Title: Family Ties

Author: MarieC

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Rating: R

Pairing: A/S; G/S (friendship)

Spoilers: General timeline: Post Epiphany (ATS); Post Initiative (BTVS)

Disclaimers: I do not own these characters.

Note: Spike never fell in love with Buffy.

Thanks to Ghostforge for his fantastic beta skills!

Chapter 1

Los Angeles, CA

"What did you want to meet with me about, Lilah?" Lindsey McDonald burst into his colleague's office.

The tall, slender brunette lawyer brought her finger to her lips to quiet him. "Ah." She said as she found the object under her desk. In her hand was a small metallic object which she smashed with a heavy law journal. She sat in her chair and looked up to see a very annoyed Lindsey staring at her. "And I suggest you search your office for bugs as well."

"Gee, Lilah." Lindsey smirked. "I didn't think you cared."

Lilah rolled her eyes. "Just because the Senior Partners are keeping us both alive for now doesn't mean they trust us."

"I don't trust you." He responded with venom in his voice.

"Maybe; but, you need me."

Lindsey sighed and glanced at his watch. "I have a 10:30 appointment. Do you have a point?"

"Actually, I do." She gracefully rose from her chair and walked towards the dark haired lawyer. "After your girlfriend's massacre in the wine cellar, we both better be on our best behavior." She paused and grinned evilly. "By the way Lindsey, how is Darla?"

At the mention of the blond vampire's name, Lindsey flinched.

"What's the matter?" Lilah taunted as she strode behind him. "Haven't heard from her lately? Did she dump you? Oh wait, you actually have to be in a relationship to be dumped." She chuckled.

Lindsey grabbed her wrist tightly and hissed. "What. Do. You. Want?"

Lilah wrenched her arm away and smiled. "Okay." She said while placing her hands in the air. "The white flag is up." Her voice lost its mocking tone. "I wanted to talk to you about our next move."

"Our?" Lindsey's raised his eyebrows. "Since when has this been a team effort, Lilah?" He eyed her suspiciously.

"Since our ass is in a sling." She responded nervously. "Do you think just because Holland is worm food that the Senior Partners will just give up on Angel? This 'special' project is still a high priority."

Lindsey watched her closely. As much as he did not want to admit it, she was right. He exhaled and bowed his head. Lilah interpreted his action as permission to continue. She walked back to her desk and sat down in the plush leather chair. Lindsey took the seat opposite to her. They gazed at each other for some time. He finally spoke. "What do you have in mind?"

"Maybe we're approaching this from the wrong angle." She said as she chewed on her right index finger.

Lindsey added. "Holland thought that Angel's Sire was the best bet to turn him to the dark side or at least get him out of the game somehow." He paused. "We underestimated his resolve when it came to Darla. After all, he did kill her previously... And what about Drusilla? He didn't seem too phased about her presence while she was here."

"What happened to her?" Lilah asked.

"I don't know." He answered quietly. "After Darla came to me burned, I never saw her again."

"I'm okay not dealing with her. She's psychotic. She's always talking about her 'Daddy'. It's creepy." Lilah added as a chill travelled down her spine. She turned towards her computer and started typing.

"What are you searching for?"

"I'm looking through the company's file on The Order of Aurelius...." She replied slightly distracted. "Here it is." She said as Lindsey approached her desk to see the computer screen. "Darla was sired by the Master and she sired Angelus."

"We already know this Lilah." Lindsey said with an annoyed tone.

"Hold on..." Lilah scrolled down. "Angelus sired Drusilla the Seer. We can cross her off our list, by the way. He also sired a man named Penn the Puritan." She clicked on his name. "Well, well, well. Isn't this interesting?"

"What?"

"Penn, Childe of Angelus. Staked by Kate Lockley of the LAPD in the presence of the Dark Avenger himself."

"He essentially killed his own Childe." Lindsey added. "He is such a bastard." He turned back towards the screen. "Look, there is one more member of the Order. William the Bloody. Click on him."

Lilah read from the screen. "William the Bloody. Otherwise known as Spike. The Slayer of Slayers. By some accounts, the youngest Childe of Angelus and by others the only Childe of Drusilla the Seer."

Lindsey smiled. Lilah looked up at him and said with some uncertainty. "I don't know, Lindsey. If this Spike was sired by Drusilla, he may be just as nuts as she is."

Lindsey began to pace across the grand office. "There has to be an Achilles heel with Angel. It obviously wasn't Darla, Drusilla, or Penn. We were close with Darla, but not quite there. He is clearly affected by his family, though. He still had a Soul when he allowed Drusilla and Darla free reign in the wine cellar. It's possible to tap into his dark side." Lindsey said as he shook his head. "Although, Darla was not able to be controlled once she was a vampire again. In the accounts I've read on Angelus, even if he was 'back in the game', so to speak, this might be a disaster for us. Perhaps pursuing the Spike avenue might be an alternative. We may not be able to bring Angel to our side but maybe we can make him hurt or get rid of him." He said the last sentence very slowly.

"You really have a yen to hurt Angel personally, don't you? Is it because of Darla or your dearly departed hand? Or perhaps," she said slowly, " you have more than just a passing interest in Angel?" Lilah looked at him with half closed lids and slyly grinned. "Look, this is business Lindsey. Our objective is to remove a champion who is a potential player in the Apocolypse."

Lindsey ignored her Wolfram and Hart rhetoric and spoke. "We need to find out more about Spike and how best to use him to our advantage." His eyes burned with conviction.

"I agree." Lilah nodded. She pressed a button on her phone. A voice came over the machine.

"Yes, Miss Morgan?"

"Melinda, I need you to set up a meeting with one of our Private Investigators. Contact Mr. X, of Special Projects. I want to see him tomorrow morning at 9 am."

"Is there anything else I should tell him, Miss Morgan?"

"Tell him not to be late." Lilah released the button and the two lawyers smiled at each other. "I think things maybe looking up."