one?"
Xander shook his head. "We were waiting for him to possibly return to his car when Mrs. McNeil told us about the shooting. We were worried about the gang." He waved towards Buffy and Willow.
"I sent Dalton over to keep an eye for him," Spike drawled. "At last check in, the car was still where it was when Harris had been at Buffy's house."
"We know he's there, I think I should go back to the house," Buffy suggested.
"No, Buffy," Joyce cried out. "He could kill you."
Buffy reached out to take her mother's hand. "Mom, I'll take Spike with me. I'll be okay."
The library phone started to ring. Giles crossed over to the counter to answer. "Hello, Sunnydale High School Library, Rupert Giles speaking." He paused for a moment while the other person spoke. "Yes, she is here. Joyce, it's your assistant."
"Louisa." Joyce rose to her feet, and she took the receiver from Giles. "Are there any problems, Louisa?" She stopped talking and listened. "What kind of questions?"
"That doesn't sound good," Spike muttered. "Who the hell is Ted?"
Joyce hung up the phone. "He's the man in charge of updating the gallery computers. He was asking Louisa where I lived and if I was single."
"Well, if he shows up at the house, we'll take care of him too," Spike said.
TBC
