Part 4
“I can’t possibly thank you enough,” the tall blonde said. “You done so much for me, and you haven’t asked for anything in return. So I’m going to make you a deal. I’m offering a place for you to stay.” She raised her hands when he tried to object. “No, I insist. You said you don’t have a place. I want to thank you by offering our home.”
Angel smiled slightly. “Thank you, Lana. You just seemed to be having some difficulties, so I thought I could help. With your job and divorce and all, it looked like you needed a break. And I do appreciate you letting me stay here. It’s certainly better than the alternative.”
Lana returned the smile and leaned across the kitchen counter. “You gotta tell me something,” she whispered conspiratorially. “Your name isn’t really Angel, is it? I mean, I wouldn’t be surprised if it were, but it almost seems too good to be true.”
Angel actually blushed at the compliment. “No, my name is Liam. Angel was…is…a bad joke that stuck.”
A small brown haired boy stared in awe at the stranger. He was so big and strong looking. His smile wasn’t near as mean looking as daddy’s. “Mommy?” The boy stepped hesitantly into the kitchen.
“Hi Sweetie Bear!” Lana held out her arms to the child. He lost all reservation and sprinted into his mother’s embrace. She lifted him up to her chest. “Ooh, you’re almost too heavy for me to lift up, Joshua.” The boy continued to stare wide eyed at the stranger.
“Who are you?” he asked. “And how come you got long hair? I thought only girls had long hair.”
“Joshua!” Lana admonished. “That wasn’t nice.”
“It’s okay,” Angel assured her. “My name is Angel. And you are Joshua. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. Your mommy talks about you and Jordan all the time.”
His smile really was nice, Joshua thought. He decided then and there that he liked Liam-Angel.
***
Joshua didn’t know who this woman before him was. Not that it mattered. She was serving a purpose far greater than she ever could have achieved while alive. Sure, a small part of him felt guilty for killing her.
No child should have to go through life without its mother. But like his own mother used to say: What is popular is not always right, and what is right is not always popular. And what he was doing was right.
Joshua folded the woman’s arms across her chest and straightened out her clothes. The least he could do is make her look presentable for the cops. Joshua cast a long last look at the woman before retreating from the bedroom.
“Jordan.”
His sister was kneeling by a door as she sang lullabies into the child’s bedroom. Jordan always insisted that when they first arrived at a home that they lock the child in its bedroom. She didn’t want the child to see the dead body of her mommy. Jordan remembered far too well what that was like.
Joshua could hear the child whimpering softly in the bedroom. It wasn’t right that she would never see mommy again. But through that woman’s death, Jordan and himself would receive their justice.
“Jordan,” he called again. Jordan stopped her singing and glanced timidly at her brother. “It’s time to go, Sweetie.” Jordan nodded slightly and took the hand Joshua offered her. Joshua pulled his sister into a hug and whispered into her ear. “It won’t be long, Jordy. Soon we will make him pay for what he did to mom.”
Joshua guided his sister into the living room. He stopped only long enough to pick up the cordless phone and dial 9-1-1. He tossed the ringing phone aside and led Jordy outside.
Just over seven minutes later, the police found yet another dead body, and yet another small child huddled in a corner crying.
***
Angel shot awake at the sound of his cell phone ringing. He quickly but reluctantly slipped from the bed next to Cordelia and stepped into the hall. He was relieved when Cordelia didn’t wake. “Yes?” he spoke into his phone.
“Angel? It’s Gunn. We got your message.”
“Took you long enough to call back,” Angel joked.
“Bite me, boy. How is Cordelia?”
Angel sighed heavily as he recalled all the damage inflicted on her body. “I’m not going to lie, Gunn. Cordelia really got the shit beat out of her. She bruised, she’s cut, and I don’t like it. But she’s becoming more lucid. She seems to be spending more time awake.”
“Well that’s good,” Gunn agreed. He paused a moment before speaking again. “You promise us that you’re gonna get whoever did this. Make them pay in full.”
“I will,” Angel answered seriously. “Listen, Gunn, you’ve heard about the murders here, right?”
“The women with the cut throats? Yeah.”
“I need you to tell Fred to cross check the MO with murders around the country. Tell her to go back as far as she can.”
A beat of silence. “You think the killer is human.” Another pause. “That’s not going to stop you from killing him, is it?”
“No.”
“Good. Anything else?”
“Yeah. Did the Kings play last night?”
“Beat the Maple Leafs three to one.”
“Kick ass. Listen, I’m going to go. I told everybody I’d patrol with them tonight. Maybe something will turn up.” Angel hung up the phone.
He saw Deanna working at the front desk. “Hey Deanna? If Cordelia wakes up, could you tell her I went out to speak with some old friends for a bit. She’ll know who I mean.”
“Sure.”
“Thanks.” Angel trotted out of the ICU. The sun was setting, so he was immediately able to go to his car and head to the Magic Box.
***
Dawn and Willow waited patiently as Buffy fumbled with the keys as she tried to lock the door. Well, Willow waited patiently. Dawn paced the length of the porch. Finally, Buffy managed to get the lock to turn.
“This thing has been sticking for weeks now,” she griped.
“We can call a locksmith in the morning and get it changed,” Willow offered.
“Hey look!” Dawn called. “The new neighbors! Hey Joshua! Hey Jordan!”
Joshua ignored her as he trudged up the porch steps of the house next door. Jordan stopped and waved happily. “Hi Dawn!” she shouted back. “How are you?”
“Not bad. How are you?”
“Pretty good!” Joshua seemed to turn back and talk to his sister. Jordan looked at the ground sheepishly and skipped up the steps, waving one final time before following her brother inside.
“Is it just me, or is that a strange pair?” Buffy asked.
“Well, Joshua seems to be a bit on edge,” Willow observed.
“Jordan is real nice though,” Dawn stated. “She’ll always wave and say hi.”
The trio continued to stared at the porch for a few moments longer. “We need to get to the Magic Box,” Buffy reminded them. “The patrol tonight is especially important.” The three set out to head to the shop.
It was a big night, and they needed a break. Too bad they wouldn’t get one.
***
“Uncle! Uncle!” Jordan laughed hysterically. Angel chuckled as he continued to tickle the little girl ferociously. “Joshua! Help me!”
Lana watched in amusement as Joshua performed a flying tackle right onto Angel’s back. The slight weight of the little boy didn’t even faze the vampire. Angel simply reached one hand around his back and lifted Joshua by the shirt. In moments, both children were subject to one of Angel’s infamous tickle attacks. Their laughter was so loud that Lana almost missed the telephone ringing.
“I’m going to get that,” she smiled. She retreated into the kitchen to retrieve the phone. As Angel continued to tickle the children, he used his demon hearing to focus in on the conversation.
“Dammit, Jeremy!” Lana hissed into the phone. “Don’t do this to me! You will not get the children! You know that, I know that, and most importantly, my lawyer knows that! So don’t ever call here again!” Lana hung the phone up in anger.
Angel ceased tickling the children as Lana entered the room. “Are you okay?” he asked softly.
“Yeah,” she lied. “Same old, same old.” Angel clearly didn’t believe her. “He called again. He thinks that he can, well, you know.” She nodded towards the children.
“He can’t,” Angel assured her. “I’ll make sure of that.”
***
As Angel entered the Magic Box, several stunned faces greeted him. It didn’t take the proverbial rocket scientist to understand why.
“Where was the body found?” Angel asked.
“On Harrison Street,” Spike informed him. “I saw a platoon of cops cars parked on the front yard.” Spike knew the look that crossed Angel’s face.
He grabbed his leather duster off the counter and slipped it on. “Let’s go check it out.”
Angel didn’t even think twice that his once evil grandchilde was offering to go scouting with him. The soul he smelled was enough for Angel to give him the benefit of the doubt.
“You guys go patrolling,” he ordered to the rest of the group. “See if you can’t dig anything up. Spike and I are going out.”
Buffy wanted to argue about Angel giving them orders, but the two vampires were gone before she could do so. “Yes, sir,” she murmured sarcastically.
She glanced at the rest of the gang. “You heard the exalted leader. Let’s go.”
