"Recovering and a Night at the Ritz" - A Watcher Chronicles Story ©0201.23 Chaoticworks.com

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Finally the docs let Alicia in to see Dani - she had claimed she was his sister - and when she entered she smiled at him. Too bad she wasn't allowed to see him alone. "Heya bro, you really could have warned me that you wanted to do that... Though I probably wouldn't have believed it," she admitted when she sat down beside him. "So, what is it, have you been told what this accident did to ya?"

Slowly, Dani opened his eyes and looked over at his "sister" he may be on large amounts of meds, but he understood the ruse right away. "I am doing SWELL, Sis," he grinned. The grin was an easy clue to anyone that knew Dani that he was stoned. He hated hospitals with a passion, but the drugs were SOOOOO good!

"I had a dislocated shoulder and have a fractured clavicle," he said in a slow, drowsy voice. "They gave me some killer pain killers to kill the pain while they popped it back into place and then set it," he said with a glance at the sling his left arm was in now. Dani then looked at Alicia with a weary smile. "Thanks," he said quietly, then looking away quickly he cleared his throat and reached for a cup of room temperature water and drank it down. When he finished it, he set the cup back down and looked over at her again.

"I am guessing you are taking care of my "tools"?" he said with the smallest amount of a smirk. "We can't let those fall into the wrong hands..." he said as he shifted slightly on the bed he was sitting on, trying to work out a muscle kink left over from the fight.

Alicia motioned over to a familiar bag standing to her feet. "'Course I do, after all I know what they mean to you." She shrugged and grinned about the slight zoned-out look on Dani's face. If she was honest to herself she felt somehow guilty for what had happened, after all she had been the reason why Dani hadn't fully concentrated on his work... OK, she also helped him a little, but with one of _his_ stakes. After all she knew one thing for sure: he wasn't just a usual private investigator since the Vampires sure weren't included into a normal case...

She would love to ask him holes in his stomach now, but not here and now though his drugged state could give her a slight advantage. She pulled a face and leaned a little back into the chair she was sitting in. "No need to thank me Silly, after all it somehow was my fault that you ended here... And maybe you would regret to owe me something," she added with a wink at him. "I hope they don't keep you too long in here because of that, you sure have some work to do..."

Dani gave the girl a weak smile back. She was cute enough to interest him, but.... it had been too long since he had done anything along those lines. Looking away, he sighed, "Well, nobody likes having me around for very long, so I am sure I will be getting the boot soon. I think all they are waiting for is my credit card to accept the charges," he said with a sly smile out the window of the room at the ER beyond.

Just then his cel phone rang in his bag. He looked at Alicia, and before he had a chance to ask, she had fished it out and handed it to him with a smile. "Thanks," Dani mouthed as he answered the call.

"Christ." he said in a gravely tone, full of attitude. He listened for a moment to the caller, "Yeah, hello to you to Father.... Yeah. I arrived thanks for asking.... Yeah! Funny thing about thee vampires here Father...." he said voice picking up in emotion slightly, "They fuckin' are awake in the daylight!!!" he yelled into the phone. "I nearly lost my ass to a family of them laying in wait for me as I opened the god dammed crypt!" he continued, then listened for a long moment. Dani glanced over at Alicia for her reaction, he had for just a second forgotten a lady was in the room....

When Dani took the phone from her Alicia lay back sideways in her chair with her back against the wall behind her and crossed her arms behind her head. With closed eyes she listened to the monologue Dani held for some seconds and she smiled amusedly, arching one black colored eyebrow at him with opened eyes again in not completely acted surprise. Didn't Dani know about the energy in this place, that it had been a place for all kinds of beings for decades? Hmmm, but he called the other person on the phone 'Father', so did that mean he was working for the church?

Damn it, she just had begun to like him... How did someone get such a job anyway? She wondered if the church allowed other people to know of Vampires, Demons and the whole rest of it. He definitely knew that she did, and he for sure had recognized the sudden change in the now really dead female Vampire before. After he had finished his call Alicia looked at him, serious for a change. "So, what did he tell you? Will you leave Sunnydale now to report or whatever you do after you are finished?"

Dani sighed, and hung the phone up, tucking it back into his pants pocket for now as he slipped down off of the bed. "Naw, I'm not going anywhere right away. Father Patrick told me there is a WHOLE LOT of evil activity going on in Sunnydale, and I am going to be here for a while getting rid of it..." he said in a bored tone of voice.

"I suppose my first order of business should be to find a place to live when I get released from here... I have a tent, but I don't like to do that unless necessary," he paused and grinned wickedly, "I MUST have my long hot shower in the mornings or I am a real prick..." he said, then looked at the door of the exam room as an intern entered carrying Dani's chart.

"Well, Mr.... Christ..." he said, pausing at the last name, "It seems you are good to go. The fracture in your shoulder should heal in a few weeks, and we need you to check in with the clinic in a week to have it looked at." he said, then looked up at Dani after making notes in the chart. "Is there anything else you need to know?" he asked. 

"Do I get pain killers for it Doc?" Dani said in a weak, pained voice as he placed a hand on the wounded shoulder. "I can tell his is REALLY going to be a bitch when the lidocaine wears off..." he said looking as pitiful as possible. The doctor nodded as he thought, then took out a pad of paper and wrote out a prescription which he handed to Dani. 

"These should get your through the first few days, call back if you need more," he said as he handed the slip to Dani. Dani turned it around an read it over as the doctor made his way out of the room, "Take care Mr. Christ. Have a good day," he then looked at Alicia and added, "You too Miss...", then he was gone. 

Dani grinned at the piece of paper, then after tucking it into his inner jacket pocket, grabbed up the duffle back with the good arm and hand and looked at Alicia. "Well, thanks for everything... I gotta to get this filled and find a crash pad before dark. All sorts of Hell is going to break loose once that happens I am sure..." he said opening the door to the room and holding it open for her. 

Alicia nodded at the doc when he left then walked out of the room together with Dani. "Thanks..." She slightly tilted her head to one side while she looked him over. "Hmmm, I know some hotels around and I could show you a good one if you want." She supposed that he wanted some comfort, the church sure wasn't stingy with its money for a job like that.

After his approving she smiled. "I think I know a good place for that, and it also isn't too far away from important locations like the hospital, inner city, cemetery..." She grinned and led him through the relatively peaceful town at this time, though she looked sometimes at the sling around his arm and wondering how he could walk, he hadn't had so much time to recover. 

Some minutes later they arrived at a hotel which was the best around, though there was another one which *claimed* to have more comfort. "The best I know of," Alicia told Dani and smiled. "Well, I suppose we'll soon each other often enough if cemeteries and similar places are your preferred location to hang around... I myself will go back to my work

now, my tools are still lying around there..."

Dani looked over the front of the Hotel as the tow truck let them out, and went to park his bike in a slot out in front. "Not bad..." he said gripping his bag, and walking toward the lobby with Alicia following him inside. Dani smiled. // How sweet, she wants to make sure I make it home alright. // He thought to himself, then turned to her,

"I would hope that we run into each other again, I could use someone like you to show me around this 'burg." he said giving her his most winning smile. It was then that his canine teeth showed a bit more than before, and they looked like they had been professionally altered. Longer, sharper to fine points and curved back a bit. "How can I get in touch with you, if... that is alright with you," he said softly as they reached the check-in desk.

Dani turned to the clerk before she had a chance to answer, and said to the man on duty, "I would like a luxury room please. A Jacuzzi is a must, as well as city views please. I will be checking in today and staying indefinitely. I will require phone access, and late maid service." he said as he pulled out his credit card, a platinum one, and slid it across the desk before looking back at Alicia.

"Can I buy you dinner tonight at least?"

Alicia was slightly surprised, not only by his 'fangs' but also by his long list of demands at the hotel desk. On the one hand he worked for the church, on the other hand there was his... whole appearance, and it just didn't fit together for her. Her eyes also flickered over to the platinum card, it seemed that the church _really_ wasn't stingy with its money for him. Hmmm, good she had checked her make up already in the hospital...

She ignored the odd looks she got from one of the hotel boys around and smiled up to him. "Well, if you insist on it, you don't seem to be in a lack of money anyway - and I always wondered if they would also have good food here, never tasted it," she admitted with a shrug, again glancing at his teeth. Jeez, she *really* liked them, and he wasn't bad either. "So might be that you have to order it for me... Beside this, ready when you are, Sweetie." Hey, he called her cupcake back in that crypt, this wasn't worse, right?

Dani looked over at Alicia, and a smile crossed his face. It was a genuine, pleased one. He gave her a wink of one of those ice blue eyes, then looked back to the clerk to get the room key. After gathering a second duffle bag from the side of the Harley, he followed Alicia into the elevator of the hotel, and took it up to the top floor. He didn't say anything during the walk to the room, it was only after the long walk to the end of the hall, and once inside the room did he speak again.

"Not bad..." he said sitting the pair of bags down on the end of the large bed in the center of the bedroom section of the room. There was a sitting room area, and the bathroom was massive, complete with a glass shower enclosure and a sunken Jacuzzi tub. "I've seen better, and I've seen worse." he said as he shrugged out of of the leather trench coat he wore, and dropped it over the back of a chair set at a small dining table. He used his good hand to dig into the pocket for the prescription he had gotten at the pharmacy, and after tossing two of the pills into his mouth, he washed them down with a cup of water and looked over at Alicia as she looked around the room.

"I'm gonna take a shower, can't stand the stink of leech on me. You wanna watch some TV while I clean up?" he asked as he opened the second of the black duffel bags, and pulled out a pair of black denim jeans, and another white shirt, and walked towards the bathroom. "If you are hungry, or thirsty or something, just order room service." he said giving her a soft smile as he turned to go into the bathroom.

Well, worse was true, but he also had seen better? Alicia looked around in the hotel room, she never had been inside of one like this, it was just... wow. 'Snob,' she thought with a grin and proceeded further into the rooms. "Don't worry, I sure won't hesitate to waste your money if I needed it," she commented with a grin, her eyes stopped roaming the room and looked over to him as he walked into the bathroom to take a shower.

Plumping down on the couch she let her feet relax a little. She didn't really wear good shoes for walking, not to mention fighting. Again her gaze moved over to the bathroom door when she heard how the water went on...

Dani closed the bathroom door behind him , and for a moment considered taking a bath and soaking in the Jacuzzi until, well, judgment day or he drowned, which ever came first. But, there were two problems with that. One, taking a bath in the middle of the day was just plain ... weird, and he had Alicia waiting for him outside. So, opting for the shower, he began to get undressed. Finding it hard with the sling on, he stripped that off first and tossed it onto the counter, then rolling his head around on his shoulders, he sighed as he felt the Vicodins starting to kick in, "Ah... that's the stuff..." he sighed as he turned on the water in the glass shower and got undressed. He stood there leaning back against the counter, thinking of nothing in particular until the steam filled the room, and again he remembered he was being waited on.

Dani stepped under the torrent of hot water, bowing his head and letting the flow run over him in a mock drowning. He wasn't sure how long he had stood there until his legs began to tingle. Backing out of the water, he shook his long hair out of his eyes, and grabbed the shampoo to begin washing it. 

Oops, bad Alicia, bad bad Alicia, get these pictures of Dani out of your head, she scolded with herself and forced them away... Not that they stayed there, but at least she had tried it. With a soft sigh she turned on the TV just in time to catch the news... To her that mostly was the best comedy show on earth, but can you tell me how to concentrate if a sexy guy showers just one room away?!

Once the hair was done, Dani grabbed the soap and began running it over his pale, but defined body. There were several scars on his chest and torso from his battles with Evil, and some from other battles. The large one over his heart, despite being three years old now was still bright. It was roundish in shape, and looked as if it had been made by a lance or sword. As he rubbed the soap over it, he winced. The pain was mental, not physical as touching it recalled the memories behind it's origin.

Too bad he had taken fresh clothes with him... She cursed below her breath and turned the TV off again, there hadn't been something good anyway. Restless she stood up, told her feet that the bathroom wasn't a smart place to be right now and sat down again. Better not risk something.

Once again, Dani dunked himself under the hot water, standing there until he realized he was zoning out again, and then after a final rinse, he turned off the water and exited the shower. He grabbed hold of one of the terry robes provided by the hotel and a towel for his hair. He sat down on the bench in the bathroom, and rubbed at his head slowly as he thought about the day, and what was to come later that night no doubt. Fifteen minutes later, he emerged from the bathroom, dressed, and his damp hair combed back over his shoulders.

He looked over at Alicia, sitting on the couch, looking bored. He offered her a weak, apologetic smile, "Sorry I took so long, I am worse than a woman, I know..." he muttered at he went to his travel bag, and pulled out a blow dryer and went over to the dresser.

When Dani came back she still was sitting on the comfortable couch, legs crossed and the top feet seesawing in the air a little. "And, do you feel better now?" 

Dani shrugged, and without looking back over his shoulder at her, he replied, "Feeling better is relative. The drugs make up for what I can't do myself..." he said, then turned on the blow dryer, and began combing his hair out. 

"Hey, at least you enjoy what you're doing," Alicia commented with a smirk and looked at his long hair as he combed his hair and blew it dry. Since she supposed he wouldn't be able to hear her while he was doing that she waited until he was finished and just combing his hair again. "And I don't mind to wait at all, this way I could go through some things in my mind..." She shrugged and leaned a little more back in the couch. As long as the drugs helped him... "Besides, I meant the smell that was the reason why you wanted to shower, silly... Alright, so are we going to just eat here using some of your money or do we go out and use there your money," she asked with a grin.

Dani slowly turned around to face Alicia after setting the dryer down on the dresser and tossing the brush to join it. "I would rather go out to eat..." he said wandering back into the bathroom and returning with the sling for his arm. He looked over at Alicia, "Funny thing. It doesn't hurt so bad now..." 

Alicia gave him a serious expression, and with a roll of his eyes and a sigh, Dani put the sling back on, it only to appease her. "I don't care much for eating in hotel rooms." he said as he pulled his hair out from under the sling. "I did too much of that in my _other_ life..." he muttered, mostly to himself before turning to her.

"What do you feel like eating?" he asked as he glanced out the large window at the sky and horizon beyond. "I don't know my way around this town yet as you know, so I will rely on you to find us a decent place to eat." Then turning to her as he put on his jacket and grabbed his "Tool Bag" he smiled. "After all, you did alright with the Hotel...."

Hmmm, his other life huh? Later, Alicia, later she could ask him... If he would respond though wasn't the only question she couldn't think of an answer for. "Thanks, someone hears quite a few things around here, it isn't like I already had a room here," she said with a smile and walked out of his room again. "I think I already have one in my mind if you prefer quality *and* quantity..." While they were walking out of the hotel her eyes quickly checked if he had pulled on the sling in the right way.

Soon they arrived at a little restaurant and Alicia laughed as she saw Dani's expression on his face. "Hey, you said you would rely on me, now trust my taste, will you?" She pulled him into a surprisingly cozy looking room with people from all classes sitting around. "Hey Max," she greeted a handsome looking man who had some features of a gnome, and Alicia knew that original he also had been one. "My favorite table for me and my friend here, would you be so nice?" The Man looked up from his work and smiled at the two. "'Course, Alicia, you know where it is." Alicia gave him a warm smile back and guided Dani further into the restaurant to a clean table in a corner from where someone could see everything and everyone else in the restaurant.

With an elegant movement Alicia let her black jacket slide down from her shoulders and put it on her chair. "You first," she said with a motion of her head towards the menu lying on the table - the odd thing was though that there were no prizes listed beside the things someone could order. She sat down and leaned a little back in her chair, her eyes roaming the room to see if someone was here she knew and maybe should greet.

Dani looked around the restaurant as they entered, and refused the Matre D's attempt to check his bag. Dani gave him a determined stare, and he backed off. He lifted an eyebrow as Alicia pulled her connections and got them a prime table at the back of the restaurant. It afforded privacy, a dynamite view, and most importantly a strategic place to watch all that went on around them. This was good, very good.

After she instructed him to look at the menu, he did so. "No prices, eh? You know what that means?" he smirked. "If you have to ask 'How Much?' you can't afford to eat here..." he grinned as he looked over the choices. The place offered the best in pricey, tasty fare, and it reminded him of the places he used to eat in while in FAUST. AJ would never deem to eat at a place that rated less than 5 stars and had a seating policy to keep the rabble of common humanity out.

Pushing that unpleasant thought from his mind, Dani narrowed his choices down, and looked over at Alicia. "Shall I order for the both of us, or are you a liberated woman that would be insulted by that?"

Alicia chuckled. "Jeez, no, do as you wish to, I like everything in here and surprises as well if they are nice ones... Oh and by the way, Max just creates different prices for every one, depends on how much money he or she has... Good if you don't have much, but in your case..." She left the sentence unfinished and just grinned. He would have to leave some of his money here, but since he could afford it she supposed he wouldn't be too pissed about that.

"But Max is really cool, if you need something special ask him, he even should have some nice tools for your beloved bag... You really carry it with you wherever you go, huh?" She waited for him to order their meals and then supported herself on the wooden table with curiosity in her eyes. "So, how long have you worked as a 'private investigator' for the church people - and what have you done before that?"

Dani looked up at the waiter as he arrived, and ordered the following for the both of them, "Two Fillet Mignon, medium rare with the sautéed mushrooms, avocado salad, rice pilaf, and a bottle of the 97 Merlot." he said with effortless skill, and handed the menus back to the man without so much as a glance up. "We would like to see the desert menu after our meal as well, please bring some lemon water as soon as possible, we are quite thirsty."

Alicia lifted an eyebrow, impressed to say the least. Dani seemed to be used to eating well, and not afraid to insist on it. When they were left alone again, he looked at her directly and began to address her questions. "Well... I guess I could start at the beginning and tell you what I WANT you to know...." he said with a sly smile that flashed his fangs at her.

"I USED to be in a band, a Black Metal Band called Sepulchre. We were big, in the UK, which I am sure you can tell from the accent that is where I am from. Anyway..." he says, pausing realizing how much he DOESN'T want to go into all of this... Perhaps a shorter version will do.... "I had a disagreement with my singer, and we had a fight, he tried to kill me.... and now I'm here..." he said folding his hands together and looking over at Alicia. He was sure she would want to know more... They always do.

Indeed, Alicias curiosity wasn't near to be satisfied. She had heard of this band he told her of but it wasn't really a name for her. "How did you get then to this job, a private investigator as you call it? Your singer wasn't a Vamp, was he?" She paused a second to look into his pale blue eyes. "And then the church of all possible people you could work for," she pulled a slight face and shook her head. "There sure are better people with the same amount of money."

Dani gave Alicia a wry smile, and shook his head. "No, my singer is NOT a vampire. He's some OTHER sort of Hellspawn..." he said with a tone full of venom. Hatred showed in his eyes, and could be heard in his voice. He paused as the waiter came back with the lemon water, and something that looked like crab puff hors d'oevres.

"Compliments of the Management," he said with a smile as the wine steward arrived with the wine. Dani nodded and with a sigh, leaned back agains the seat in the booth, and waited until the help left. Once he had sampled and approved the wine, he look a long sip, then let it be refilled before excusing the waiter. As he went to sip at it again, he caught a glimpse of Alicia's waiting expression. With a quiet sigh he set the glass down, and continued.

"After he tried to kill me. He thought he HAD, I was left for dead. I was found by these monks who helped me back to health, and they gave me... a mission... " he said with a far away look as he sipped the wine again, and sighed before continuing, "along with an open expense account to hunt evil," he added with a pleased smirk as he lifted the glass to his lips.