Scott ran the four blocks to the Bronze, slipping in the converted warehouse by the back entrance. It was still early, only an hour or two past sundown, so the nightclub was nearly deserted. An unearthly cry sent a shiver of delight through him and he paused near the cage hanging in the center of the main room.

A disheveled, bruised young woman, dressed in the filthy remnants of what had once been a sky-blue satin dress, shrank back from his avid glare. She sobbed, but was so dehydrated, not one tear fell from her eyes. Instead, she rocked back and forth, her hands clutching the bars of the iron cage suspended five or so feet from the floor.

"Look at you, girly! You're like a big dog! Or a monkey! Yeah, a monkey, a pet, all caged up with nowhere to go!" he cackled as he reached in and pinched her on the leg, hard.

Cordelia Chase screamed hoarsely, her throat raw from the hours of screaming she had been doing for the last month. She kicked out at Scott, catching his fingers against the bars. He howled in pain and morphed into his demon's face. He growled at her and flashed his gleaming incisors. Cordelia screamed again.

"What in the hell is going on out here?"

Scott leaped away from the cage, submissively bowing his head as Xander stalked into the room. "I was. . . I was just looking at the animal."

The next moment, Scott found himself on the floor, holding a hand to his bloody nose. He stared dazedly up at his sire. "I'm sorry. I. . . I didn't mean any harm."

With a snarl, Xander reached down and hauled the smaller vampire to his feet. "How many times do I have to tell you idiots don't play with the meat!"

Scott trembled as Xander shook him, the older vampire's yellow eyes blazing with the knowledge that he was the stronger creature. "My apologies, sir. It won't happen again."

"I should hope not." With a careless motion, Xander threw Scott to the side. Scott caught himself against the pool table.

"Xander, I have news."

Xander turned back to look at him, his face once more human. He quirked one eyebrow, a black slash in a death-pale face. "And what would that be?"

"The Slayer. She's back in town."

"Oooohh. . . that makes me very unhappy. It's all. . . unhappiness."

Both vampires turned to look at the speaker, Scott with trepidation, Xander with lust.

Once known as a shy, studious girl, Willow Rosenberg had been best friends with Xander Harris almost since birth. They knew each other as well as they knew themselves and were rarely parted from each other. Now, though, theirs was an unholy alliance, bound by blood and passion.

"Hey, baby, come here." Xander held out his hand and Willow glided forward and melted into his arms. The male pulled her leather-clad body against his and he kissed her roughly, a deep rumble issuing from his chest.

Scott watched them, waiting patiently for the two vampires to notice him again.

Willow pulled back first, her hazel eyes sliding to gaze at Scott. Shaking back her shoulder-length hair, she moved over to him, slowly. A faint smile played around her glossy lips. "So, when did you see the big, bad Slayer?"

"In front of the theater on Main. She took out Fritz' gang."

Xander stepped in front of Willow, his hair-trigger temper flaring again. "Fritz' gang? All of them?"

Scott nodded. "Yeah. They were feeding on two humans and they didn't hear her approach."

Willow slid a single hand, perfectly manicured with long, crimson nails, over Xander's chest. "And you didn't warn them? Bad, bad Scotty."

Scott faltered, his eyes going from Xander's livid gaze to Willow's knowing one. "Uh. . . I was. . . too far, too far for them to hear me without being in danger myself."

Willow's giggle was soft, tinged with the faintest hint of insanity. "Oh, we wouldn't want that, now would we? How very boring of you, Scott."

"And, Scott you know how my little Willow hates to be bored," Xander said conversationally.

Scott was too smart to miss the layer of steel under Xander's deceptively gentle voice. "I thought it would be more important for me to get word to you about the Slayer."

With a rattlesnake-swift strike, Xander reached out and snagged Scott by the throat. Scott gagged on his own blood as Xander's fingers punctured the skin, digging deep into his useless windpipe. "I already KNEW about the fucking Slayer cunt! You're less than worthless, you little shit!"

Scott clawed at Xander's hand, in pain and desperation. He could feel the muscles shredding under the brutal grip and blood poured from his mouth. He knew with sudden clarity that Xander was going to rip his head off with his bare hands.

And, deep within, a small part of him, a tiny remnant of the boy that had been Scott Hope, was glad.

Unfortunately, a fire-tressed witch had other ideas.

Willow lay a gentling hand on Xander's arm, instantly stilling his torture. "Give him to me, lover. I wanna play."

"With this shit-nosed prick? You have to be kidding," Xander growled, his eyes never leaving Scott's face.

"I haven't had anyone to play with since the Slayer stole Puppy from me. I miss Puppy," she hissed, her cold, empty gaze staring at Scott with hunger.

Scott remembered the vampire the Master had kept chained up in the basement, ever since the night of the Harvest. Willow had called Angel her Puppy and got her kicks by torturing him with every evil trick she could devise. The last thing Scott wanted was to become her new toy.

But, Xander grinned, ready to give his Willow whatever her dead heart desired. He let Scott go and watched as the vampire crumpled to the ground, clutching his torn neck. Idly, Xander lifted his hand, licking the scarlet liquid that coated his fingers. With a hungry snarl, Willow leaned forward and ran her tongue over his palm, sharing the bounty with her lover. Scott winced and, behind him, he could hear the caged beauty moan in fear. Her days were numbered and all Scott could wonder was if her end would be quicker than the end promised to him at Willow's very capable, very sadistic hands.

Somehow, he doubted it.