THE HUNTERS - PART TWO
BY DANIELLE FRANCES DUCREST

Stacey greeted him at the door. When she saw him, she smiled. "Doyle, hi! Come on in!"

Doyle smiled and stepped into the house. He'd been in Seacouver for only a few hours, long enough to get a hotel room and a heater to replace the hotel's malfunctioning one. After getting another assignment in September, this one being Gary Sparrow, an Immortal Priest who lived in L. A., Doyle had left Seacouver and headed back to California. But now, as he stood outside on the Actis' front porch, he wished that California weather was the same in Washington.

Doyle smiled and walked inside, bringing along snow ___ that melted on the wooden floor.

He took off his coat and placed it on the coat rack. He took two small boxes from one of the coat's pockets and turned to Stacey. "How are you, Mrs. Actis?"

Stacey smiled. Doyle usually called her by her first name, but seeing as how he hadn't seen her since their wedding day, he couldn't help it. "I'm doing fine, Doyle. I even ordered take out from McGuinty's, seeing as how I'm such a terrible cook."

"Mmm, that sounds delicious," Doyle said, earning a playful slap from Stacey.

He followed her into the living room where Alex was waiting. "Hey, Doyle," he said, rising from his chair. "We weren't sure you were going to make it."

"I wouldn't miss this for the world." Doyle said, placing his two gifts near the tree.
"It gives me an excuse to put off making my report to Dawson."

"Don't be so sure about that," Alex said. "He's coming over for dinner."

"You don't say," Doyle said.

"Okay. I won't say."

Doyle rolled his eyes.

The doorbell rang again, and Stacey left to answer it. Not long afterwards, Joe Dawson appeared in the living room doorway.

"Hey, Joe." Alex greeted him.

"Hey, John," Joe said, smiling. He carried a large package, which Stacey took from him and placed under the tree near the other presents. Joe turned to Doyle. "You haven't sent me this months' repeat on Sparrow, Doyle."

Noticing his nervous look, John laughed. "Don't worry, Joe. He'll type it up the day after tomorrow."

Doyle nodded. "Yeah, I will."

"Okay," Joe said. "Make it a good report, and I'll consider it my Christmas present."

Doyle laughed.

"Okay," Stacey said. "What should we do first, eat or open presents?"

"I'm never good at waiting," Doyle said. "Let's do the presents first."

"What, don't you like the anticipation?" Alex asked.

Doyle smiled. "I don't really like surprises." He recalled the night they met.

Alex smiled, remembering the same night.

They heard the microwave's timer go off in the kitchen. "Dinner's ready," Stacey said, heading in that direction. "I guess you'll have to wait after all. You three get seated and you'll be full before you know it."

The three male Watchers walked to the dinning room, smiling and laughing the entire way.

While they ate, Doyle regarded his friends, especially Alex and Stacey. They seemed so happy together. Their assignments were married as well, so they could stay together most of the time, but Stacey didn't know that Alex was a shape-shifter. For a moment Doyle thought about Harry and their rough break-up.

I hope they'll be together for a long time, he thought. They certainly deserve it. I hope that, when Alex tells Stacey about his true nature, that she'd understand.

Alex walked down an empty street. He'd just gone to his assignments' house. Whenever the two Immortals, Heather and Michael Mitchell, weren't separated on trips, Alex and Stacey would take turns watching their Immortal assignments.

The two Immortals hadn't done much that day before retiring to their room in the middle of the afternoon. Having no wish to spy on them in their bedroom, Alex was heading back home.

He couldn't wait to see Stacey again. She made him feel something he hadn't felt in a very long time. The only person who could compete with Stacey was…Ryana, and Alex wasn't quite sure of that.

So blinded by love was he that he didn't notice the two glowing eyes in the alley he was walking by, and he didn't notice until too late the arm that snaked out, grabbing his.

It pulled him into the semi-dark alley. Alex was slammed against the wall and turned around so he faced his attacker. It was a vampire.

The vampire licked his chops and leaned in for a bite.

Alex reacted immediately. He shifted, changing into cat, and darted through the vampire's legs.

Startled, the vampire was still looking at the spot where Alex's head had been only moments before.

Alex re-shifted in to the form of John Actis behind the vampire and picked up a sharp piece of wood in a pile nearby. Then he tapped the vampire on the shoulder.

The vampire jumped and turned around. Alex pushed him back against the wall and drove the stake through his heart.

Shocked that he'd been beaten, the vampire just stared at Alex as he turned to dust.

Alex looked around, made sure there were no more vampires nearby, and continued down the street.

Once he was gone, a figure stepped out of the shadows, holding a video cam in his right hand. He wasn't a vampire, but he was human, and he stared after Alex's retreating figure in shock.

He took out a cell phone with his left hand and punched in the numbers. When he put the cell phone to his ear, his sleeve pulled down, revealing part of a circular blue tattoo on his inner wrist.

"It's me, Simon," the Hunter said into the phone. "You wouldn't believe what I just saw, but I've got it all on tape…"

When Angel woke up that evening, he heard voices on the story above him, one that he recognized as Doyle. When he heard the half-demon's laughter, he let out a sigh or relief.

Quickly, he drank a packet of blood then went up the elevator to see who Doyle was talking to.

He found the half-demon sitting on the couch, talking to a young Asian-American man sitting next to him. Both looked up when he entered.

"Hello," Angel said. He looked at Doyle, waiting for an explanation.

"Hey, Angel," Doyle said, standing up. "This is Alex McPhierce. He's the friend I called earlier."

The young-looking man shook his hand. Whatever they'd been talking about, it had made Alex very sad and angry.

"Doyle tells me you were Watcher friends."

Alex looked at Doyle, who shrugged. "He and Cordy know about Immortals and the like," he said. "It wasn't such a big shock after finding about vampires or becoming one."

Alex turned back to Angel. "I hear you help people with supernatural problems here in L. A.," he said. "You've earned quite a name for yourself, actually. I heard about your exploits back in Sunnydale from my various contacts."

"You're from Sunnydale?" Angel asked, ignoring the praise.

Alex nodded. "I have good contacts," he said. "Including Buffy and her friends."

"Buffy?" Angel asked. The word caught in his throat, bringing along a long line of painful memories. He forced them aside. "What do you know about Buffy?"

"We're good friends," Alex answered. "I met them on the UC-Sunnydale campus. They've helped me through some rough times, and Oz and I have gotten to know each other quite well. If you don't believe me, call them. Trust me, it's what I would have done in your place."

"I may take you up on that," Angel said. "From what Doyle told me, you don't look like what I'd imagined."

Alex smiled. "Thanks. I try my best."

At Angel's perplexed look, Doyle laughed. "You might as well tell him, John. I don’t want him to get hurt if you start fighting."

Alex glared at Doyle, but otherwise did what he said. To Angel, he said, "I'm a shape-shifter."

"You're a what?"

Alex shape-shifted into John Actis' form, startling Angel and even Doyle, who hadn't seen Alex shape-shift so drastically that often.

"I'm a shape-shifter," Alex repeated. "An alien. I'm twice year age, too, so you'd better respect me."

Doyle laughed. "Ignore him, Angel."

"Just what are you planning to do about it, Rudolph?"

Angel looked at Doyle, amused. "Rudolph?"

Doyle glared at Alex and then Angel. Alex laughed at the familiar sight.

All of a sudden, Alex became somber again. "Has Doyle told you about his vision?"

Angel nodded. "He said that James Horton's followers were coming here, but he didn't explain why, or why he called you."

"It's pretty simple, really," Alex replied. "They heard rumors about you being Immortal, and have come to see if they're true. As for why I'm here…"

"…I want revenge."

In the Actis' almost barren living room, plastic was laid on the floor against the walls. The couch, too big to bother with moving out of the room, was in the center, covered in a sheet.

Doyle, Stacey, and Alex stood in old work clothes facing the walls, holding brushes and paint rollers in their hands. They were in the process of changing the color of the wall paint from light blue to white. They'd been doing it for a few hours, and their arms were aching from being kept in an upward position for so long.

After finishing painting the doorframe, Stacey dropped her brush. "Okay. I think it's time for a break. Then I have to get to the park where Heather Mitchell will be fighting Parker Kwong."

Alex made tsk-tsk noises with his tongue. "Trying to get out of work by doing other work, are you? Uh-uh, we can't allow that."

Stacey smiled. "And just what are you going to do? File a complaint with the Tribunal saying I should stay away from the Quickenings? Or will you shift into a brick wall so I can't escape?"

Alex slung his arm over her shoulder and pulled her close. "Maybe not. I've heard rumors that anyone near a Quickening experiences a sort-of…sexual boost."

Stacey giggled. She leaned in to his ear and whispered. "Wait until tonight." She pulled away. "But first, take a shower."

Doyle laughed. It was certainly good to see them together.

They'd revealed their true selves to Stacey in January. It had been a little hard for her to accept at first, but she dealt with it better than most people Doyle had met, including himself. He guessed that after experiencing the shock that Immortals are real, there just wasn’t much room for more shock.

Suddenly they heard a car engine as it pulled onto the driveway. Before they had a chance to go see who it was, the door was kicked in.

Several men with guns stormed in, all of them trained on Alex, Doyle, and Stacey. One of the raiders didn't carry a gun, but a sword, and he stood there in a proud stance and confident stance.

Alex, Stacey, and Doyle knew who they were. They were renegade Watchers that called themselves the Hunters. Unlike the Watcher Society, who observed and recorded but never interfered, these so-called Watchers interfered tremendously. They searched out Immortals, good or bad, and beheaded them. It didn't matter where; the Immortals weren't safe from them on or off holy ground.

After the death of their original leader, James Horton, the Watchers had hoped the group would break up if they didn't find all of the members. But apparently, the Hunters had a new leader.

They recognized him.Once a member of the Watcher Tribunal, he was the man that almost started a war between the Watchers and the Immortals. The reason why was because one Immortal, Jacob Galati, killed his son.

His name was Jack Shapiro, and it seemed that he was still out for blood.

Alex got between Stacey and rifles immediately. The bullets couldn't harm him.

"Hello," Shapiro said. His sword shined in the ceiling bulb light. He looked at Alex. "I don't know what you are," he said, "but you're not human. You penetrated the Watchers, and you must die before you do as much damage as Dawson had done in his relationship with MacLeod."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Shapiro," Alex said.

"Oh, I think you do," Shapiro said. One of his hunters held out a folder, and he took it. Handing his sword to the same hunter, he flipped through the folder and took out several colors photos. He put them in Alex's face. They showed him shape-shifting to win the match with the vampire he'd fought only a month ago. "This is you. Now, care to explain what this means before we blow Doyle's brains out?"

As if on cue, a hunter who was aiming at Doyle cocked his gun and smiled.

Alex shook his head. "You wouldn't shoot a human being," he said.

Shapiro glanced at Doyle, then at Stacey over Alex's shoulder. "I'm not sure if any of you are human," he said. "Cause Doyle over there is certainly as big a mystery as you are."

One of the hunters sprayed some pepper in front of Doyle. He couldn't hold back the sneeze that came if he'd wanted to.

Instantly, he changed, his demonic side appearing over his once human features.

"Shoot him," Shapiro said.

The hunter whose gun had been aimed at him all this time fired. Doyle dropped to the floor and rolled, stopping when he got near Shapiro. Then he locked Shapiro's legs in a scissor-hold, forcing the Watcher to fall on his back. Unfortunately, he was too close to the wall, and his head hit it forcefully with a loud crack and he lost unconsciousness.

Seeing their leader down, the rest of the Hunters let loose a storm of bullets. Alex stayed in front of Stacey, protecting her. However, Doyle wasn't quite as invulnerable as his alien friend. He dropped under the hail of bullets and lay still.

"Nooooooo!" Alex yelled before he remembered that Doyle was stronger as a demon. He would probably reawaken in a few minutes.

Stacey didn't know that, however. She ran out from behind Alex toward Doyle's fallen body, forgetting about the bullets still going their way. "Doyle!" she cried.

It didn't matter if Alex had pulled her back sooner than he did. There were too many bullets.

One hit Stacey in the skull. She fell back onto the ground and grew still.

"Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!" Alex cried, watching in terror as Stacey took in her dying breath.

His wife, his first lover in twenty years, was dead.

He turned on the hunters in a rage and was about to storm at them when he felt a blade entering his abdomen.

He glanced down to see that Shapiro was awake, keeping the blade in Alex's body with all the strength he had.

Forcefully, Alex pulled it back out and slammed it down into Horton's stomach.

The man's gasp of surprise and look of terror and pain as he died made Alex smiled darkly. "Goodnight, Shapiro," he said.

Seeing this, the Hunters finally turned tail and ran out the front door.

Alex listened as they ran to their van and drove off, but he didn't give pursuit. He was busy staring down at the body of the man he just killed.

Reality sank in. Alex lost control over his legs and fell down in a heap, still staring at Shapiro's dead body. He felt horrified and disgusted over how easily he'd just killed a human being.

Then he remembered Stacey. He turned and crawled over to her, still in shock. Stacey was dead, and he'd just killed a man because of it.

Unable to cry because he had no tear dots, Alex just stared at Stacey's body while he waited for Doyle to wake up.

As soon as Cordelia showed up for work and introductions and explanations had been made, Doyle told them all the details of his vision.

"They plan to attack my assignment, Gary Sparrow, in his church tonight," Doyle said. "They'll be there in three hours, so we have plenty of time. Then they'll come over here, probably to deal with me and test the rumors they heard on you," he told Angel. "We have to stop them before anyone of that happens."

"Who's Gary Sparrow?" Cordelia asked.

"He's the Immortal I'm assigned to watch," Doyle answered. "He's one of the few Immortals who have devoted their lives to the church instead of the bloody Game. He's one of the good guys, and I'm not planning on letting him die tonight."

"Neither am I," Angel said. "How well do you know the church building, Doyle?"

"I've had to follow him inside a few times, so I know the basic layout of the building," Doyle answered.

Angel nodded. "Okay. We'd better start heading over there, do a stakeout. I'm going to get some weapons."

He walked toward the elevator and was back a few minutes later with several crossbows and a sword. He handed two of the crossbows to Cordelia and Doyle.

He offered Alex one of the other weapons. Alex took the sword.

Cordelia looked at her crossbow. "We're fighting human beings, right?"

"Wrong," Alex said. His voice was as cold as ice. Everyone looked at him in surprise. "We're fighting monsters. They have no feelings for other human beings, or they wouldn't have killed my wife." Doyle put a hand on his shoulder but said nothing.

"Okay, then," Angel said, sighing. "Let's go."

They headed for the door and walked toward Angel's car.

When the hunters arrived at the church, their new leader, Paul Brown, ordered, "Surround the building. Make sure all of the exits are blocked.

His Hunters moved to all of the doors and windows.

Angel, Cordelia, Alex and Doyle waited until the one sent to the far side of the building could be seen from their hiding place. Then Angel moved forward, and before the ex-Watcher knew what hit him, he lay on the ground, unconscious.

Alex gazed down at the fallen figure and quickly shape-shifted, taking on the Hunter's appearance. Angel handed him the Hunter's gun and then Alex walked out of the shadows. Then Angel, Cordelia, and Wesley disappeared, going to other sides of the building.

Another hunter appeared from around the corner of the old building. "Thomas," he said. "What are doing? You're supposed to be watching the back door."

Alex immediately stepped next to the door and stood at attention.

Then, as the other Hunter turned back, Alex pointed his gun at his back and fired.

The Hunter fell down, dead.

A few minutes later, Brown checked his watch and nodded toward four of his men. They charged forward and kicked at the front door, making it swing violently inward.

At the other end of the isle, Gary Sparrow turned around and stood up. He'd been saying his evening prayers.

Two more watchers broke in the side doors. Now Sparrow had six guns trained at him. He did not move.

"Who are you?" he asked instead.

Brown stepped in between his men, holding a sword in his left hand. "The name's Paul Brown," he answered. He pointed the sword at the Immortal. "And this is the blade that will take your head."

Then he stepped back behind his gunmen and called, "Fire!"

Immediately, six bullets were fired at Sparrow's body, and the Immortal fell down, temporarily dead.

Two of his men stepped forward and began to tie the Immortal's wrists and feet.

Then they heard a door open, and looked up to see Thomas enter through the back door. "Thomas, get back out there," Brown ordered.

"I'm sorry," Thomas said. Then he shape-shifted, becoming John Actis. "You must have mistaken me for someone else."

All of the Hunters recognized him and let out a gasp.

Then Cordelia, Doyle, and Angel entered the church from the other three sides, all with crossbows trained at them.

"I'd lower you weapons if you knew what was good for you," Alex suggested.

The hunters did as he told them and stepped back from Gary Sparrow's lifeless body. But Brown remained where he was, defiantly.

"You," he said to Alex. Then he looked at Doyle and Angel. He saw no possible escape.

"That's right, me," Alex answered. "All of you can leave right now. But if you take up your hunting ways again, I will personally hunt every one of you down and kill you." He looked at Brown. "That includes you, Paul Brown. Unless you feel like meeting the end of this sword like your last leader, I suggest you leave and never come back."

The Hunters left, one by one. Brown was the last one to go. He glared at them all.

"You haven't seen the last of us," he threatened. Then he turned tail and left. None of them stopped him.

Cordelia let out a sigh of relief, happy that she hadn't needed to use her crossbow. She glanced down at Gary Sparrow. "What do we do with him?"

They all looked at the Immortal's soon-to-be-alive again form. "We untie him," Doyle said. "And then we leave before he wakes up."

"That's all?"

Alex shifted back into the form of Alex McPhierce. "It's all we can do," Alex said. Then he stepped forward and, working carefully, he sliced off the Immortal's bonds with his sword.

Once they were back in Angel Investigations, Alex let out a sigh of relief. It was over, for now. The Hunters wouldn’t mess with him again, and he wouldn't mess with them.

Goodbye, Stacey, he thought. I hope I see you again someday. You too, Samantha.

"He may be back," Angel said.

"We'll be ready for him," Doyle answered.

Alex handed Angel the sword. "I'd better head back to Sunnydale," he said. "And cancel my reservations at my hotel."

"You sure you're not going to stay a little while longer?" Doyle asked. "We can go out for dinner."

Alex smiled. "Okay. But then I've got to get going."

Before he and Doyle left, Alex and Angel shook hands. "It was nice meeting you, kid," Alex said.

Angel frowned. "I don't think I like being called that."

Alex smiled. "Too bad."

Doyle laughed and shook his head. "John, you never change."

Cordelia stepped up and smiled shyly at Alex. "It was nice to meet you."

Alex brought Cordelia's hand to his lips and kissed it. "It was nice meeting you."

Doyle, jealous, pushed Alex toward the door. "Goodnight, Angel, Cordy," he called.

"See you tomorrow, Doyle," Angel answered. "Bye, Alex McPhierce."

"Bye."

They talked for hours at McGuinty's, one of the many restaurants in Los Angeles. They told each other everything that had happened after they'd faked John Actis' death so Alex could leave the Watchers, from Alex starting school at UC-Sunnydale and meeting Samantha to Doyle getting the vision that led him to meeting and becoming friends with Angel and Cordelia.

"Harry and I are divorced now," Doyle said, a little sad.

Alex looked surprised. "You saw her."

"Yeah."

They talked about more things, but soon, it was very late, and the manager asked them to leave because the restaurant was closing for the night.

Alex and Doyle stood on the sidewalk outside. They would say goodbye then, and neither knew how long it would be until they saw each other again.

Alex patted Doyle's arm. "You're a lucky man," he said.

"Why?" Doyle asked.

"You have Cordelia," Alex said. "She's a lovely young woman, Doyle. Don't let an opportunity like a relationship with her pass you up."

Doyle was suddenly shy. "She doesn't know I'm half-demon," he said. "I'm afraid she'd freak out after all the things she'd said about the other demons she'd met."

"I'm sure she'll understand," Alex assured him. "There's only one way you'll know for sure."

"Yeah," Doyle agreed. "I hope you find someone else to love, Alex. It's worth the pain."

Alex smiled sadly. "I know," he answered simply.

Then he signaled a taxi. It pulled up, and as Alex climbed in, he said, "Bye, Doyle. I hope I see you soon."

"Same here, John," Doyle said. "Goodbye."

Then Alex closed the door. Doyle watched as the taxi drove down the street, disappearing around a corner.