PVCB part 3b

The three ran down in an alley and were soon stopped by five men standing in their way. Ms. Parker followed behind.

"Well, well what do we have here?" One of them asked as he circled Buffy.

"I was going to ask the same thing." Buffy commented staring at the guy closest to her.

He reached up to touch her when Jarod said. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"And what are you going to do about it?" Another guy asked.

They looked at each other and shook their heads. "This." Angel said as they began throwing punches at the men.

Parker came around the corner to see three against five.

"Nice odds." She replied under her breath as she soon joined in on the fight.

Angel had the last guy standing. As he threw another punch at Angel, Parker hit him over the head with her gun. Angel spun around quickly and almost hit Parker as they stopped, staring at each other.

"Thanks." Angel responded with a smile.

"You're welcome. Now if you don't mind I would like to take what I came for." She looked over at Jarod.

"I would like to let you but we don't have time for an argument." Angel pointed to the men coming to.

The four of them took off running out of the alley and down the street into a diner. Once inside, they took seats at a near by table.

Angel looked over at Parker. "Now you were saying."

"I said I came to take what is rightfully mine."

"I don't think he is yours." Buffy replied looking at her then at Jarod.

"Well, technically he's not. He belongs to the Company that I work for."

"The Centre." Angel commented.

"How did you know?" Parker looked over at Jarod. He smiled.

"We know all about the Centre, and Jarod is not going back there." Buffy replied as she took her fighting stance.

Miss Parker didn't flinch. "Says who?" She asked coldly.

"Me." Buffy responded with a small laugh.

"You're a little girl, where I am a woman. He goes with me." Miss Parker told her motioning the gun towards Jarod. Before she realized it the gun was knocked from her hand as Jarod swiftly grabbed Ms. Parker restraining her.

"It's your call Jarod, what do you want to do with her?" Angel asked him seriously.

"Let go of me!" Miss Parker glared at Jarod.

"No, Miss Parker, this time you listen to me. We are going to go back to the hotel and have a chat." The four of them headed back to the hotel, Buffy and Angel arm in arm. Jarod's arm firmly around Miss Parker, keeping her in check.

Outside the hotel room Angel asked. "Do you want to handle this alone or do you need help?"

"I think I can handle it." Jarod answered.

"Buffy, why don't you take Miss Parker into the room and help her get settled, I want to talk to Jarod for a minute." Angel instructed the blonde.

Buffy helped Miss Parker into the room using rope from her pack to tie her to the desk chair.

Jarod looked at Angel curiously. "What do you need to tell me?"

"Jarod, a bit of advice, you and the lady protesteth too much Usually that means that there are feelings there, and I don't think they are all bad feelings. If you really care for her, you need to tell her." Angel told him deliberately.

"Even if I had feelings for her there is just too much water under the bridge. We could never resolve the problems between us." Jarod told him sadly.

"Jarod, you are talking to the wrong guy about problems. Look at Buffy and me, we have survived terrible things and we are still together. Mainly because no matter what the problems are between us, we are no good apart. We are always better together even when we are at our worst. Talk to her." Angel patted Jarod on the shoulder and watched him enter the room.

Buffy came out of the room smiling at Angel. "Okay, what did you tell Jarod that you didn't want me to hear?" She playfully punched his shoulder.

He wrapped a strong arm around her petite frame and kissed the top of her head. "I'll tell you all about it when we get back to the room."

"But you'll distract me once we get there." She giggled as his lips found hers.

"That's the plan." He told her as he unlocked the door.

*************

Jarod entered the room to find Miss Parker struggling against the ropes to no avail. Buffy had tied her tightly. She looked strong but almost vulnerable to a point.

He smiled catlike as he walked around the chair. Gently, ever so gently he knelt behind her and slightly loosened the ropes, rubbing her wrists to bring back the circulation.

"Let me go!" Miss Parker spat out.

"Sorry, I can't do that, not just yet." He told her softly.

"Then why be nice to me?" She said indicated her wrists with her head.

"Just because you're my prisoner doesn't mean it has to be all bad." He purred as he moved to face her, putting both hands on either side of the chair arms, he bent his head low inches from her face.

"What are you going to do?" She asked a trace of fear in her voice.

"It won't hurt a bit, we're just going to talk." He pulled away from her and sat down on the bed.

She let out a deep sigh. "Talk?"

"Yes, you know it's easy, I open my mouth words come out, then you open your mouth and respond with words of your own."

"What do you want to talk about?" She demanded.

"Us." He said simply.

"Us? There is no us." She spit the words at him full of venom.

"Miss Parker we've known each other a long time, I remember a little girl who was full of joy and love. How did you turn into this, this...."

"Monster?" She finished his sentence for him.

"Well, now that you mention it." He stared at her hard.

"So that's what's you think I am."

"You finished it not me."

"I don't really care what you think of me. I have a job to do and I have to do it." She looked straight into his eyes.

"Well, you may not care for me, but I care for you Parker. I still care about that little girl who lost her Mother, the little girl that gave me my first kiss. I hate to see that little girl being used and turned into something that will only hurt her. Walk away now, Parker, while you still have a some of that little girl left in you." Jarod sat down after his emotional display.

Parker remained speechless for a moment. If Jarod hadn't seen it he wouldn't have believed it, a single tear ran down one of her cheeks. She tried to shake it off, but another joined it, and she was soon softly weeping.

Jarod took one finger and tenderly wiped a teardrop from her face. In almost a whisper he spoke. "I knew there was some of that little girl still there underneath the tough Centre bitch you've become."

Very softly she spoke, hurt evident in her voice. "Do you really think I'm a bitch?" She looked up at him unshed tears now glimmering in her eyes.

He put both arms around her pulling her into a tight hug, running a hand through her hair, forehead to forehead he whispered. "No, I don't really think that."

"Im glad." She said with a sob.

"I'm going to untie you and we are going to talk about what is going on here. I think you can help me find out what is happening to some missing children here. Those kids are much more important then any thing going on at the Centre. Can I trust you?"

She nodded yes and rubbed her arms after he untied her. "So, Jarod if I'm going to help, you have to tell me everything. And I need to know about your new friends too. What's with the tiny blonde dynamite?"

Jarod filled Miss Parker in on the whole situation, silently praying that he had done the right thing, that he could indeed trust her. He called Buffy and Angel's room and they all agreed to meet at sunset the next day. He and Parker would do the daylight research.

The next morning Parker cautiously knocked on the adjoining door between their rooms. Jarod answered the door shirtless. She looked on appreciatively but hid her smile from him, he had definitely grown up from that little boy she remembered. Almost shyly she suggested. "Let's grab some breakfast downstairs and then we'll find a computer to do some research on."

Jarod grabbed a shirt which he rapidly put on and buttoned up as they headed out the door. They had a quick breakfast and then found themselves at the local library. They located a computer at the back table and sat down at it. Jarod was soon typing in names and dates, pulling up articles on the missing children. Miss Parker was leaned over his shoulder pointing at the screen. He couldn't help but notice how her hair softly swept against his cheek as she bent over and he took in the scent of her perfume. He cleared his throat, he felt flushed all of a sudden. "Look Jarod, there is a pattern here. The children were all taken shortly after dark, no daylight abductions, wonder why?"

Jarod just looked innocent, he hadn't told her the complete Buffy and Angel story. He did not think Parker was ready to accept that vampires existed, much less work with one.

"And Jarod, look it's not just children, several adults are also missing. Whoever is taking them doesn't seem to care about age or gender. Most of the abductions happen along the beachfront, where there are lots of shops and restaurants. People get separated from their family and friends, then they're gone. Very few bodies found and the paper didn't really give a cause of death in any of those cases, which is very suspicious." Miss Parker said with a serious expression on her face.

"Lets go and we'll grab some lunch and go to Buffy and Angel's room to tell them what we found." He took her hand and they left the library.

"Why don't we have them meet us for lunch?" She asked as they walked back to the hotel.

"Uhh...they are really tired and I imagine they ordered in." He tried to explain.

******

"Angel." Buffy's voice called from the bathroom.

"Hmm........what?" He called back. He was watching the noon news.

"Could you bring me the hairdryer?" She asked.

He got up and found the hairdryer, entering the small bathroom he found her standing before the mirror wrapped in only a towel. He smiled as he handed her the hairdryer.

"So do you think Jarod did okay with that Parker woman last night?" She asked him plugging in the hairdryer.

"Well, we haven't heard sirens, so they didn't kill each other during the night. I think Jarod could get through to her." Angel told her as he put a hand on each shoulder and bent to kiss her neck.

Buffy giggled as she looked in the mirror seeing only her reflection, but feeling Angel's tender kisses on her neck. "You never told me, what did you talk to him about after I left you two alone?"

Angel mumbled something unintelligible into her neck as she turned to face him.

"What?" She asked, but was never answered as his lips found hers.

Angel swiftly picked her up and carried her to the bed, his lips never leaving hers, the towel was lost somewhere along the way.

Buffy sighed happily as Angel leaned over her, he started at her forehead trailing long,slow lingering kisses down to her belly button. She ran her fingers through his dark hair and raised his head to meet hers, a long kiss began, tongues fighting for control.

Buffy raised slightly to allow him to get even closer. He moaned as she ran fingernails down his chest and he began to thrust slightly. And then "Knock, Knock." came from the door.

Buffy's eyes opened wide. "Not now." She whispered.

"We better answer it, it could be Jarod." Angel groaned as he pulled himself away from her and slipped on his pants.

"I'll get it." Buffy sighed as she found her robe and went to the door.

Trying to fix her hair and to appear as if they hadn't been interrupted, Buffy opened the door. Jarod smiled widely at her disarray. He looked at Angel and winked. "Sorry." He mouthed silently. Angel smiled back and shrugged his shoulders.

Parker on the other hand was not amused. "We are researching and you two are..........well, NOT researching."

Buffy started to say something, but Angel's look stopped her.

"Miss Parker is obviously on our side now." Angel said looking at Jarod questioningly.

"Yes, she's going to help. We've been at the library using the computer. And we've found some information, not very many bodies have been found, and the disappearances are in different age groups. In the cases where bodies have been found, no cause of death was mentioned." Jarod told them as he and Parker sat down.

"That's odd, don't you think?" Miss Parker added.

Buffy and Angel looked knowingly at each other.

Miss Parker noticed the look that passed between them. "You two know something don't you? I'm not going to help if you aren't going to share all the information with me." She stood up in a huff and went towards the door.

Jarod looked at Angel and nodded. "Parker, we do know something. But I'm not sure you are going to believe it."

She turned around started to scream but was muffled by Jarod's hand over her mouth. She stood wide-eyed staring at Angel's morphed face, fangs and all.

Jarod led her gently back to the chair and sat her down. "What the hell is he?" She asked still staring at Angel.

"He's a vampire." Jarod said gently.

"A what?" She asked unbelievably as she watched Angels face morph back to it's human form.

"He's a vampire, but don't worry he doesn't bite. Well, unless you ask nicely." Buffy giggled slightly as she took Angel's hand.

Parker shook her head and closed her eyes thinking maybe when she opened them it would all have been a terrible dream. But no such luck she was still in a small hotel room with her enemy, a tiny blond dynamo and a VAMPIRE?

Jarod patted her arm. "I guess we need to talk about this?"

"Hell yes we need to talk! You told me we were going to help find missing people, missing children, the murderers of missing children. You said nothing about working with the undead." She glared at Buffy and Angel, then added. "By the way, what is she the tooth fairy?"

Angel held Buffy back. "She is the Slayer, Miss Parker."

"The Slayer? What exactly does she slay?"

"Vampires." Angel answered.

"Well, if you're a vampire, then she obviously confused slay with lay."

Buffy jumped up from the bed anger gleaming in her hazel eyes. She started towards Miss Parker. Jarod pulled Miss Parker up and looked at Angel who had taken Buffy's arm. "I think we'll catch you at dark, I don't think these two are ready to bond yet."

Angel smiled at him as he and Miss Parker left.

*****

The door shut and Angel was left with a slightly pissed off Slayer. "I do not like that woman." Buffy pouted as she sat down on the foot of the bed.

"Buffy, she probably hasn't had it very easy. That's probably why she comes across so arrogant and defensive."

"You forgot bitchy." Buffy smiled at him. "Oh well, we have a little bit of time before we have to meet them again. Where were we?"

A grin crossed Angel's face as he joined Buffy on the bed they began to finish what they had started.

*****

Meanwhile in the other hotel room the occupants were not having near as much fun.

"I do not like her." Miss Parker announced to the room.

"Now, Miss Parker, Buffy doesn't have it easy. She's young and has alot of responsibility. That's why she comes across so strong."

"And bitchy, don't forget bitchy." Miss Parker frowned as she sat down on the end of the bed. "And what do you think they are doing right now?"

Jarod sat down beside her and smiled. He placed his hand on her arm, "They are in love, I guess they are doing what people in love do. Have you ever been in love, Miss Parker? Really, truly in love?"

She sputtered and lowered her eyes. "That has nothing to do with anything."

"I think it does." Jarod told her putting his finger under her chin and raising her face to meet his.

"We're here to find a murderer not discuss my love life." She stood. "Let's go get something to eat while we wait for the dynamic duo."

"Okay. Let me take a shower first." He told her as he took off his shirt and lay it on the chair.

She cleared her throat as she tried not to look at his bare, muscled chest. A small patch of dark hair covered his chest. Her eyes followed his chest down to the trail of hair leading underneath the waistband of his button fly jeans. "Uhh...yeah you go shower." She told him as she turned the other way and sighed.

He grinned and she could have sworn he put an extra ommpph in his walk as he entered the bathroom. She lay on the bed and covered her head with the pillow! Why in the hell was she having these thoughts about Jarod. Must be exhaustion! She could hear the water running in the shower now. She could imagine the rivulets of water running down his bare body. Did he soap all over first and then rinse off or did he wash his chest first, his arms, his legs, his......okay enough! Stop Parker this is insane. In a few minutes the water grew silent and he entered the room wrapped only in a thin hotel towel. He grinned as he returned to the bathroom with his clothes.

He came back into the room fully dressed now. She grabbed her things. "I need to shower now." She told him as she retreated to the bathroom.

Jarod heard the water running and remembered he'd left his hairbrush in the bathroom, he was sure he could sneak in and get it quietly without her knowing he was there. He cautiously opened the door and was promptly hit square in the face by a naked Miss Parker. "What are you doing?"

"I thought you were in the shower. I was going to get my hairbrush." He held his nose with one hand as he pointed to the brush on the countertop.

"Oh...well you should have knocked." She said as she grabbed a towel and covered herself.

"I didn't see anything." Jarod told her as he backed out of the bathroom. Once back in the bedroom he whistled to himself. Miss Parker should show her assets more often.

Miss Parker emerged from the bathroom fully clothed. "Let's go."

Jarod followed her to the hotel restaurant. They ordered and sat in silence eating their meals. "I really am sorry." Jarod finally said breaking the silence.

"It's okay." Miss Parker mumbled.

"Hello!" The two diners were interrupted by Buffy and Angel.

"Care to join us?" Jarod offered pulling out a chair for Buffy next to him.

Buffy smiled as she took the offered seat. Angel sat down by Miss Parker who was giving Buffy a not so kind look. Buffy looked at Jarod. "What happened to your nose?" She asked as she gently touched his swollen nose. Angel enjoyed watching the expression on Miss Parker's face as she watched.

"Uh, ran into a door." Jarod said with a smile.

"How tall was she?" Buffy asked shooting a look at Parker.

"Let's order, Buffy." Angel told her with a firm voice, then he whispered. "Play nice."

"She started it." Buffy whispered back.

Angel looked at her again and she began to read the menu.

"So are you going to order from the menu or just drink the waitress?" Parker asked Angel with a sweet smile.

Buffy glared even harder at her. She smiled back at Buffy.

Angel grinned at her. "I think I'll have a rare burger and fries, much less conspicuous."

The waitress came and took their orders, bringing their food shortly.

"So what's our next move?" Jarod asked wiping his hands on his napkin.

"I say we split up, Jarod and I go search around those caves down at the beach. Buffy and Parker will try to gather information along the boardwalk, talk to people who hang out there regularly, see if they've noticed any strange people etc."

Parker and Buffy both looked up from their plates at the same time. "What?" They declared in unison.

"You two take the boardwalk. Jarod and I take the caves. People will open up easier to two pretty women then to two men." Angel explained.

"Fine." Parker said. "Are you ready, blondie?"

"More ready then you'll ever be sweetie." Buffy told her as she stood up.

Angel took Buffy aside. "Be nice to her and later I'll be very nice to you." He whispered into her hair as he hugged her.

"And if I'm not?" She asked coyly.

"Then I'll have to punish you."

"Oh goody. A win win situation for me." She giggled as she and Parker walked out of the restaurant.

********

"You seemed awfully friendly with Jarod in there. Very concerned about his nose." Parker told Buffy as they started walking towards the boardwalk.

"Jarod seems lonely, like he needs someone to take an interest." Buffy told her with a grin.

"I think he can take care of himself."

"Really? Then why are you so concerned that I'm concerned?" Buffy asked her.

"Well....it's really none of your business. Jarod and I do not have a relationship like that." Parker replied in a huff.

"No, but you would like it to be wouldn't you? I see how you look at him, why don't you just jump him and get it over with?" Buffy laughed softly at the look on Parker's face.

"I don't want to......I mean I would never......I mean ...it wouldn't work. We are too different." Parker replied softly.

"You want to talk different! Angel is a vampire, a freaking vampire! At least both of you are human!" Buffy stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. Parker stopped beside her. "If you have feelings for him, you have to let him know. You can overcome any differences if you want to badly enough." Buffy continued.

"Do you really think so?" Parker asked thoughtfully.

"Yes, I do. And I believe it will give you a better disposition." Buffy laughed out loud.

Parker frowned at her then joined in the laughter. "It might at that."

*******

Angel and Jarod made their way to the caves. "Do you think they are okay together?" Jarod asked worried.

"Yeah. I promised Buffy a reward if she would be good." Angel smiled at him.

"What type of......oh never mind." Jarod said shaking his head. "What's it like to love someone as much as you love Buffy?"

"Indescribable." Angel laughed. "Haven't you ever really been in love, Jarod?"

Jarod thought about the question, he'd asked Parker the same thing earlier. "I don't know, I've really only had feelings for one woman and you know who that is. And I'm not sure she's an easy person to love."

"All the more reason to hang in there. You've got to tell her how you feel Jarod." Angel explained as they quietly entered the first cave.

"You think they're here?" Jarod asked softly.

"Could be, it's the perfect place for vampires." Angel told him.

"I'll take your word for it." Jarod replied.

"Follow me."

Jarod and Angel went deeper into the cave. Angel led the way, he stopped suddenly and turned to Jarod raising his hand motioning for Jarod to stop. "There is a nest of them in there. It's feeding time so most of them are gone. Let's get Buffy before we go in."

"Can't we just go in and stake them?" Jarod asked.

"Well you don't really have alot of experience at vampire slaying, so I rather be backed up by the expert." Angel informed him with a smile.

"Okay." Jarod replied understanding.

*******

Parker and Buffy started walking again. "Not many people out tonight." Parker stated as they walked the practically empty streets.

"I guess they are staying in. Smart people." Buffy told her as they were interrupted by a noise down an alley.

Parker looked at Buffy. She nodded at her and they started down the alley. They saw an older man putting out trash from one of the shops in the dumpster. He hurried back inside when he saw the women. They turned around and began to walk out of the alley when they were greeted by several vampires in game face. Parker gasped out loud. "Stay behind me." Buffy told her as she reached for her trusty stake.

Buffy took out two of the vamps and went after the third just as her stake hit home a fourth vamp appeared and called to her. "Slayer, I've got your friend, I suggest you come quietly." He held Miss Parker firmly in his grasp.

Buffy looked around to weigh her options. She thought she could take out the one vamp, but he was soon joined by three more friends and she knew she couldn't risk Parker's life. So she dropped her stake and followed the vampires.

Part 4