CH.34

Ryan sighed." Consider me a guest in this establishment, I'm just here to forget my own problems, if you want to join in I'll open another case. If not, well unless this place is under attack, I'll be here drinking and trying to settle my own problems. You can use my two friends here as employees. Drink?"

He waited for Angel to make up his mind. After a long while, Angel sat down." Yeah, sure, why not? Everyone has their own problems, whoa am I to turn down a good scotch."

They sat there throughout the rest of the night drinking in silence. A week later Gunn got a call from his cousin about needing help out of a supernatural heist someone was planning. Lyndsey took up a lawyer persona and had to get Wesley out of police custody when he was found over the ex-detective Lockley's injured body.

After everything settled down again, Cordelia walked over to Ryan and snatched his whiskey away from him." You need to buck up mister, just because your hurting doesn't mean you can ignore the people around you hurting!"

Ryan grabbed another bottle." I'm here so that I'm not there. The only reason I even bothered to help you guys was because of our shared past, now leave me to my drink or join me."

Cordelia walked back to Lyndsey and Faith and asked." What's his problem? We already have a broody boss, we really don't need a drunk lay about as well."

Lyndsey told her." He's in agony and his mind is fractured. The best we can tell, it's a result of a ritual we did awhile back. We summoned death itself and demanded some answers. It's had a profound effect on him. He found out his people were massacred so that the humans who followed after would have a champion. They were killed so that the slayer could be made."

Faith went deeper. " It had a bad side effect of destroying his feelings and emotions of love. Willow and Tara broke up with him not long after. Even they lost whatever they felt for him. He can still feel an echo and it's tearing at his mind. Nagging him to do's something and he doesn't even know what he should be doing. Poor bastard, I wouldn't wish to be him even for all his power."

Cordelia looked thoughtful. " What about a memory recovery spell?"

Lyndsey shook his head." We've tried everything. Nothing works, it's like he got his own curse. No wonder Angel let it go and joined, he must've recognized the pain."

Faith smirked." I've even gone so far as to offer up Jeff here as a sex slave for a day."

Lyndsey snorted." Yeah and as much as we both appreciate the thought, I don't think I'm what he's missing."

Cordelia took that in." So your saying we need to get him laid? That shouldn't be hard even with all the liquor smell coming off him."

Wesley laughed." Yes I can imagine it now, the first girl that looks remotely beautiful will send him inside out at this point."

Cordelia had a Cheshire smiled."Well I guess I can take one for the team."

Faith smirked and walked away shaking her head while Lyndsey told her." That is a very bad idea. One wrong move and you'll end up on his bad side."

With that he followed Faith. Cordelia asked to the general populace." What could go wrong? It's just sex?"

Wesley cautioned." Potentially everything. He is technically our biggest customer and right now, our financial backer. That's not even mentioning what he could do if he was angered in some way. I think it best to let sleeping dragons stay sleeping."

Cordelia shrugged." Well if no one else is going to try and help him I might as well."

Wesley shook his head and headed to bed. Cordelia spent the night working up the courage to say something to Ryan. Who had finally drunk enough alcohol to put him in a daze. Hammered he passed out in the lobby chair.

When Cordelia went to say something she saw his state and put a blanket on him and went to bed. A week passed when finally Gunn came in with news on Darla's location. Angel, Gunn and 'Lynda' went to retrieve her.

Later that night, they came back with Darla saying she was dying. " It's terminal."

Angel didn't believe her and went to find Gavin Park, the lawyer who brought her back in the first place. After coming back pissed off he took her to Caritas.

While they were away 'David', in his drunken stupor, went out for a walk. Seeing Willow and Tara everywhere he tried drinking it away to the point where he let his power dissipate so that the alcohol could take a stronger hold.

Some time later he heard a voice saying." Your blind to the stars! They seem to dim in your presence. You must be like daddy."

Through his drunken haze all he saw was Willow walking up to him." Willow, is that you? I feel so broken! Everything seems to be so colorless. Like the world turned gray and lifeless."

The Willow walked up to him." Don't you worry I'll find the pretty colors for you!"

She pulled him into the back of a car saying." Drive us to meet grandmother it's time she woke up again. You can watch if you want?"

She climbed on his lap and started taking what she wanted. When they arrived at their destination, the driver got out and opened the back door only to find both the occupants passed out naked. Every now and then the male would whisper." Willow....Tara....so tired."

The Wolfram and Hart employee roused the female. " Oh, is it dinner time already. I'm ready to give birth to Grandmother. Daddy's going to be so cross with me when he finds out."

She turned to her partner." Little black lamb, mommy's busy, do be a dear and forgive her."

She turned to the driver and said." Drop off the dim star in the blackberry patch I found him in, he needs to eat his fill. I haven't felt like this since the immortal touched me. Naughty, naughty, immortal. To bad his star dimmed. He felt like riding a dragon and flying on pillows. My legs are sore miss Edith. I'll have trouble walking for a while. Oh the delicious pain. I wonder if daddy will give us a spanking to make us be bad again."

Leading their crazy friend inside, they sent the driver back to the alley to drop off his last passenger.

The several hours later, 'David' walked back to the hotel naked. Shaking his head trying to remember what happened. Every time he tried, all he saw was Willows face. When he got back to the hotel everyone was helping Angel who was injured and talking about Darla being turned into a vampire by Drusilla.

Shaking his head he told them making his presence known." Your night still wasn't as bad as mine. At least you remember yours."

Everyone turned to the naked man in the doorway. 'Jeff' looked worried." What the hell happened to you?"

'David' snorted." Got drunk, let my guard down and went for a walk. I think I passed out in an alleyway thinking it was my bedroom. That or I was robbed while I was asleep. Cancel my cards and get them replaced. Get me a new ID in the morning and everything should be fine."

'Lynda' sniffed." You reek of vampire and sex. Did you hunt and get laid?"

'David' shrugged." If I did, I don't remember it. Doesn't matter to me."

Angel walked forward then stiffened." You smell like Drew. I knew I smelled something funny in her. You slept with Drusilla."

'David' looked at him funny." That's not possible, I'd remember it if I did."

He stopped talking, then started cursing in several old, long dead languages. After a while he explained." I dreamed my ex was there and we made love."

Angel told him." Your lucky she didn't kill you! Jesus! You need to sober up and quit drinking or at the very least, stop going on walks. You came damn close to dying tonight."

'David' shook his head and went to take a shower. The rest of the group went to search everywhere they thought Drusilla might have Darla. When he got out of the shower, Wesley and Cordelia were in his room waiting.

Ignoring them, he walked passed and got his clothes. As he was getting dressed Wesley finally asked what was on his mind." How is he supposed to get a child out of this? Darla can't give birth as a vampire, can she?"

'David' smirked." She can if there is a higher being playing 'god' with all this. Did you really think three old ones put their heads together and came up with this scheme? Not likely. No they were being played by a PTB. All of you have been. For now, this place is warded against them. So they'll only know what we want them to. As for my recent trip, it was nothing and leave it. That means you Cordy."

Cordelia told him." You didn't have to go so far to get laid. I'm sure you're in pain, but is the drinking necessary?"

'David' sighed." Your right. When the baby is safe and guaranteed to be born, I'll tell Angel who we are and put myself in a permanent trance, locking myself up. I'm far to dangerous and unstable to be left alone and there is no fixing me. When I figure out my next move I'll come out of it."

There was some push back for a while, but in the end even Lyndsey understood. Something's break you to much and you have to step out of the ring or risk total destruction.

Faith looked at him more and more worried each day. This was the guy who pulled her away from the abyss and now he was drowning in it with no hope of escape anytime soon. Every time she tried to remember what went down that it crippled her friend, she felt a foreboding sense of dread and warning her not to dig any further.

Not long after their talk, Angel fired everyone and told them to leave. Seeing that there was no arguing with him, they bought a small office and set up there. While everyone kept up the good fight, Ryan moved back to Caritas. He told them it wouldn't help to have himself so close to breakable humans right then.

Faith and Lyndsey stayed to help and take cases. The demon hunter network they set up cut a swath throughout the cities nightlife. With the training and weapons being supplied, along with Intel and backup just a phone call away, they were a veritable rapid response army. Hundreds of demons were slaughtered in a matter of months.

Ryan spent his two months of wait, deep in a bottle in the hosts private booth. One day he felt a change. Something was happening with the evil around the city. Lawyers were coming and filling up the bar. Lorne was busy doing a constant reading for them and running interference with the bar to ensure that none of them approached his private booth.

Angel showed up not long after happy hour and started asking The Host for information on the lawyers and their bosses. When Ryan caught the words, senior partner, he smiled knowing that it was a lie.

The real senior partners were firmly locked away, for their own safety at this point. They knew by now he was back and there was no way in hell they'd risk breaking the barrier while he was in this plain.

After Angel left, he asked Lorne when he stopped by again." So it's tonight? After tonight I'll put myself in the trance. I need some time to balance my mind and figure out my next mov-"

A lawyer had ventured over and told Lorne. "Hey demon, I've been waiting for over an hour for - ahhhhh!"

Ryan didn't take being interrupted easily. The lawyer burst into flames and screamed, when he had heard enough of the screams Ryan muted him. The entire bar watched as the rude lawyer stood there burning in agony, not making a sound.Like a Roman candle.

One of his apparent associates tried to save him by saying." We work for Wolfram and Hart, you really want to pick that fig-"

He joined his friend in the screaming torment. The rest of them backed off knowing the price of interfering. Ryan continued talking to Lorne." My next move. Until then, I'll need a room here, I'll also guarantee that even if the spells around this place fall, you'll still be fine. After all, right now I owe you!"

Lorne smirked at the scared lawyers and told him." My place is your place, after all, what are friends for? Stay as long as you like, and I already appreciated the cases of top shelf booze you brought with you. Let me know if you need anything friend. Oh, and your one night stand just walked in."

Ryan smiled at that." Any chance you'd be willing to deal with her?"

Lorne laughed." Not even in the slightest, you know as well as I that she'd eat me alive."

Laughing together, they watched as the lawyers parted for the brown haired gothic psychiatric patient. When she was almost to their booth, Lorne stood up and handed him a bottle of tequila and said." Good luck, and try not to leave any stains."

Looking at him like he was the crazy one, Ryan snorted and whispered good naturally. "Coward." To his retreating figure.

The goth vampire sat down beside him." Hello lover! The stars went silent when I searched you out. They refused to say a peep till I plucked out a demons eyes and miss Edith whispered your whereabouts for the world to know."

Ryan looked at this strange creature and asked." How did you survive the fire that night? I was told Angel killed you for good."

Drusilla crawled over and laid her head on his lap." The Angel beast punished us for being naughty. Your dark light saved me from the fire. It burned in my stead, it hurt grandmother though."

Ryan sighed at the growing headache." Why have you looked for me?"

Drusilla looked up from his lap." Pleasure beyond anything miss Edith ever felt. She wants some more!"

Ryan asked." Have you seen what's coming? The Angel is going to have a babe and then the world will be silent. I'm going to extinguish one of those stars you like so much. If you interfere in this, I'll put your soul back in you. Do you understand?"

Drusilla sat up on his lap and told him. " Then I'll just have to be naughty elsewhere."

Ryan shrugged as she started to gyrate on him. When she was about to go further he grabbed her throat and with a moment of clarity, he crushed it. Dusting her all over himself and the booth.

Lorne came over." Well at least you didn't let her finish. That would have been something I would blame you for forever."

Ryan sighed, his clarity was leaving him quickly. " Bite me Lorne! I'm going to grab a shower and change have someone clean this up by tonight. Angel will be coming back and when he does, it'll be time to let him know."

Ryan left to get clean and get his mind on straight. When he got back, he brought a case up from the cellar and restocked the bar. For some reason the menial task seemed to distract him from his own mind.

He spent the rest of the day as a bartender, making drinks and listening to the random chatter. After closing up, he set the booth and waited. Lorne went and took a nap till it was time. When Angel started banging on the door, he waved a hand and unlocked it from afar.

Angel came in looking depressed and worried. Ryan went a fetched Lorne and let them talk. After Angel told Lorne about his epiphany Lorne told him." Well there is some good news in all of this, but I'll let a mutual friend tell you. Come on in. In know you've been listening."

Ryan walked over and sat down. Angel looked at him agitatedly."What are you doing here David?"

Ryan dropped the glamour." I've been watching and waiting all this time, so that I could inform you of some good news and help wherever I could. Lyndsey and Faith have been doing the most good I think. Well accept for the fact that I killed Drucilla earlier today."

Angel looked hit punched at the news." So what's this all about?"

Ryan smirked." Why to get you a reward after all this time. I couldn't act until now thanks to Lorne's vision of a possible future of yours. After tonight your going to be a father."

Angel scoffed." I really doubt that. For one thing, I'm a vampire. And second, your a male. I don't see this working out."

Ryan slapped the back of his head." Don't start with the smart ass remarks. The mother is already pregnant. Darla's having a boy, just fyi. One of those precious powers that be is playing with something it shouldn't."

Angel looked like he ate a bad rat." What the hell are you talking about? Darla can't be pregnant! She's a vampire!"

Ryan smirked." One of the PTB is planning something and it used tonight as a way to pull a piece of its plan off. All we do know is that your a father now. You'll have to wait for Darla to show up again, because I'm not looking for her and it's best you don't either! You'll attract your enemies to her if you do and the baby wouldn't survive. It'll be a human. Sort of like a weaker slayer, but male. Now good luck my friend, after this night, I won't be available to help out. Ask Lyndsey and Faith if it gets bad."

Walking away, he left a stunned Angel sitting in the booth. On his way past, he whispered a protection spell on Lorne. So long as he's not directly attacked by someone as strong as Lyndsey, he'll be fine.

He set up a focusing circle in a basement room he cleared out for himself and got ready. Just as he layers down to begin, his phone went off.

After the second ring he picked up." Who is this? It had better be life or death."

"It's me, Willow. Buffy's mom had an blood clot from a tumor and died. We need you here. Please! For me."

Ryan sighed." Alright I'll get a cab."

"Faster please? I don't think we can hold it together that long."

Ryan stood up. " Where are you right this moment?"

"We're right outside the morgue. Buffy and Dawn are barely holding it together."

Taking a deep breath he told her." I'll make a portal to you just give me a second."

With that he said aloud.""Via temporis, iam clamo ad te via spatti

Te ubio, aperire...Aperi!

Via concurssus, tempos spatium admi ut imperio!"

A portal opened and he stepped through. " Hey guys, I guess I'm back for now."

Buffy stood up and asked." Can you bring my mom back like you did Jenny?"

Ryan shook his head. " No, Jenny was killed by a supernatural being , it left a mark and allowed for easy access."

Dawn stated." Then what good are you!"

Buffy rebuked her." Dawn! You know he's just trying to help. That's enough."

Ryan sighed." If you'd let me finish. I meant that it won't be the same way. The spell to bring her back is the blackest of Magic's, I can do it, but I'd have to worn you. She may not come back the same. At best she would be scared by the experience, and at worst what comes back may not be her at all."

Everyone quieted at this and he continued." It is the foulest of Magic's and the price is usually another soul, and that's just to get in. That dimension is one I've avoided for a long time. Eons ago, I broke in there determined to bring my people back or at least see them. That was before I knew better. It's a place ruled by death and governed by power. I can get in again but it will cost something I've been avoiding paying for a long time. So be damned sure that you want this, because even if everything goes exactly right, someone will still die. And she may not come back as a human."

Dawn said immediately." We're sure!"

Buffy looked horrified at what he said and her sisters answer. " Give us some time to think about it. Please."

Ryan sighed." Take all the time you need. I'll go heal her body, in case you decide to go through with it. Hell had I known before I left I would've healed her then, and avoided all of this."

Willow asked." You can do that?"

Ryan smiled." The healing power of nature can heal almost anything, except death. Then it falls into the opposite category. The darkest spells ever to be made all sprang from one category, sacrifice! It's a lot like alchemy that way. You have to give to take. Another thought all of you should be having is who is going to take her place. I would if I could, but that place hates me with a passion after last time."

Xander asked." What happened?"

Ryan grinned." I refused to pay the entry fee and killed its guardian instead. Then I broke into the dimension and beat the crap out of its so called angels. They didn't appreciate it when I flipped off their leader they called him Elohim or something. He refused to tell me where my people were and refused to fight me so that I could beat it out of him. So I flipped him off and beat his feathered friends when they took offense to it."

Giles took off his glasses." Dear God! You actually flipped off God, and beat up angels?"

Ryan told him." Your God maybe, not mine apparently. He didn't receive my people and they were all pacifists. We treated bugs the same as our own lives and we weren't good enough for his 'heaven.' So I said screw him. Now if I want to pass through I'll have to apologize to him and make reparations. That's not including the soul I'll have to bring. It'll have to be a willing sacrifice and an innocent at that. That's why I didn't like their attitude last time. To bad she wasn't a supernatural being or killed by one. There are many ways to bring those back."

Everyone paled knowing what he meant. Someone they knew was going to have to die willingly and be slated for heaven. And even then, they could end up with a zombie or worse.

Anya spoke up." To bad we can't just offer up Glory."

Ryan asked." Who or what is Glory and if your talking about honor, I'll remove your mouth for the rest of the day."