Part 25
Wesley was half way to his car when he realized what he had forgotten. He wasn’t exactly sure that it would matter but in the game he was playing he couldn’t take the chance. He ran back towards the church. Damn. Angel had already disappeared into the night.
How was he going to do accomplish this? Wesley’s mind kept playing over different possibilities, all sounding just as unappealing as his original plan and certainly none as effective. A sudden noise and blurred movement from behind the bushes jerked him out of his thoughts.
Wesley tensed as the figure jumped out yelling jumbled words and phrases. Wesley relaxed when he realized that the figure before him wasn’t a vampire or any other type of demon. He scrutinized the young man and his clothing.
From the torn soiled sweatshirt, the bright bandana tied around his head, and the nervous way he held the gun, Wesley also felt it was safe to conclude that the young man wasn’t an employee of Wolfram & Hart. Wesley wanted to laugh, after all he had faced and fought, he was being robbed, robbed by a strung-out nervous everyday street robber.
“I said give me your wallet, your watch, mother fucker.” The teenage thug waived his pistol in the air.
“I apologize, is that what you said? I recommend that in the future possibly you should enunciate your words more clearly.”
“Give me your money, mother fucker.”
Wesley took a step back watching the gun swing in the air, his humor vanishing. Guns could kill and if they didn’t they could cause excruciating pain. Wesley had no desire to end up on the wrong side of a bullet again.
Once was more than enough of that painful experience, anyway he had already fulfilled his yearly quota of life-threatening injuries and hospitalizations. He still had several months to go before the next should be slated and a bullet wound would be redundant.
Blown up, shot, slit throat, Wesley expected next year’s trauma too be entirely new and different- and of course extremely painful. He couldn’t wait.
“How about this, you put the gun down first.” Wesley offered, getting his mind off his self-mocking morose thoughts and back to the matter at hand.
“I’m giving the orders, mother fucker”
“Of course,” Wesley lifted his hands in the air and then moved one to his jacket.
“Whatcha doing? Mother fucker”
“My wallet is in my coat.”
“Give it to me, mother fucker.”
“Very well, if you insist.” In flash Wesley’s small crossbow was pointed at the robber’s neck and the gun was lying on the ground several feet away. The teenager gaped dim-wittedly at the surprise change in circumastances.
“Please refrain from calling me a motherfucker again, I find it very offensive, now this weapon can kill, a bolt right through the neck, but I won’t do it not if you do something for me.” Wesley believed he had found the solution to his earlier lapse. It still wasn’t appealing but at least it was doable.
“I don’t have no money. Mother…” the jab of the sharp arrow into his neck cut off the rest of the young man’s profanity.
Wesley smiled and lowered his weapon. “I’m afraid that I can not give you all my money, but how about $50.00 for a small endeavor on your part.”
“UH?”
“A job, you cretin.” Wesley said at the young man’s ignorance.
The robber glared suspiciously his eyes still on the crossbow. “What? What’s a cret…what?”
“Choke me.” Wesley ordered rolling his eyes. Wesley began to agree with all those that claimed the state of education in the nation was appalling.
“Uh, you loco?”
“No. Here,” Wesley put the crossbow back in his jacket and then drew the street robber’s hands to his neck. “Squeeze.”
“Fuckin A man, you ARE loco.”
“Just squeeze, leave out the commentary.” Wesley pressed the young man’s hands in closer around his neck. “Harder. Damn’t.” Wesley said in disgust. “You were just ready to shoot me, so what exactly pray tell is your hesitation with choking me.” Wesley brought his own hands up to the teenager’s neck.
The robber defensively grabbed for Wesley’s.
“The only way I’m going to release you is for you to choke me until I tell you to stop. So, be a good thug and choke me.”
The robber’s hands went back to Wesley’s throat this time in anger, his confusion gone as Wesley continued to strangle him. The robber pressed his hands roughly together around Wesley’s throat. Wesley gasped and when he thought it was long enough he released his grip.
Unfortunately, the robber didn’t know or didn’t care that that was his signal to stop. Wesley grunted and threw a tight fist into the young man’s kidney and his other balled fist slammed into the young man’s temple. The robber staggered back with a howl and a yelp.
Wesley leaned over trying to catch his breath. He glanced at the robber, leveling his cross brow and shooting at the young man as he went to the gun on the ground. The robber’s yelp turned into crying as the arrow pierced his flesh and blood flowed on his palm.
Wesley straightened, pulled out his wallet and took out a two twenties and a ten and threw the money on the ground. “Thank you for your service. Oh, I’ll take these.” Wesley said leaning down to yank the arrow out of the robber’s flesh and pick up the abandoned gun.
“These are weapons and should not be handled by children.” Wesley paused. “You are a child that thinks you’re a man, you should be in school, but now you really should go to the hospital, I imagine you’ll need several stitches.”
Wesley headed to his car. He took a deep breath and pressed his head against the back of the seat wondering if indeed he was crazy. Wesley shook off the useless speculation and looked up into the mirror studying the appearing red marks on his throat.
Angel would’ve done a more effective job to be sure, but Wesley really didn’t think Lilah would know the difference.
***
“Well, what happened?” Lilah met Wesley at the door.
“Don’t you have a home or at least plants that need watering or something?”
“What happened with Angel,” Lilah demanded ignoring Wesley’s remark.
“I need a drink.” Wesley went past her to the whiskey bottle.
“Well, will he stop his plans of revenge?”
Wesley rolled his eyes. “If you’re still here could you please make yourself useful and get me some ice.”
“What?” Lilah eye’s widened as she saw the red bruising on Wesley’s neck. “Angel did that?”
“No, a street robber. Ice please.”
“A robber…yeah, right,” Lilah commented at Wesley’s tone. “Wesley, what did Angel do?”
“He wanted answers, I gave him what I could and he left me alive.”
“What did you tell him?” Lilah called from the kitchen.
“That Wolfram & Hart had Connor. Once he was satisfied that I didn’t know where, he stopped. Thank you.” Wesley plopped the ice cubes in his whiskey.
“So, he’s stopped.”
“No, he’s stalled.”
“Wesley.”
“I only gave him part of the answers he wanted now he’ll look for the rest. But, he will be preoccupied with getting Connor rather than destroying Wolfram & Hart.”
Lilah considered Wesley. “And where did you tell him he could go to get the rest of those answers?”
Wesley smiled and raised his glass to Lilah.
Her eyes got big. “You sicced him on me?”
“Angel could believe that I was out of the loop, but not you, not about this.”
“Great, wonderful, swell.” Lilah started to pace the small living room. “I don’t believe this.”
“I did what you wanted.”
“I don’t remember ever saying anything about siccing Angel on me,” glaring. “Give me that bottle, you bastard.”
“Lilah, really, you should be used to it by now, but you have his answers so you’ll live, at least he won’t come after you for killing Cordelia.”
“I didn’t kill her, that creepy kid flipped the switch. But so what, now he’ll just kill me to get to Connor.”
“Lilah, I told you as long as you have the answers Angel wants he won’t kill you, hurt you sure, but not kill.”
“You, bastard. I can’t believe I’m here like some trapped sitting duck.”
“You could go home, back to your apartment, you know, where you live, away from here, away from me, unless ….have you invited Angel in for a late night cup of tea before?”
“Don’t be an idiot, I can’t go home, he’s probably out there now waiting for me.”
“Probably.” Wesley swallowed some more whiskey.
“You think?” Lilah ran to the window peering into the darkness trying to get a glimpse of the vampire.
“Well, I doubt he’s at the hotel, Cordy’s not there. What else he is going to do?”
“This was a stupid plan.”
“It wasn’t mine. “
Lilah swung around glaring at Wesley. “Bastard.”
“That’s really getting tiresome and its incorrect, my parents had the benefit of matrimony if not wedded bliss.”
Lilah glared not bothering to answer.
Wesley sighed. “Lilah, calm down. You can stay here, since I can’t seem to get you to leave. I’ll do the uninvite spell. Angel will concentrate on getting Connor, not revenge. The firm will be happy. This should be worth some plus points in your personnel file, diverting Angel with your life for the benefit of the firm.”
Lilah perked up. “I need to call Linwood, he needs to realize the danger I’m in for them.”
“I thought you were bugged.”
“They took it out once you passed the soothsayers test. Bugging employees without their knowledge, while at times necessary, it’s bad for the morale. Why? You going to make a declaration of feeling.” She smirked.
Wesley chuckled and matched her smirk. “I’m just gratified that Wolfram & Hart is so concerned about their employees morale.”
“Oh, they’re sweethearts, all right.” Lilah shrugged making her phone call.
Part 26
“I thought I left you smiling and snoring,” Angel smiled at the sight that greeted in the dim light of lobby.
Cordy rolled her eyes, turning the lights up. “I don’t snore.”
“I don’t know, Cor, it wasn’t me. I can’t snore.”
Cordy scoffed. “I’ve heard you snore, you sure did, like a chainsaw.”
“I don’t breathe-I can’t snore.” Angel defended himself over the unattractive snorts and grunts that were now coming out of Cordy’s mouth and nose in rapid succession in a live audio impersonation of snoring.
“Pfft. They may have fed you that bull in vampire school but you do- sawing wood, buster, it was you. I heard and saw you.” Cordelia crossed her arms and took another deep breath preparing to perform another demonstration.
“Stop, please.” Angel begged. “ I told you. I can’t snore,” his defense repeated, only this time with less confidence, Cordelia looked and sounded pretty sure. “Anyway, I wasn’t sleeping, I was doing the staring bit, so, it was you- you were snoring.” Angel insisted trying to regain earlier ground.
“Hmmph.” Cordy stuck her tongue out at the vampire as she walked into the kitchen. “Like I could sleep. I want to know why Wesley called.” She called over her shoulder.
“Wolfram & Hart wanted me to know that they have Connor.” Angel followed her, his head still shaking at Cordy’s performance of the physiological impossibility of a vampire snoring.
Cordelia paused in reaching into the refrigerator. “They do?” Cordelia’s brows rose.
“They think that it will stall me in any plans for revenge.”
“Moronic satan toadies,” she said taking out a tub of blood. “That makes sense- ‘hey we kidnapped your son, don’t hurt us please’, oh please. Pfft.”
“They think, I imagine, that I will concentrate on getting him back safely rather than tear the place apart because you’re dead.” Angel couldn’t help the small smile on his face. When exactly did he get use to Cordy’s speak and when exactly did he start to need to hear it everyday and every hour of that day.
“Oh, I keep forgetting I’m dead. I definitely don’t feel dead, I feel great,” she moved to the microwave stopping as Angel’s hand held her arm.
“I’m not hungry.”
“Of course you are,” Cordy corrected. “I haven’t seen you eat anything.”
“Cordy, that’s…”
“Fresh, so don’t worry. I got rid of the other stuff, it was too old. You must be hungry. I haven’t done anything to it, promise.” She lifted the carton for his inspection. “Oink and only oink, no spices.”
“You went out? I told you to stay put.”
“I took the sewer, geez, anyway I was bored waiting for you. You didn’t tell me you were leaving.” Cordelia added accusingly.
“You were snoring so beautifully, smile and all.” Angel grinned pleased the he got the final word in on that particular subject and hoping that he diverted her from the current topic.
“Hmmph. Whatever.” Cordelia waved away Angel comment. “You need to eat.” She turned back to the microwave.
“Cordy, I’m not hungry.” Angel repeated.
“Angel, you have to be. What have you been eating since you got home? There was no fresh blood in the refrigerator. I had to go get this. Angel, you must be starving, it’s not like you could grab a quick bite…”
Cordelia paused turning from the vampire, emotion stalling the words in her throat. She took a deep breath forcing the image of Angel alone trapped at the bottom of the ocean away, “when you were underwater, sea food’s not your thing,” Cordy turned back smiling at the vampire once again successful at banishing the image.
This time, Cordelia hoped it would stay away much longer than a few hours.
Angel gently took the carton from the young woman. “I can’t starve to death, Cordy and I have been eating. Out.”
“Dining out?” Cordelia wrinkled her nose. “Angel, eww, a vampire that eats out, is eating, you know,” She held two fingers down mimicking a person walking.
Angel forced a chuckle out his throat. “I grabbed something at Larry’s. I just haven’t had time to stock up.”
“Eww, Larry’s a sleaze and he doesn’t handle much animal blood, mostly human blood, hearts and organs and stuff, gross, and the stuff he does carry – you can’t trust it. It’s like a bad chinese, never knowing what you’re getting, chow mien, yeah, more like meow mien, you could’ve been getting cat’s blood or cheap pig or something. I think he just makes up his labels and he charges too much, especially when you’re buying one at a time.”
“Cordy,”
“Whatever, Angel. We’ve got the good stuff in house now. You SO need me to take care of you,” she smiled and kissed him on his nose.
“Yes, I do.” Angel reached out for the young woman embracing her tightly. Angel rubbed his face in her hair his eyes closed breathing in her scent. He wasn’t really lying. Angel had gone to Larry’s.
“Come on let’s go to bed,”
Angel hesitated as Cordelia tugged his hand.
“Angel, you must be tired, staring is not sleeping. So, let’s go ‘grr’ guy, sleepy time.”
“Cordy.”
“Angel, I’ll be good. ” She bit at her lips. “I don’t want to be alone. I woke up earlier and you weren’t there brooding over me. I got a little freaky, just a little, but….”
Angel gently brought Cordelia’s eyes back to his. “Freaky?”
“Bad dreams, I mean not…just…um.” Cordelia paused, not wanting to remember or worry Angel about the dream that woke her. The dream where she was still encased in the bright prison, only that time, she could see Angel trapped in a watery coffin, unreachable and unsaveable. Cordelia hadn’t like it and couldn’t help the panicky feeling when she realized that Angel wasn’t with her.
Fred and Gunn’s reassurance that Angel had just gone to see Wesley had only marginally made her feel better about his not being in her sight.
“I need to know you’re there too, let’s go bed.” Angel smiled kissing her lightly on the forehead now understanding completely Cordy’s use of the word ‘freaky’.
“You’re going to sleep not stare.” The young woman narrowed her eyes, not questioning but ordering.
“I’m going to sleep.”
“Good, but don’t wake me up with your loud ass ‘non-existent’ snoring.”
Angel started to respond but realized there was no point. Cordy always got the final word in when she wanted to. Angel shook his head and let the laughing young woman lead him up the stairs.
Part 27
Wesley jerked out of bed, gasping.
“What’s wrong, Wesley,” Lilah shot up next to him.
“Nothing,”
“You’re shaking, what’s wrong.”
“Nothing, just a dream.”
“A dream? More like nightmare,” Lilah cocked her head. “What was it?”
“Go back to sleep.”
“I heard talking about them makes them go away.”
Wesley cocked his brows.
“What? I watch Oprah. What?” she said at Wesley’s surprised look. “You didn’t think I did anything but eat, sleep, Wolfram & Hart, did you.”
“Yes, it never occurred to me to think otherwise.”
“Well, I do have interests and hobbies that don’t involve creating havoc and mayhem or evil incarnates.”
“And Oprah is one of those. Are you sure? I’ve seen her, she could very well be a Bullock Demon, trying to control the world through mind manipulation and canned advice, seems like a perfect client for Wolfram & Hart.”
“You ARE a cynic. Anyway, she’s not, Dr. Phil’s the Bullock, how do you think he got his own show. We’re pleased -the revenues are pouring in. But, Oprah- she’s legit and puts on a good show, very insightful at times and she recommends pretty decent books. So, what was your dream?”
Wesley was slowly begining to realize that Lilah could be as surprising as she could be dangerous. Wesley leaned back against the headboard. ” It was Cordelia, strapped down in an electric chair, Angel pulling the switch.”
“Yeah, that was a dream. Like Angel would ever hurt his precious seer.”
“He has, but you’re right, he wouldn’t kill her, Angelus on the other hand….”
“Angelus- you’re scared of him.”
“Anybody around Angel would be a fool not to be.” Wesley closed his eyes.
“Hmm,” Lilah moved closer studying Wesley’s face. “That dream wasn’t about Angel or Angelus, but you. Wesley, you didn’t kill Cordelia.”
Wesley blinked. “Oprah tell you that.”
“It’s obvious, you’re feeling guilty. But, Wesley, Cordelia killed herself when she lied to us.”
Wesley gave a sad chuckle. “No, the little girl on the top floor killed her, flipped the switch. Pushed the button to be precise.”
“Yeah, she sure did that, literally, not a fun sight.”
“What do you mean?” Wesley leaned in waiting for the conversation to go where he needed it to.
“She didn’t just push button or flip a switch. It was weird and scary.” Lilah shivered.
“I didn’t think anything scared you.” Wesley’s tone was encouraging wanting Lilah to continue.
“Right. Well this did. She’s so damn cute, it’s unnerving and then she started to spark and glow. The little sweet form, not real, but then again who thought it was. Next thing, viola – bingo- you were there.”
“Where?” Wesley calmed trying to hide his impatience now that the subject was where he wanted.
“Inside Cordelia’s head, it was weird. That little thing just reached in with all of her sparking and glowing and short circuited Cordelia’s brain with a bright ball of light energy whatever- like a 100 + watt bulb being forced into 45 bulb, all sputtering and explosion then dead little bulb. There was no device, the little girl was the device and the button, the bright mega watt bulb all in one.”
Wesley leaned even closer to the woman. “You saw her true form.”
“What form? She glowed, shimmered and pulsated. Might’ve been pretty, like a Christmas light show, except it sucked the air out of you to look at it and filled you up with some really creepy vibes. So, I guess it wasn’t Christmas it was a light show from hell.” Lilah shivered.
Wesley slightly nodded and leaned back against the headboard, his need to know hidden under an more even tone. “ Lilah, I’ve given more thought about the Connor/Angel situation.”
“Huh,” Lilah said surprised at the change of topic.
“It was a thought I had before you distracted me and we headed up in bed.”
“So, I can distract you, that’s almost flattery from you.” Lilah smirked.
Wesley made a face. “I need access to the firm’s library.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t expect flowers and gifts. You already have access to the library.”
“Not that one, the real ones, the ones with the important prophecies and really old books, the top-level materials. I know the books and files I’ve been looking at are for show. I need the real ones.” Wesley couldn’t quite hide his impatience and need.
“Why?”
“Lilah, Angel knows we have Connor. He just may succeed in getting him back. It is possible. If that happens don’t you think that it may be wise to have as much information about the prophecy that brought Connor into the game before he’s out of our reach. We will need those answers. Answers to unanswerable questions keeps you alive.”
“Our researchers have already gone through all the materials, countless times, they found nothing.”
“Let me try. Over the last three years I’ve seemed to have made a study on prophecies that deal with the vampire with a soul. Only messed up really bad once, but even so, I’m still the only real expert you have on Angel right now.”
“I’m sorry, Wesley.”
Wesley looked up at her tone more than a little surprised at the sincerity he heard. “For what?”
“The false prophecy. You are the expert and there was no way you could’ve known. SahJhan was an inter-dimensional time traveling demon, he manipulated that prophecy a long time ago waiting for the day to use it. For all extensive purposes, it was authentic.”
“Except for the content.”
“How could you know that when the language, the paper, the dating was all correct. You couldn’t of; you couldn’t of figured it out not unless you knew about the Angel’s meals were being spiked with baby Connor’s blood or the deal between SahJhan and me. Wesley, truthfully, you probably did save Connor’s life, the doctored blood was affecting Angel, he could’ve killed Connor thinking he was food. And you didn’t kill Cordelia. So, you see, you have absolutely nothing to feel guilty about.”
“More Oprah or was that Dr. Phil?” Wesley said softly, burying his anger at the matter of fact words describing the origins of the damage to himself and his friends-an explanation that Lilah offered genuinely in some bizarre attempt at comfort.
“Wesley,” Lilah shook her head at his refusal to be reassured. She straightened leaning along side Wesley on the headboard. “I’ll get you the access.”
“Thank you.”
“So, you up for more distractions, Dr. Lilah’s way of keeping away the bad dreams, I think Oprah approved too.” Lilah turned in to Wesley giving a soft smile.
“You are a bad dream.” The realization of the words’ truth was hidden by Wesley’s sarcastic delivery.
“More with the flattery, stop, please, it’s going to my head,” Lilah chuckled biting her lips.
Wesley shook his head and leaned into the arms reaching for him.
***
Wesley moved separating his body slightly from Lilah’s. He sunk back in his pillow staring up at the ceiling. This needed to be over soon. Lilah was beginning to show glimpses of a woman behind the bitch and that was something he just didn’t need or want to see.
He turned, staring at the woman lying next to him, she was worse than a bad dream, she was close to becoming a habit, a bad one, definitely not one he wanted to acquire.
Wesley went uneasily too sleep, reciting in numerically order every one and last horrific act done by Wolfram & Hart via the woman in his bed to hurt his family.
