Chapter 1 - Visions of Rubies

"So what do you want for dinner, Fred?" Cordelia asked.

"Oh, tacos. I could eat tacos."

"How about soup and a salad?"

"No, that doesn't sound right."

"A bagel with salmon and onion?"

"Oh, no, I don't think so."

"Chinese? Vegetables with tofu and mushrooms?"

"Well..." Fred thought, then turned away from Cordelia. "No, not tonight. Just a couple of tacos."

"Fred, you need more vegetables. How about a side order of guacamole and tostoda chips? Or better yet, salsa?"

"Oh, I guess, but maybe I still have some left in the refrigerator."

"No," Cordelia said. "I threw all those leftovers out last week. All right, tacos. Will you come downstairs to eat with us tonight?"

"No, no, I guess not. Not tonight."

"All right."

"And Fred?" Wesley asked.

"Wants some tacos, in her room." Cordelia looked at the big mirror she had put up in the office. She sighed, and brushed a strand of hair back from her forehead.

"I'm thinking Dawn's idea, putting the food lower and lower on the stairs, is not so bad," Gunn said.

"I would agree were not for the fact that Fred seems willing to go hungry before she accepts our company. She is not sturdy, even after more than two months with an improved diet."

"She's real skinny."

"And her diet isn't that improved," Cordy said. "She won't even try salsa." She sat down in one of the visitors' chairs by Wesley's desk.

"She did eat a real salad and even some grapes, when Spike and Dawn were here. Maybe we should get her some grapes," Gunn said.

"Red," Cordelia said.

"Or green, but seedless..."

"It's a ruby," Cordelia said, clutching her forehead as she fell out of her chair, "and he's going to use it to destroy the world."

Gunn caught her, easing her down on the floor. "Easy, girl, easy."

"Who?" Wesley asked. "Who, Cordy?"

"I don't know him. He's as tall as Wesley; he's got dark red, almost mahogany, hair; he's a vampire."

"When and where?"

"The museum, and there are bodies everywhere."

"When?"

"Soon. Oh, Drusilla's with him."

"This Drusilla? I mean our Drusilla?" Wesley asked. "Is he someone we know?"

"No. He's new, with a lot of helpers. Oh, it hurts. Soon, that's all I know, and everybody dies."

"Gunn, open that bottle of wine Gang Long gave us."

Gunn went to the office refrigerator, stopping to get a glass from the small sink.

Wesley helped Cordelia attain a sitting posture and Gunn handed her the glass of wine.

"Why does Ann's wine work and aspirin doesn't?" Cordy asked, sipping. She wiped her eyes.

"Ann's wine is especially good for non-natural wounds," Wesley said. "Demon bites, certainly, and now it appears, vision headaches."

"Who got bit by a demon?" Gunn asked.

"Ann. When I was up there last year."

"I want to get up," Cordy said.

"Sure?" Gunn asked. Cordelia darted an impatient glare at him. "Just asking," Gunn said, lifting her to her feet and supporting her until she stood alone.

"Did you recognize any of the vampires?" Wesley asked.

"Only Drusilla," Cordy said.

"So is she back? Or has she been here all along?" Gunn asked. "And do we have to watch out for Darla showing up again?"

"Angel said Darla left, but he was maddeningly vague about it. He said he told her to leave, but he never said if he meant the city, the state or the country," Wesley said.

"We could ask over at Wolfram and Hart," Cordy said. As the two men silently looked at her, she continued: "I know, I know. Bad idea. But Darla," she continued, "Darla wasn't there. Drusilla was right by this guy's side, and Darla likes being alpha bitch."

"Angel knows all about Drusilla," Wesley said. "After all, he sired her."

"Right," Gunn said.

"That's not all he did. First, over several months, he drove her crazy; then he murdered all her family," Cordy said. "Finally, he killed her. Evil Angel is not nice, at all."

"`Mad, bad, and dangerous to know,'" Wesley muttered.

"Exactly. That's very good, Wesley," Cordelia said.

"Yeah. But he knows her likes and dislikes? Who she'd likely hang with?"

"And he's out of contact," Wesley reminded him.

"What do the Watcher books say?" Gunn asked.

"That she and Spike were lovers for many years, although they do not seem to have been together of late. We could ask him; as long as he has that chip in his head, we can treat with him safely."

"Who makes the call?" Cordy asked.

"You're the boss," Gunn repeated.

"Yes, and, since I think you established a sort of rapport with Spike, you're going to make the call."

"What rapport?"

"You, he and Gang Long seemed to be easy and free in each other's company," Wesley said.

"We're about the same age, is all."

"Oh, stop it," Cordelia said. "I got tired of this argument about ten minutes ago. I called Spike."

"Oh."

"Good," Wesley said. "Initiative, I like to see that in the staff."

"Especially when you don't want the job. Spike has a condition. He wants to drive the Cobra for a couple of hours," Cordy said.

"Is he driving down? Which car? We could trade."

"Well, I suggested he bring Ann's new Jaguar, and leave it, as sort of a deposit, but he just laughed. He's coming in the Viper. What is it about nasty animals? Scorpions, Spyders. Wasn't there something called a Sidewinder?"

"Yes and no," Gunn said.

"Nice car," Spike said. "Thanks. I enjoyed that. We should try it for real sometime, Gunn. So why? Why am I here? Not just for my looks, I'm sure."

Not that he didn't look good, Cordelia thought, for a vampire. About her own height, Spike had tossed his leather coat off when he came in. Now, he wore jeans that lacked any exterior label, but that fit him too well to be anything but tailored, and a heavy dull silk shirt that was also probably bespoke work. Both shirt and jeans were black, and Spike's blond hair and white skin gleamed against his clothes.

"Didn't Cordy explain?" Wesley said, glancing at Cordelia.

"Just that you wanted to talk to me, and if it took a while, you could give me a room for the day, which is sort of obvious." The vampire glanced around the lobby of the old hotel. "Didn't the aspidistras and palm trees get here yet? I arranged for them to arrive in late August, so they'd be here whenever Angel got back."

"I refused delivery," Cordy said.

"Oh, come on. The place needs palm trees and aspidistras."

"Your taste in foliage is typically Victorian," Wesley said. "Unfortunately, no one here wants to take care of that many indoor plants."

Spike shrugged. "So what do you want to talk about?"

"Drusilla."

"Why?"

"Cordelia had a vision," Wesley said. "Apparently, Drusilla's with a new, uh, friend--"

"We broke up," Spike said. "It's been a while. If she has a new lover, good for her; and if I can say the word, so can you."

"--lover, then, and he seems to be trying to destroy the world."

"Oh, again?"

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different result," Wesley said. "Drusilla's recent history shows, if not dire consequences resulting from each attempt, at least a singular lack of success."

"True," Spike said, "but perseverance furthers, and she could be experimenting with new tactics: This may differ from last time, or the time before that, come to think of it. She may make it this time."

"A new and different way of destroying the world?" Gunn said.

"No doubt a different methodology for the same end," Spike said. "Or an equivalent end. The girl needs a hobby."

"The girl has a hobby," Cordelia said. "Destroying the world. She needs a new hobby. Why don't you give her palm trees?"

"She doesn't have the space," Spike said. "Is this why I'm here? To help you kill Dru?"

"At the very least, we do need to speak with her, Spike," Wesley said.

"Speaking is one thing, staking is another. I won't help you kill her, not just on this."

"She's a psychotic killer bitch," Cordelia said.

"I know that," Spike snapped. "She killed me, remember." The vampire glanced away, then back at the group. "We were close for a long time, we've done a lot together. I won't try to tell you she doesn't have a vicious bone in her body--she certainly does--I will point out that she doesn't have much initiative. Left to herself, she's not a threat to all humanity. I'll help you, if I can talk with her before you try to kill her."

"And if that doesn't deter her?"

"I think you'll have to prove to me she is a danger," Spike said.

"You just said, she killed you," Gunn pointed out.

"Which means of those here, I'm the one she's harmed. When Ann killed your father, she didn't pay wergeld to anyone not connected with him: The ones she injured were the ones who set her sentence."

"Well, that's only fair," Gunn said.

"That's not really applicable in a matter of destroying the world, Spike. Everyone is involved in that."

"You'll have to prove it," Spike repeated.

"You are biased in her favour," Wesley said.

"I don't think that's so, but I understand your reservations. Prove she's a danger, prove it to me, or to Ann or to twelve strangers off the street; but not just you, you're biased against her."

Wesley opened his mouth, glanced at the two other vampire killers, shut his mouth, then said: "I don't think we are, at least not unjustifiably, but we could certainly ask Ann, or even hire a private arbitration judge, possibly through young Tara's lawyer, what is her name?"

"Nancy Polias," Spike said. "She'll know someone. Good enough. So, why the ruby?"

"He needs it." Cordelia said.

"To destroy the world?" Gunn asked.

"A massive laser?" Wesley offered.

"I don't know," Cordelia said.

"Cordelia," Spike asked, "is this ruby like a jewel or like a stick of hard candy?"

"A jewel. It was lovely. I can wear rubies. There were lots of jewels. I wonder why Ann doesn't wear emeralds."

"Rubies would become you well," Spike said politely. "Ann doesn't wear anything but her earring. Not a laser," he said to Wesley.

"Right," Wesley said.

"So why the ruby?" Gunn asked.

"And for that matter, which museum?" Spike wondered.

Chapter 2

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