Welcome to LA.

Oz drove us down the road through the night.

I smiled, laughing. "Oh, gig was fierce."

Oz smiled. "Glad you liked it."

"Liked it?" I repeated. "Loved it."

"Well, we are getting a little better, if I do say so myself," Oz told me.

I smiled, looking at Oz for a moment, letting the smile fade, leaning closer to kiss him. Oz returned the kiss while still driving.

After a few moments, we pulled to a stop in front of Angel's apartment building, getting out, walking inside to see a man standing across a desk from Cordelia.

"Hello, LA," I told them.

Cordelia was in shock. "Zoey? Oz?" She stood. "Oh, my God." She walked around the desk toward us. "Guys. It's so good to see you." She embraced Oz, pulling away. "Good old Oz." She looked at me. "Childhood frenemy Zoey. Do we hug?"

"Considering that the last time I saw you, we were under attack by a giant snake and that was four months ago, I guess I can make an exception," I told her.

We smiled, embracing.

"Then we go back to insulting each other without taking a breath, right?" Cordelia asked.

"You can count on it," I told her, pulling away.

Cordelia smiled, looking at the man, pointing to Oz and me. "Zoey and Oz."

The man looked at Oz and me. "Let me just take a stab at it. You'd be Zoey and Oz?"

"Good guess," Oz told him.

"This is so cool," Cordelia told us. "I mean, you guys here in LA, and you're the total embodiment of all things Sunnydale."

"Well, then let the insult game begin," I told her.

Cordelia smiled. "We have some serious catching up to do? How is everything? How's--how's the Bronze?"

"The same," Oz answered.

"And the gang?" Cordelia asked.

"They're good," Oz answered.

"Good?" Cordelia repeated. I nodded. "Good. Good."

There was a moment of silence.

"Are we done?" I asked.

"Completely," Cordelia answered.

"Good," I told her. "'Cause it seemed like you would have heatstroke if you pretended to care for a minute longer."

The man chuckled, looking at Oz. "They weren't joking, were they?"

"No, sir, they were not," Oz answered. "But, oddly enough, it's weirdly entertaining."

I smirked.

Cordelia walked toward the desk, sitting down. "Oh, this is Doyle. He, air quote, works here."

Oz shook Doyle's hand. "Hey." Doyle shook my hand. Oz put his hands in his pockets. "So, we heard the rumors, but you guys can fill us in on the real deal here. So, you guys are, like, detectives?"

"No," Cordelia answered. "I'm an actress."

"And quite a captivating one at that," Doyle told us.

"And between my many gigs, I sometimes choose to help Angel," Cordelia told us. "He's the detective."

"Translation: You can't find work and you're here almost all day every day?" I asked.

"I call that an exaggeration," Cordelia told me. "Like you're helping Salvation Army by being a returning customer each and every time you go shopping."

I feigned offense.

Doyle looked at Oz. "Are they always like this?"

"No, they're usually tantalizing each other," Oz told him. "Do you guys have hats and guns?"

"Angel has fangs," Doyle told us.

"Well, that works," I told them. "Where is he?"

  ~••••~  

Cordelia and Doyle led us down to Angel's apartment in the elevator.

Angel was looking at a book. "Hey, guys." He looked up, noticing us, surprised. "Zoey. Oz."

I walked off the elevator, smiling a small smile. "Hey."

"Nice surprise," Angel told us.

Oz walked off the elevator. "Thanks." 

Cordelia and Doyle followed.

"Staying long?" Angel asked.

"A few days," I answered.

"So, good to see you," Angel told us.

"I came primarily to watch Oz's band do a gig, but also to give you this," I told him, holding the ring toward Angel.

Doyle took a closer look. "Wait a minute. Is that what I think it is?"

Angel made no move to take it. "It's the Gem of Amara."

"One and the same," I answered, handing it to Angel. "Buffy wanted you to have it. She told me to tell you hi, by the way."

Angel looked from the gem to us.

"Oh, Buffy," Cordelia told us. "How is good old Buffy anyway?"

"She is--" Oz started.

"What?" Cordelia asked. "Still the brave little Slayer or is she moping around the dark like--" Angel gave her a look. "Like nobody around here." Cordelia held up a hand, shaking her hand. "Mm-mm."

Angel turned, walking away, looking at the ring.

"She is good," Oz answered. "She is Buffy."

Doyle held up a hand. "And I'm sure we'll be interested in that later, but right now, can we concentrate on the mother-load Angel just hit?" Angel leaned against the table, turning the ring in his hand. "What are you waiting for, man? Put it on."

"Okay, you're getting weird about this ring," Cordelia told us. "Since when did you go all versace about accessorizing?"

"Since the accessory is priceless and renders it's wearer 100% unkillable if he's a vampire," Doyle answered.

"Unkillable?" Cordelia repeated. "Whew. You mean not even stakes?"

"Not nothing," I answered. "Not stakes, not fire, and the best thing is not even sunlight."

Doyle looked at Angel. "I mean, just think of it, man. Poolside tanning, bargain matinees. Plus, I know a couple of strip clubs that have a fabulous luncheon buffet. I mean, it's... I've heard..."

Angel looked at Oz and me. "And it's from Buffy?"

"Yeah," I answered. "Your buddy Spike dug up Sunnydale looking for it. He got a fist full of Buffy, we tore it off and watched him start to burn in the sun before he took off into the tunnels. She wanted to be sure it was in good hands."

"And she didn't even send a note?" Cordelia asked. "Wow. That's really..." Angel looked at her. "This is one of those times when I should just shy away from the topic, isn't it?"

"At least you finally learned the right time to do that," I told her. "Well, late better than never, I always say."

Cordelia tilted her head at me.

Doyle walked over to Angel. "Come on. I have something that will boost your spirits." He picked up a stake from the table. "Why don't you put it on, and I'll stake you. It'll be fun."

Angel was still playing with the ring in his hand, looking off to the side. "Maybe later."

"What, are you out of your mind?" Doyle asked.

"I said, maybe later," Angel told him.

"Yeah..." Doyle trailed off.

"Doyle," Angel told him.

Doyle walked toward the elevator. "Okay, you have it your way, man. But I'm still going to celebrate with a drink down at the pub."

Cordelia looked at Oz and me. "He'd celebrate the opening of a mailbox with a drink at the pub." She waved bye to Angel, following Doyle. "You coming, Oz?"

"Yeah, I could eat something," Oz told us, following them.

I looked at Angel.

"Go ahead," Angel told me.

I nodded, turning to leave, hesitating, turning back. "If it means anything... she still misses you."

Angel nodded barely, looking down.

I smiled a small, sad smile, following the others, walking out, leaving.

  ~••••~  

Last night at the bar, Doyle had gotten smashed drunk, quoting Angela's Ashes, vehemently insisting that the main characters were Betty and Barney Rubble, and calling Oz his little bam-bam all night.

Spike had followed us to town to try to take back the Gem of Amara, kidnapping Angel and getting a vampire named Marcus to torture him to find it, but he wasn't gonna do that, so Spike told Cordelia and Doyle to find the ring and bring it to him or they would kill Angel.

Cordelia and Doyle brought them the ring to save Angel, but we all knew that they weren't gonna let anyone out of there.

That's why they asked for our help.

Oz crashed the van through the wooden wall, skidding to a stop through some barrels.

Spike rolled out of the way.

Oz pulled out two crossbows and aimed them at Marcus.

I got out of the van to face Spike. Spike started to stand. 

I kicked him in the face, making him fall back down. "Hi, Spike."

Spike glared. "Slayer."

"You know, I still can't get used to that," I told him.

Spike stood. I spun to kick him in the side with a roundhouse kick. Spike tried to punch me. I ducked, leg sweeping his legs out from underneath him, making him fall to the floor.

Doyle and Cordelia took advantage of the distraction to free Angel from the chains hanging him from the ceiling, getting him into the back of the van.

Spike flipped into a standing position. I tried to kick him. Spike caught my leg, grabbing my arm, throwing me toward the van. I landed on the top, holding on tightly as Oz tore us out of there, leaving.

  ~••••~  

On the road, I slipped into the passenger seat through the window, looking at Doyle, Angel and Cordelia in the back. "How is he doing?"

"He'll live," Doyle answered.

"Not without help," Cordelia told us. "We need to get him to a hospital."

"I hear you," Oz told us. "But which one? They all tend to specialize in humans."

"He's right," Doyle told us. "Too risky. Do you know any first aid?"

"Basic sixth grade," I answered, stepping into the back, grabbing cloth from nearby. "But I can improvise."

I started to rip up the cloth.

Angel looked at Oz. "Turn around."

"Angel," Oz told him.

"He's delirious," Cordelia told us. "Ignore him."

"Turn around," Angel told him. "I have stop him."

"What can you do?" Cordelia asked. "It's daylight, and you're ringless. Unless you're changing the act to human torch, I don't think so."

"She's right," Doyle told him. "You're death on toast, man. You're in no shape to be fighting a torture demon."

Angel pulled out the last poker still stuck in his side, groaning in pain, looking at me. "But you are. Zoey, he's got a thing for children. Oz, turn around. He couldn't have gone far."

I nodded.

Oz spun the van around.

  ~••••~  

Oz barreled the van down the pier toward Marcus, running him over, sending him flipping through the air, falling to the ground.

Cordelia and I got out of the van.

Cordelia looked at the kid scouts that Marcus had been trying to get to. "Run, now. Move your little scout legs. Now! Go! Come on!"

Marcus stood, turning to face me. I grabbed Marcus by his shoulders, kneeing him in the stomach, turning around, pushing him into a nearby crate, making him fall, letting a stake fall out of sleeve discreetly into my hand.

Marcus stood, running toward me, running into the stake I held ready, chuckling. "That tickles. Do it again."

I pulled the stake out, watching as the wound healed completely immediately as if nothing ever happened. Marcus bounced off the nearby crate with one leg, tackling me midair, making us crash through the wooden railing toward the water down below, both of us submerging.

I crawled toward the incline, gasping for breath once I reached air, turning to face Marcus, still kneeling. Marcus tried to kick me. I raised my arms to block his move. Marcus tried to kick me. I raised an arm to block the move, standing, punching him in the face, grabbing him by his waist, turning around, throwing him further up the incline, running closer, grabbing him by the back of his shirt, slamming him against a wooden beam underneath the pier.

"What are you planning to do, kill me?" Marcus asked.

"It's a start," I told him.

Marcus grabbed hold of the beam for balance, kicking straight up to kick me in the head, flipping me to the sand. I stood, spinning to face him, wet hair and clothes clinging to me. Marcus tried to kick me. I caught his leg, pulling him hard, making him let go of the beam and fall to the sand, pulling him up, pushing him through another beam to make it break off into a sharp point, making him fall into the water again. Marcus stood, trying to punch me repeatedly from either side. I raised either of my arms constantly to block the moves, spinning to try to kick him with a roundhouse kick. Marcus ducked, kicking me back into another beam. 

I caught myself against it, kicking Marcus in the head, standing straight, grabbing him by the shoulders, pushing him into the stake-like-beam, impaling him through the back into the heart and through the chest. "Now, that... that's gotta be torture."

Marcus held up his hand to show me the Gem of Amara, laughing manically, evilly.

I grabbed his hand, pulling the ring off of his finger.

Marcus screamed as he fell into ashes.

I looked at the ring, sighing, shaking my head, walking out from underneath the pier toward the van, Oz and the others.

"Are you okay?" Oz asked.

"Fine," I answered, showing them the ring. "What a pain in the ass this thing has been. But at least we know that it can save Angel." I opened the back of the van, careful not to let the sunlight in, holding the ring toward Angel. "Look... I staked Marcus while he was wearing this. He healed instantly. You put this on, you don't need any saving."

Angel hesitated, considering, taking the ring, slowly, hesitantly putting it on.

I opened the back door of the van, letting the sunlight flood in.

Angel wasn't affected by the sunlight while he was wearing the ring. His wounds healed instantly. He pulled himself out of the van, into the light, blinking, looking around in wonder.

I got out of the van.

"Are you all right?" Cordelia asked.

"I am now," Angel answered. He looked at Oz and me. "Thanks for the help, guys. You were key."

"You're... incredibly pale," Oz told him.

I smirked slightly, hitting Oz in the chest lightly.

"Look, you should lie down," Cordelia told him. "We should take you home."

"Just give him a minute," Doyle told us.

Angel wondered out on the pier.

"He's very pale," Oz told us. "Paler than most people."

Angel walked onto the beach, looking around, amazed by all of the sights. The kids playing and laughing, the parents chiding their children, but most of all, being in the sun.

LA was fun while it lasted.

I knew that this wasn't the last time I was gonna be here.