Soul Survivors
Chapter Ten: Miss Irma Barns




“William?” Angel said in confusion.

“No, you git.”

The soft smile that had transformed Angel’s face had Spike wishing for a place to hide. Angelus never had any use for the softer side of him that was William, so he could not see why he’d be getting all nostalgic about it now. He was grateful when Angel remembered his papers and began picking them up.

“I wouldn’t have come if it wasn’t important.” Angel gazed sorrowfully at Buffy, who rolled her eyes at him. “Wesley’s new girlfriend is a top lawyer at Wolfram and Hart.” He held up a hand when Spike tried to interrupt. “It’s a long story and I don’t have time to go into it all now. Lilah thought Wes would find this contract of some interest, because she knows he’s an ex-watcher.” He looked up from arranging the pages. “Quentin Travers has put a contract out on Buffy and Giles.”

“Bloody hell!” Spike growled. He sat down with Buffy and looked at the contract. There it was in black and white; all laid out. A Cialux demon was commissioned for the job with the promise of some payment and perpetual protection against future slayers if he was successful.

“A Cialux demon?” Spike asked Angel. They were tricky buggers, but nowhere near the top of the food chain.

“Not just any Cialux demon. This one is a half-breed. Half Cialux and half human. He blends in pretty well with humans in the dark. He will be able to move around town without getting much attention.”

What does a Cialux demon look like?” Dawn asked.

“They’ve got light blue, wrinkled skin and overly large hands. The teeth are sharp and they can immobilize most enemies by either biting them with their poisoned covered fangs or blowing out a cloud of poison mist,” Spike told her.

“They are very strong and can break an opponents bones using just one of their hands.” Angel added, then leaned over Buffy and pointed to the page they were staring at. “Look there. Today’s date. The contract is effective starting today. That’s why I rushed over here as fast as I could.” Angel glanced around the room. “Where’s Giles? I have to warn him, too.”

The doorbell rang and they all stood up at once. Buffy shoved the folder at Spike. “Quick, hide this while I answer the door.”

A light knock came from the door before Buffy could get to it. “Hello. You must be Miss Barns,” Buffy said pleasantly. “Please come in.”

“Thank you. And you must be Buffy,” Miss Barns said in an equally pleasant tone.

Spike took in her form and sized her up in a split second. He was good at doing that and he’d used it to his advantage in years past to lure in his victims. Now, he determined to use those skills to keep Dawn with them. Miss Barns, wearing a sharp, gray business suit, stood a few inches taller than Buffy. Her slacks were loose, not giving away the slim figure underneath. She wore her long dirty blonde hair back in a large barrette, clipped tight at the nape of her neck. The thick lenses of her wire-rimmed glasses magnified her big brown eyes. He didn’t want to get over confident, but he was sure that this would be an easy take.

Miss Barns surveyed the room with a sharp eye. “I didn’t know you would have company.”

“This is Dawn,” Buffy said with a smile. “And this is Angel. He’s an old friend and was in town for the night. He just stopped by to say hello.”

Spike stepped forward. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Miss Barns,” he said in a cultured voice that he’d never forgotten how to use. “I’m Buffy’s fiancé, William, but you can call me Spike. All my friends do.”

A quick glance at Buffy to see if she approved gave him all the go ahead he needed, when he noticed how she played with the ring on her finger and smiled softly.

Miss Barns’ eyes lit up and she smiled shyly at him. “What an unusual nickname. However did you get it?”

“I’m not sure, really. I’ve been called that for as long as I can remember.” He motioned to the large couch up against the window. “Won’t you have a seat?”

Buffy waved at Dawn and encouraged her to sit down next to the social worker, while Miss Barns placed her briefcase onto the coffee table and snapped it open.

“I don’t have much to go by from previous records. It seems that the last social worker,” Miss Barns looked closely at something written in a red folder, “a Ms. Kroeger, was placed on leave the day she was supposed to write up a report about her visit with you.” She tapped another spot. “Here it looks like the case was supposed to be reassigned, but it never was.” She looked up at the quiet people in the room and addressed Buffy. “Do you have any idea what happened?”

Buffy’s eyes went wide for a minute and she swallowed before sitting down next to Spike on the loveseat across from Miss Barns. “I don’t know. The visit with Ms. Kroeger seemed to go well, but we hadn’t heard from Social Services again until you called.” She shrugged. “We just assumed that all was well.”

Angel was standing beside the couch on Buffy’s side when he reached out and gripped her shoulder. Spike and Buffy took his cue and looked out the window.

What looked to be a man in a blue LA Dodgers baseball cap and matching blue jogging suit, was peering into the window right behind Miss Barns. They all did their best to keep their faces blank, but Dawn got a glimpse of movement out of the corner of her eye and jumped.

“Is something wrong, Dawn?” Miss Barns asked in alarm.

Dawn laughed nervously while Buffy shook her head slightly in warning. “It was nothing. I thought I saw a spider.”

“Oh, that won’t do.” Miss Barns shook her head and wrote in her notebook. “There can be no bugs in the house.”

“Buffy, dear, why don’t I escort Angel to his car. I know he needs to be on his way. You and Dawn can keep Miss Barns company,” Spike said.

“No. I’ll go,” Buffy said as she stood up. She knew he didn’t want her out there with the Cialux or Angel, alone, but he couldn’t very well cause a scene with the social worker looking on.”

“Yes, I really should be going. It was nice to meet you.” Angel gave the social worker a polite wave and followed Buffy to the front door. The Cialux demon had disappeared from view, so Spike stood up.

“Why don’t we take Miss Barns on a tour of the house?”

“That would be nice. I do have to inspect it. This is my first field assignment and I mean to be thorough.” Something slammed against the house and Miss Barns jumped. “What was that?”

“Oh, nothing,” Dawn said her while steering her towards the kitchen and away from that side of the house. “Buffy probably just brought one of the trash cans up from the curb.”

That was good enough for the social worker, who then turned her attention to Spike. “So, how long have you and Miss Summers been engaged?”

~*~*~*~*~*~


The Cialux demon jumped up from where Angel had thrown him against the wall and lunged at the vampire again. Buffy jumped onto his back and gripped his throat, while Angel tried avoided the demon’s big hands.

“Fiancé?” Angel grumbled, wearing and unhappy, resigned pout.

“You got a problem with that?” Buffy threw back in between grunts, tightening her grip on the creature’s neck. He coughed out a thin blue mist and even though she was behind him, Buffy instinctively held her breath. She let it out again when she remembered that she didn‘t need to breath and his mist would be ineffective on her.

“Yes, I have a problem with it,” Angel said through gritted teeth while he kicked at the one of the large hands. “You can’t legally get married. Vampires don’t do that.”

The Cialux demon stumbled back and threw Buffy off him. He stood with his large blue hands out wide and growled at them. “Will you two shut up already! “

Angel hauled back his fist and hit him in the temple, the force of his blow causing the baseball cap to fly off. Stunned, the Cialux swayed where he stood. Buffy took a few steps back and then ran at him, leaping forward and kicking a foot up to make contact with the back of his head. The demon crumpled to the ground between them.

They stared at each other in silence for a minute before Buffy said, “Vampires can claim each other, though.”

This was not something Angel was expecting and his face registered his surprise. “A claim?”

Buffy looked down at the demon. “Let’s put this idiot into your trunk, until I can get rid of the social worker. Then we can find a sword and chop off his head.”

Angel put a hand up. “Just watch him for me. I have a sword in my trunk.”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When Buffy came back into the house, she was barefoot and cranky. She wasn’t even a slayer anymore and still her stuff was being ruined. Angel hadn’t given her much time to get out of the way before he hacked the Cialux Demon’s head off. Blue fluid went flying everywhere, landing on her cheap white tennis shoes and soaking through to the socks. Fortunately, her jeans were blue, and after a wipe down with a rag, the color had just blended in.

She’d said goodbye to Angel, who implored her to think carefully before deciding whether to go forward with the claiming. Buffy didn’t have to think about it, but she was willing agree to anything Angel asked, just to get him to leave.

Following the voices, she made her way to the kitchen and stopped short of going in. From where she stood, she could see Spike’s back and the look of admiration and rapt attention on Miss Barns’ face. She reminded herself that she needed to be nice to the woman before coming all the way into the room.

“So what do you do for a living, Spike?” Miss Barns asked.

Without hesitation, Spike came back with his answer, “I’m a freelance writer at the moment, but I have an independent income from some family money, so my living is secure.”

When Miss Barns put her hand to her heart, Buffy wanted to gag. “How fascinating. I’ve never met a blue blood before.”

Spike graced the woman with one of his deep chuckles. “I’m not much of a blue blood. My family made their money in the shipping business. Although, I did have a great aunt who married well. I think she was a duchess.”

Miss Barns smiled and wrote something down on her notepad. “Well, I think I’m done here. Before I go, I have one more question for Dawn.”

Dawn had been slouching down on the island, bored stiff, but she perked up. “Sure.”

Miss Barns smiled kindly at her. “Are you happy here?”

Dawn smiled back. “I’m very happy.”

Spike stood up when Miss Barns did.

“Well that settles it then,” the social worker said. “Buffy, may I have a word with you before I go?”

“Sure. I’ll walk you out.” Buffy nodded and smiled at Spike and Dawn when they looked at her expectantly, hoping they would get the message that all was well outside.

Miss Barns was quiet as she gathered her briefcase and purse, and quiet still as they walked to her car. Buffy stood on the curb with her toes curling around the edge of the concrete, and watched the social worker put the briefcase into the trunk of her car. She tried not to let her impatience show, but Spike and Dawn were probably dying to know what happened with the blue demon.

“In the notes that Ms. Kroeger left, she said that there were some funny things going on at your house.” Miss Barns stared at Buffy with a stern expression. “Do you have any idea what she was talking about?”

Buffy hesitated, trying to think fast. She was quick on her feet when it came to fighting moves and plans of action, but coming up with words? Not so much. “I…I’m not really sure.” She scratched behind an ear. “I can’t think of anything.”

Miss Barns relaxed and smiled. “Good. Dawn seems to like your fiancé and she seems really happy here with you.” She pulled a business card out of her pocket. “Here’s my contact information. Call me if you need any help and don’t forget to send her report card to that address.” She moved to opened her car door. “There will be one more visit by another worker in about six months, and if all goes well, Dawn’s case will be considered closed, unless she contacts us.”

“Thank you,” Buffy said as she looked at the card and suppressed a giggle. Her name was Irma.

Miss Barns held her hand out to shake. Buffy quickly rubbed her hand on her jeans; hoping to warm it up.

“It was nice to meet you--oh, my, your hand is so cold.” Miss Barns slowly released it and Buffy shoved it in a pocket.

“Poor circulation.” Buffy shrugged and rubbed her hands together.

“It might help if you wore shoes. “ Miss Barns opened her door wider, but changed her mind in mid swing and held it closed. She glanced around, then leaned forward to whisper, “Does Spike have a brother?”

Buffy smiled and shook her head.

“Damn.”

Miss Barns got in her car and Buffy stood on the curb until she drove off and turned the corner. She raced back to the house to find Spike on the phone. After a few seconds of eaves dropping, she knew that Giles was on the other line, but it was hard to hear the conversation, because Dawn kept asking alternating questions about the demon and the social worker.

~*~*~*~*~*~*

She followed Spike down to their room after he hung up with Giles, and filled him in on the fight against the Cialux while he changed out of his “geek” clothes. Buffy smiled as she hung up the sweater in the deep closet that Xander had built for her.

“You made quite the impression on Miss Barns.”

Spike shrugged. “I have that effect on a lot of women.”

His hair was transforming right before her eyes as he ran gel covered hands through it and she had to admit that he was right. Curls or no curls, Spike was hot.

“There,” Spike said. He wiped his hands on a towel and faced her. “Am I me again?”

Smiling, she walked up to him and put her arms inside his coat and around his waist. “William is back in the closest.”

He raised an eyebrow and said dryly, “And there he shall stay until we have another emergency.”

“I don’t know. William was kind of cute.” She shrugged and grinned up at him. “Irma seemed to like him.”

“Irma?”

“Miss Barns.”

A knock on the door cut their conversation off. Dawn rushed in, not waiting for an invite. “Giles just pulled up.”

Giles entered the house and slammed the door. “Buffy! Spike! Where are you?”

“You don’t have to yell,” Spike said as they met him in the kitchen.

“I want to see that contract.”

Dawn rushed out of the room saying, “I’ll get it.”

Giles tossed a pile of books on the island counter and gave the two vampires a grim look. “I had an idea mulling about in my head and after this latest development, I think it’s the only solution.”

Dawn rushed up and handed him the manila folder.

“What did you have in mind?” Spike asked.

Giles tore his gaze from the papers before him and said gravely, “We’re going to London.”