A Highly Valued Employee

Chapter 5

On Tuesday evening, Wesley-Wyndham Price was in his Office, seated at his desk, looking at his computer's monitor. The monitor displayed the photo of potential slayer Valerie Malone, lying dead; fatally drained of blood, with a pair of deep puncture wounds in her neck. The dark haired Miss Malone was naked.

He tapped a key, and the picture changed to one framing the dead and naked Kelley Taylor, who also had a pair of vampire bite marks in her neck. He tapped the key again, and the picture again changed, displaying another dead, naked blonde. Her name was Donna Martin. He continued tapping the key, and saw that Lucy Camden did not have blonde hair, but Veronica Mars and Sabrina Spellman did. All three of them were also naked and dead; drained of blood like the others.

Then there was a single picture, framing both 38 year old Lorelai Gilmore, and her 16 year old daughter Rory, lying naked and dead together.

Now this one, he thought, is a work of art. It should be featured on the cover of the next issue of "Undead Living" Magazine.

Each picture came with a caption, giving the dead potential slayer's name, along with the Electronic Bank Transfer account, into which Wolfram and Hart would deposit the 10,000 reward to her killer.

The door opened, and Fred entered, holding a copy of the Vampire's Handbook. She looked very uneasy.

"So Fred." He smiled pleasantly. "I'm pleased to say that every potential slayer, on the list that Xander gave us, is now dead; and photos of all their naked corpses will be displayed in the 'Necrophilia' section, of next issue of "Undead Living". Then we'll feature them again as calendar girls."

"That's great Wes." She spoke without enthusiasm.

The she said, "Wes. We have to talk."

"Yes Fred?"

She came over to a plush, dark blue chair, about halfway between the desk and the door, and sat down, fidgeting.

She told him, "It involves the research we did in Sunnydale, over the weekend. We've got a real problem."

"I hope," he said, "it won't be too costly for Wolfram and Hart."

She spoke halting. "Not the Company. Us.

"You see, over the weekend, when we went to Sunnydale, well... You see..."

Fred hesitated. Then she displayed a pair of fangs, sticking downward, between her upper and lower lips.

Wesley spoke calmly. "Oh. You're a vampire now."

She nodded. "Um-hm."

Then she added, "The lozenges performed as expected."

"Obviously."

"I'm now just like everyone else in my department. Now I can be completely relaxed with everyone in my department. Which means we'll have a comfortable work environment."

"That's always a very big plus, though I'm not sure it was worth the cost."

She said, "Well you know I'm constantly working with all kinds of predatory, carnivorous beings. Considering the work I do, it's remarkable that I remained alive, as long as I did."

He still spoke in a very calm voice. "You would still be alive, if you hadn't spent the weekend in Sunnydale."

"I was there at your request, and you knew the risk."

Wesley spoke into his intercom.

"Harmony. Will you come in here for a minute please."

Fred asked, "Do you think my new fangs, make me look cute?"

"They make me wonder what I should do with you, on our wedding night."

Fred joked. "You don't know? Why Wes. That's so sad. You mean you didn't have any friends, to get you drunk, naked and laid by a cheerleader, at your sweet sixteen party?"

The door opened. Harmony entered the office, and shut the door. She came over to the desk.

Wesley said, "I understand that before your excursion to Sunnydale, you were instructed to act as Miss Berkle's bodyguard. However, she now has a very cute pair of fangs."

Harmony snapped. "Hey! You can't fire me for that Wes. You wanted me to be her bodyguard. She didn't. Getting vamped was her decision!"

Fred added, "Getting vamped is part of being a Wolfram and Hart employee Wes. It's made my job easier. Don't be a snob."

He said, "I have no intention of firing either of you.

"Harmony, I understand that you killed Dawn Summers, the sister of Buffy Summers?"

"Yes. She died beautiful and brave."

"Was Dawn Summers vamped?"

Fred was peeved. "Harmony's a vampire Wes, so of course she was vamped! I got vamped, she got vamped, everybody living got vamped! Except Anya, but she's too powerful to vamp."

Wesley asked, "The Vampire Slayer's sister is now a vampire?"

Harmony said, "I'm sure that comes as no surprise to anybody. Especially not her."

He said, "She had the Slayer's blood in her veins. That means she is much more likely, to become the next Slayer, than anybody on Anya's list."

He went on, "I received a telephone call from Anyanka, within the past half hour. She told me that Dawn Summers has disappeared from Sunnydale. She has no idea where the girl is."

Fred asked, "A Slayer, who is also a vampire, is missing?"

Harmony said, "Consider the possibilities Wes."

"Very well Harmony. That will be all."

Harmony went out the door, and shut it behind herself.

Fred was now alone with Wesley.

He said, "Now you're a vampire. You cannot have children; but you have a very cute pair of fangs; so there is a strong chance, that at the height of our passion, you might loose control and kill me."

She told him, "It's more than a chance Wes. The next time we make hot, naked love, you are definitely going to die in my arms; but then I will lie there, holding you in my arms, and inside my body, until you revive undead, with me still holding you. Then you'll think you've awakened in Heaven, in the arms of an angel, who's making passionate love to you; and the angel will be me."

He said, "Why Winifred, that is truly beautiful. However, my fiancee, Miss Winifred Berkle is dead.

"'Angel' indeed! You are a demon, with her body, her personality and her memories, but you are not she. You should not be wearing her engagement ring."

"What?"