Wow, I do love some Vamp!Giles. Thanks, everyone for your comments. A little bit more: The vampire growls, more from hunger and rage than from pain, but Tim is surprised all the same. He never knew he could get satisfaction from causing something else pain, but that is what floods him for the first minute. He's no longer the little boy that couldn't protect himself. "Take that, you undead piece of shit!" he says, yelling for Frank's benefit. He counts to thirty. Frank breezes in, in his best salesman manner and slides a packet of blood from the hospital in the cage. "What's going on? Tim, what did you do to our guest?"

"Not as much as I'd like. Tell me one good reason why I shouldn't put a stake through his heart."
"Excuse us," Frank says, as if this is the most bizarre cocktail party ever.
When they get in the hallway, Pembleton asks again "What the hell is that? What happened in there? Ok, I believe in your Bad Cop. You win the Bad Cop Oscar, Tim. But you're halfway to Crazy, Career-Losing Cop." "He threatened me, Frank. I don't let people threaten me. Not anymore."

Ooooooh.

BadCop Tim is already making me happy. He's all conflicted. Pure Bayliss, damnit.

You know what Tim needs to deal with Angelus.

A Super-Soaker. Filled with holy water.

Yeah, but I don't think he's going to get it. Tim can only have so much closure, poor baby. And because I like him to have his scars on the inside, I don't foresee any other character deaths, but Tim's anger surprised me too, so.... (And on a more superficial note, there's no doubt in mind that after being taunted about being a puppy, Tim will be a cat guy.)

I know, I know, and I totally agree. Life is his Adena Watson case, too, after all.

But it's a nice mental image to play with. Tim with a supersoaker full of holy water, burning off little bits of Angelus as he dodges around inside the cage, feeling pleasure and guilty while he's doing it, Frank reading him perfectly...

And of course going home feeling Bad and Wrong.Which, ok, sad, but he's so good at it. I'd rather watch that actor have a bad day then ten others having a good day. Which makes me fear for my sanity long-term, and makes me think that positive attitude thing? DOA. Although, this is the darkest thing I've written to date.

Are you going to do any of Angelus' POV/inside his head? Because, talk about a complementing darkness....

I hadn't thought of it. Do you think I should?

If it feels right you, absolutely. You could also have Angelus articulate some of that darkness, rather than switching to an interior POV. Let the darkness in him leak out.

But, despite claims to the contrary after snarking through "Titanic" and the end of "Terms of Endearment" I have no idea how to be a soulless monster. (Ok, to be fair the first time I saw it I sniffled, too. But the fourth time, I was all "Who dies in makeup?" Stupid female-bonding rituals. Be more funny.)

See, I always felt that the darkness Angelus leaked out came from his memory of his soul. Not soulless - without the memory of what he lost, I think he'd just bite people and be inarticulate. It's the knowledge (even if he can't feel it) that he's lost something precious that makes him even more evil.

Reflecting that would be fun.

(and me off to run errands, so if there's more and I don't comment, it's just because I'm not home to read it. But I will later, oh yes, you dambetcha.)