There was silence in the massive lobby of the Hyperion until Gunn offered Cordelia a wane smile. “Funny, Cordy. You been gone all summer and forgot who we are?”
Cordelia merely stared at him.
Angel watched her carefully, his eyes shifting back and forth to Connor. “Cordelia…” he began, approaching her slowly even as she moved behind one of the lobby couches.
“That’s exactly what she means,” Connor sneered, jumping off the counter and immediately assuming a defensive stance.
“What? How did—but she found you…and the hotel,” Fred stammered.
Connor stepped between Cordelia and his father. “I found her--wandering around in the city. She doesn’t know any of us. She—“
”She can speak for herself,” Cordelia snapped. “Look, kid, I told you I don’t know you…and I didn’t think seeing these people would do anything for me. Obviously they’re not. Can we go now?”
Cordelia moved to brush past Angel and he grabbed her shoulders, stopping her. “Wait a minute. No one’s going anywhere. Not until we figure this out.” He searched her face for a sign of recognition. “Cordy…it’s Angel. You don’t know me?”
She arched an eyebrow back at him. “I didn’t believe him when he said I worked with a guy named Angel. Seeing you makes it even harder to believe.”
Getting no reaction from Angel she turned back to Connor. “Why is he green?” she asked, ticking her head to Lorne. “I may not know who I am, but I know Halloween isn’t for a few more weeks.”
Gunn tried hard to hide his grin and coughed to cover it. “Yeah…okay…so this presents a whole new realm of problems.”
“The important thing is, she’s back, right?” Fred asked, always the peace-keeper. “I mean…big problem solved right there. The memory loss is probably just a side-effect of her being returned to here…”
“Happens all the time, muffin,” Lorne assured Cordelia. “But you look wonderful.”
Fred considered. “I wonder how she got back here, anyway…” She turned to Connor. “Where did you find her?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Down by the beach. And now I’ve returned her to you so I’ll get out of your hair.”
“Wait!” Cordelia shouted. “You’re not leaving me here with strangers.”
“I’m a stranger,” Connor pointed out, hands on hips.
“Well…yeah…but I’ve been with you for two days now. You’re less strange than they are,” she reasoned and moved to his side. “I’m not staying without you.”
Connor’s eyes swept across the room and landed on the cold face of his father. “I’m not welcome here.”
“On account of the fact that he tried to kill Angel, his father,” Gunn pointed out, and Cordelia’s eyes widened. She took a step back from Connor.
“I don’t know who I am, and I don’t know who you are, but I don’t for one minute believe that I’d hang out with this freak-show. I’m outta here,” she spat, pivoting on her feet and heading for the door.
Angel caught her before she took three steps and grabbed her arm. “Don’t!” she shrieked when Connor jumped in and shoved Angel away from her.
“Leave her alone, you’re just scaring her! You’re messing everything up, like always, dad.”
“Not now, Connor,” Angel growled. “Cordelia, you can’t leave. You have no where else to go, and trust me, you belong here. We all know you. We’re…we’re your family. We’ve spent the last few weeks, since I got back, looking for you.”
“And Charles and I looked all summer!” Fred interjected. “Please…Cordelia, don’t go. We just got you back.”
Cordelia glanced from one person to the other.
*~*~*
Lilah Morgan practically purred as she stretched out next to Wesley’s panting form in her queen size feather bed. “You, as usual,” she said, kissing his nose, “were magnificent.”
He swallowed and tried to catch his breath. “Likewise.”
“God!” she cried softly, rolling onto her back and off his chest. “I’ve never been more relaxed. And hungry. Want something?”
“Mmm,” he grunted. “Takeout. Chinese. Order in, I’m not leaving this spot.”
Lilah smiled wickedly. “Never? Not even for a more…interesting position?”
He smiled down into her hair and kissed the top of her head. “Perhaps then, if you’re lucky.”
She smirked and sat up, reaching for the gray satin dressing robe that barely skimmed her thighs and then sauntering out of the room to place the order.
When she was gone Wesley rolled to his side, curling his arm under the pillows and stared at the wall, unsure why even wonderful sex couldn’t make a dent in the cold fist his heart had become. In the past few months he and Lilah had enjoyed each other, if not opened up to each other, and had reached a sort of amicable treaty in their relationship. She was still unaware that Wesley had had anything to do with Angel’s return to sea-level ground and he planned to keep it that way, though deep inside he was merely watching the clock until his treachery was discovered.
Thoughts of Angel and the others was hardly going to make this evening more enjoyable.
Shoving them from his mind he concentrated instead on the sound of Lilah placing the food order. Rolling onto his stomach he buried his face in the pillow and breathed in her familiar scent, catching a moment with his thoughts before she returned.
“If you’re trying to end it all I could probably contact a guy to make it quicker,” she teased, laughter in her voice as she stepped back into the room.
He turned his head to look up at her. “How long for the food?”
“Half-hour. Plenty of time…” Provocatively she loosened the belt of her robe and let it fall open just enough to stroke his imagination.
Feeling his body begin to stir once again he shoved himself up onto his elbows and flipped onto his back. “Have mercy.”
Lilah leaned in until he could feel her breath on his face. “Never.”
Capturing her bottom lip with his teeth he tugged lightly until she complied and bent over his body, melding it with her own. His hand had just managed its way to her bare bottom when the phone let out a shrill ring.
“Dammit,” she cursed and began to untangle their limbs.
“Let it go.”
She threw him a rueful glance. “There’s a penalty for not answering your phone with the firm. Morgan,” she barked, snatching up the cordless phone. Her expression and her tone, hardened. “This better be good.”
When her eyes opened wide with surprise Wesley grew interested though his expression and body language did nothing to show it.
“You’re kidding. Are you sure? You’re absolutely sure that’s what he said…Ok, alright. But you know what I’ll do if this doesn’t lead anywhere. Where are you?” She listened for a moment longer, then smiled. “Do you have any idea what this might mean? …I thought you might. See you in twenty.”
The phone sailed across the room and bounced on an overstuffed chair in the corner. “You’re leaving?” Wesley asked.
“I am.”
“What’s going on?”
She smiled at him as she tugged on a pair of pants and searched for a coordinating blouse. “Official business…though it might concern you at some point if you play your cards right.”
“I thought I’d been playing my cards right,” he countered, shoving a pillow up behind his head and watching her dress.
“So far…but this could be big. Bigger than big if it works out. We’ll see.” She bent down to kiss him. “And that, my friend, is all I’m saying.”
She walked out of the room and a moment later he heard the sound of keys jingling. “Let yourself out!” she called behind her as the door slammed.
*~*~*
He waited until he heard the elevator door open then sprang from the bed, throwing on his pants and searching for his shirt. Grabbing the phone he punched “redial” and quickly cancelled the food delivery in favor of picking it up later that evening. Stepping into shoes as quickly as he could he snatched his keys and wallet off the bar and headed out the door, taking the stairs two at a time. When he reached the garage Lilah’s car was just pulling out. Thank God for remote-start.
The car was revving when he slipped behind the wheel and he backed out, peeling out onto the street and searching for her car. It was cruising down the avenue, signal on to make a right. When she made the turn, he pulled out on to the street and tested his skills at tailing cars, something he hadn’t used in quite a while as Angel’s approach to crime-solving didn’t usually involve subtly. Apparently he hadn’t lost his touch for ten minutes later she parked her car in the parking lot of a vacant school building and exited without a glance in his direction.
He watched as she entered the school through a side door, then parked on a side-street and silently padded his way to the door. A moment later he was inside. The building itself was dark, the only light coming from a room at the far end of a corridor. Creeping closer to the door, conveniently left slightly ajar, he ducked behind it and peered through the crack.
On one side of a flimsy looking card table stood Lilah, her back to Wesley. On the other stood a rather timid looking man dressed in shabby pants and a button-down shirt, gold tooth reflecting the light from the single bulb hanging from the ceiling. The man looked nervous—but talking to Lilah Morgan could do that to a person.
“Go over it again, slowly,” Lilah ordered. “Don’t skip the details.”
The man swallowed. “It’s like I said. A coupla days ago I’m in this bar about an hour south of here. Little town in the middle a’ nowhere. And this guy comes in, rambling on and on like a nutcase, you know, and I figer’ he’s just another loon, no big deal. But he won’t shut up, so I look up and notice…he don’t look like no homeless guy. Nice leather coat tipped me off.”
“You talked to him?”
“Yeah…yeah. But first I listened…tried to see what he’s rambling about. It’s mostly just gibberish. He ends up at the bar, takes the seat next to me. I pretend I couldn’t care less that he’s there and he just keeps rambling. Pretty soon though, he’s talkin’ to me. Going on and on about the Slayer.”
Lilah tensed. “The Slayer? Which one?”
Wesley caught his breath and listened, his heart beginning to pound.
“Which one? There ain’t more than one Slayer,” the man stammered.
Lilah put her hands on the table and leaned in, annoyed. “I wouldn’t have asked if there was only one, would I? One is still currently active in Sunnydale, the other is on hiatus doing ten-to-twenty.”
“Oh,” the man blinked. “I guess the one who ain’t in jail. But I dunno. He wasn’t specific…no names or anything. Just kept calling her the Slayer.”
Lilah considered. “Go on.”
“So anyways…he saddles up to the bar and Willy gives him the whole bottle of whiskey. Guy just starts drinking it down like it’s water. I figer’ that’ll really get him talking, ‘cause what he’s already said is gettin’ interesting. He starts talking about how ‘she doesn’t know what she wants and how he gives it to her but she can’t recognize it because it doesn’t come with a caveman brow and two-hundred years of guilt.’ Then he mentioned Angel.”
“He said Angel’s name?” Lilah’s interest was completely peaked.
“Yeah, he did. Said all this girl would do was compare him to Angel and started ranting for a blessed half an hour about Angel’s faults and why he’s better. I sorta tuned that out after a bit. I really didn’t care about Angel’s taste in pants if ya know what I mean.”
“Naturally.”
“I tune back in just in time to hear him say something about how a soul’s just not worth having if it means all these voices are going to keep him up during the day…and that’s when I realize, this dude’s a vampire. Not a big surprise in Willy’s Place, but I was surprised I hadn’t picked up on it quicker, me having demon in my blood and all. It wasn’t until later that I figured out why I didn’t get it…”
Lilah all but licked her lips. “Because he’s…”
“’Cause this boy’s got himself a soul. Makes things harder to sense,” the man explained, chomping loudly on his gum.
“Another vampire with a soul…this is unprecedented,” she mused, controlling the excitement in her voice. Gavin would be sent down the ranks for missing this one.
“Yeah…Willy hears it too and starts chattin’ him up. Apparently this guy comes in here quite a bit, though I was there all summer and didn’t see him once.”
“Did this interesting character have a name?”
Now the man grinned. “You’re gonna love this one, Ms. Morgan. I came to you first.”
“I appreciate it. What’s his name?” she snapped.
“Spike.”
Lilah's eyes narrowed. “Spike? William the Bloody? Frankie, if you're wasting my time, I don't think I have to tell you what that will mean...That's too good to be true."
“Which would normally mean it is…but this is on the Hellmouth, toots. Anything goes down there.”
“William the Bloody got himself a soul.” She was going to savor this moment. She truly was.
“I wasn’t leavin’ after hearing all this. No sir. I knew you’d pay real well for whatever info I came back with. I was there for hours listenin’ to that slob moan about how the Slayer done him wrong and he was too good for her. More important-like…that his love was too good for her. He bitched some more about Angel then, really foul stuff. Almost made me blush.”
“You’re telling me William the Bloody is in love with the Slayer?” Lilah’s eyes sharpened. ”Angel’s ex-love-of-his-life?” Something clicked in her head. “Of course…oh my God…of course. It makes sense now. He’s in love with her…she wouldn’t want anything to do with him, what with him being a homicidal killer…and he knows that the only guy that she apparently ever loved was another vampire. Difference is…this one had a soul. So he gets one. But how did he get it?” she mused to herself, pacing with excitement. “Doesn’t matter,” she dismissed the question with a wave of her hand. “There’s time for that.”
She turned back to her companion. “Frankie…you done me good. You done me real, real good this time.”
Frankie beamed at the praise. “Thanks Ms. Morgan. I knew you’d appreciate my work. This oughta help you bother Angel some.”
“Mmm,” she murmured, distracted. “Your address is still the same one on file?”
He nodded. “You betcha.”
“Payment will be delivered tomorrow, as per usual. And this time,” she leaned in conspiratorially, “expect a bonus.”
Wesley’s stomach sank at the implications of Frankie’s information. He was sure it was the first thing Lilah had thought of as well…and it had nothing to do with tormenting Angel as she’d let Frankie believe. Silently he made his way back to his car and drove off towards the apartment, remembering to grab the Chinese food on his way. When Lilah came home that night, cold containers of Moo-Goo Gai Pan, having sat in the restaurant for an hour now, would be waiting in her fridge.
*~*~*
“I think I found her,” Willow informed Buffy as the Slayer entered the dining room and took a seat. “She showed up on the New Mexico police reports as ‘missing’ a few days ago, and yesterday her body was found. She was fifteen, and she was stabbed…”
Buffy’s heart fell. “Where did they find her?”
“At the bottom of some bluffs outside White Sands. Just like you said.”
Buffy was quiet for a moment. “Willow…what is this? Why show me things I can’t stop?”
Willow’s eyes saddened. “I don’t know, Buffy. Maybe it’s time to call Giles…see if he knows anything. Maybe the knife is ceremonial or something.”
“Or the black robes,” Buffy added. “That’s just odd…they don’t look like the monks did. They’re taller. And I never see their faces…but the robes, that has to be something, right?”
“I’m sure it is,” Willow nodded her head encouragingly.
“Still…I’d rather us try to research it before we call out the big guns. England can wait until we come up empty. I just hate to bother him for every little thing.”
Willow looked doubtful, but agreed. “You’re probably right. It’s nothing we can’t handle. Besides…research party, just like old times.”
“Have Xander bring doughnuts,” Dawn added, taking a seat at the table.
Buffy and Willow stared at her.
“What?” the youngest Summers asked defensively. “I get to help. I came up with Gnarl, remember? I so get to help from now on.”
Exchanging a glance with Willow, Buffy nodded. “You can help. But only until eleven. It’s still a school night.”
Dawn rolled her eyes. “Yeah…’cause you had such the bed-time at sixteen. What did you live on, five hours a sleep a night?”
“Well, yeah…but Giles let us out of most of our classes when we needed to so…that’s not a share-thing, is it?” Willow squeaked as Buffy glared.
“Giles let you skip? All the time?” Dawn cried. “Man! Why’d he have to go back to stuffy old England, anyway? He could totally be the new librarian at the high school. Mrs. Lindsay would never let me skip classes.”
“I’ll call Xander,” was Buffy’s only answer as she walked into the kitchen.
