Part 45
Lilah looked up at handsome lawyer leaning against her the doorway of her office.
“You rang.”
“Things have hit a snag.”
“Really.” Lindsey with a smooth grace molded his body into the chair facing Lilah. “And.”
“Angel has a permanent soul and he and Cordelia Chase have become lovers.” Lilah tapped the desk in irritation.
“You used a red alert to tell me that Angel’s now out of the dating pool, not like he was a player before.” Lindsey swung out of the chair.
“Lindsey, our plan was….”
“No, that was your particular plan. I never thought it work. Granted we didn’t have any clue about the soul permanency thing- but still, just because Angel’s only meaningful relationships were with blonde women, doesn’t mean he’d fall into bed with the next one that showed up.” Lindsey held up his plastic hand.
“I told you, his feelings for Cordelia were injurious if not fatal. And believe it or not the vampire has standards, its not just hair color and a rack that turns him on.” Lindsey shook his head at Lilah. “I understand why you may have been fooled by the blonde thing, but the other- you saw Darla. Have you seen a picture of the slayer? Neither could be models in the breast ‘R’ us category.”
“She was the only one that was blonde and fit the necessary requirements- what man doesn’t like breast.”
“Those aren’t breasts, Lilah, they’re weapons. I thought women were all catty about that distinction.”
“Right, what you know about women consists of your sister and a blonde vampire.”
“And you know nothing about men, especially vampires if you really thought that would get into his bed.”
“I wasn’t expecting a romantic love tale, just a romp in the sack to further separate Chase and Angel.”
“Well, we got a romantic love tale that is guaranteed to cement the seer and warrior.” Lindsey paced. “Is that it?”
“Isn’t that enough.”
“No. Do they know anything about our plans? Have they identified Gabriel as one of ours or do they still think she’s Angel’s seer.”
“Gabriel is still viable on that end.”
“Well, that’s the one that is important. As long as they still think she is the seer and Cordelia believes she isn’t then the plan can proceed. Who cares who Angel is sleeping with?”
“It will make it harder to get Chase alone. The senior partners won’t be happy.”
“Tell them the truth, in this one case it will work. Lilah, Cordelia has been alone for over three months, Angel off somewhere. But our silent partner controlled the timetable of taking Cordelia not us- the senior partners agreed. But, we’ve placed a person inside his camp without detection. We did well. Even if the original plan fails, that would be to our advantage indefinitely. How long will your big headed freak last.” He pointed to the man with the bulging, pulsating, veined brain floating over Lilah’s coffee table.
Lilah rolled her eyes. “Until the money runs out. And the strategically placed ‘blonde’ infiltrator was all me, don’t forget that.”
“Whatever. Keep big head happy- brain hijackers don’t grow on trees.” Lindsey smirked to Lilah has he left the office.
Part 46
“Coffee?” Fred finally said as she leaned into Wesley’s office.
Wesley looked up from the Baba Yaga text. “That would be lovely. Thank you.”
Fred smiled and hurried to the counter. Gunn followed her. “Did Wes tell you what’s so important about that book?”
“No. I offered to help on the computer but he didn’t even hear me, heard about the coffee though,” Fred held up the pot.
“It makes me nervous when he goes into that lone research mode, bad things follow.”
“You’re right.” Fred looked at the blonde approaching them. Her eyes red and her hair messed in an artificial way. Fred wouldn’t be surprised if the woman had been rubbing raw onions on her face to get that perfect red rimmed suffering look.
“Morning.” Gunn waved.
Fred hmmphed barely looking at the woman again, she focused on pouring Wesley’s coffee.
“Is that for me.” Gabriel gave a sad smile.
“Ah, no. It’s for Wesley; he’s been up for hours translating that Baba Yaga book Methos’ been reading. Get your own.”
“Babba who?” Gabriel moved closer.
“The book that Methos and Duncan were looking for- for their friend- a witch’s book, have you not listened to anything except your own whining voice.”
“Fred.” Gunn shrugged.
“What?” Fred tore open the sugar packet.
“I thought…didn’t they send that to their friend? I thought I heard Methos say something about the price of sending it to Russia.”
“A copy. Wesley didn’t want to give up the book.” Fred stirred the white powder into the dark liquid.
“Oh. He has it still?” Gabriel stood. “Well, I need to talk to Wesley, he’s always been nice to me, unlike some I don’t care to mention.” She grabbed the mug out of Fred’s hand. “I’ll just take his coffee to him.”
“Why that….” Fred glared.
“Hey, I’m nice to her.” Gunn puzzled.
Fred shot the black man a glare.
Both jumped as Wesley let out a loud yell.
Gunn and Fred ran to the doorway. “Wes,” they both called.
Wesley was standing one hand brushing his pants and the other valiantly trying to shake off the coffee that was quickly saturating the ancient page he had been studying.
“What happened?” Fred quickly went in.
“It was my fault.” Gabriel stood wringing her hands crying. “I…I had a vision and I dropped the coffee, I’m so sorry Wesley. It just hurt so much,” she sniffled.
“It was an accident,” Wesley tried to keep the anger out of his voice. “The vision,” he continued to shake the book for a moment. “Fred, please get me a cloth.”
Fred ran bumping straight into Methos.
“Whoa.” Methos held the girl by the shoulders.
“I’ve got to go, klutzy Gabby just ruined your old book.” She shook off the Immortals arm.
“The Baga Yaga text?”
“Yeah.” Fred ran towards the kitchen.
Methos went into the office. “Wesley?”
The watcher looked up showing the Immortal the page. All the ink ran together creating a nifty Rorschach test if that was what was intended.
“Shit.” Methos leaned back. “Did you finish it?”
“Mostly, and we need to talk.” Wesley glared, then turned to Gabriel. “Your vision.”
“You finished, so I didn’t mess up so badly,” she said with a hopeful smile.
“I told you not to worry, it was an accident.”
“What happened?” Duncan came up.
“Excuse me.” Fred pushed through, bringing the kitchen towel to Wesley.
“Thank you, but,” he held up the blackened smeared passage.
“Oh.” Fred glared at the blonde.
“I didn’t mean to.”
“Not important for now. Gabriel has had a vision. Please, Gabby.”
“Right,” Gabby bit at her lips, heaved her breast and twirled her hair. “Vampires.”
“And? Are they playing outside, it’s 10 am.” Fred crossed her arms still glaring.
Gabriel blinked her glare away. “Um, of course it wasn’t outside if you let me finished I would have said that a small child is trapped in the sewers and a bunch of vampires are about to kill him.” Gabriel glared and crossed her arms.
“A child?” Fred stood straighter. “I’ll go get Angel.”
Wesley nodded. “Gunn, please the map.”
“On it.” Gunn was back in less than a few seconds. He quickly draped the sewer map over Wesley’s desk.
“Gabriel, we are here.” Wesley pointed to a big X, “now where were the vampires.”
The blond sucked on her tongue. “I’m pretty sure there.” She pointed to a far point away. “Yeah, I’m sure.” She nodded with more confidence.
Part 47
Cordelia broke away from Angel’s kiss and leaned up from her position on his chest resting her chin on her fist. “I’ve decided something.” She spoke her brow wrinkled as in great thought.
“You have?” Angel hands smoothly descended to rest on the small of her back. “Do I even want to know?”
Cordelia shrugged a smile flickering on her lips.
“Are you going to tell me?”
Cordelia peered at the vampire, her expression one of exaggerated seriousness. “I have decided,” she paused dramatically. “Ow.” She pouted as Angel lightly smacked her bottom.
“You were saying.” He cocked his brow.
“Hmmph. I was going to say that I may have decided that you could touch and taste anytime you wanted, but now I’m rethinking.”
The sharp urgent knocks at the bedroom door interrupted any retort Angel was about to make. “Angel, Angel.” Fred’s voice filtered through the wood. “Angel, Cordy, Gabby Ho had a vision, child in sewer, vampires, now. Please and sorry.”
Angel groaned. Cordelia pushed at him. “Answer the door.” She swung her feet off the bed.
“Where are…?”
“Answer the door.” Cordelia shot over her shoulder as she shut the bathroom door.
Angel grabbed at his pants, stepping into them as he strode to the door.
Fred jumped as Angel swung the door open.
“How soon?”
“Soon.” Fred gulped. “Sorry,” she peeked around Angel. Her eyes flitted around the room. “Where’s Cordy, I thought…”
“Bathroom. I’ll be right down.” Angel moved to close the door.
Fred was still peering under his shoulder.
“Fred.”
Fred shot up. “Right. Wesley’s is trying to pin point the location now, and then…”
“Fred,” Angel nudged the girl further into the hall.
Fred finally looked up and down at the vampire. “You want to get dressed. Okay, Bye, see ya.” She backed up and then ran towards the vampire. “I’m really happy for you and Cordy.” She beamed, turning on her heel and running back down the stairs.
Angel shook his head, and then looked down. He bent down and picked up his and Cordy’s clothes that had been dumped near the door. He tossed them in the corner and grabbed a shirt from the closet. He looked back at the closed bathroom door.
“Cordy.” He walked through the empty bathroom into her room. “What are you doing?”
Cordelia looked up, pulling her jeans on and grabbing for a shirt. “Vision, child, sewer, vampires.” She strode to her dresser picking up a rubber band pulling her hair in a small ponytail. “Hurry up,” she nodded to the vampire’s bare feet and open shirt.
“You’re not going.” Angel stood firmly in the bathroom doorway.
Cordelia raised a brow. “Putty in your hands maybe, tell me what to do- no way.” She smiled pulling on her boots.
“Cordy.”
“Angel, you’re being stupid. I’ve fought vampires way before I actually knew how to use a sword. So, hurry up, don’t waste time on a losing argument.” She hooked her elbow under the vampire’s arm a tugged him back through the bathroom.
Angel growled.
Cordelia rolled her eyes. “Did you really think declaring your undying or is it dead love, whatever, would change things.” She smiled. “Hurry up.” She pushed him on the bed throwing some socks.
“I could always hope,” Angel grumbled pulling on his socks and boots.
Part 48
Angel kept trying to explain to Cordelia why she couldn’t go with him on the vision but the young woman refused to act rationally and listen to his compelling reasons. She kept saying ‘yada yada yada’ over and over again as she opened and closed her hand repeatedly in the universal sign of too much unwanted talking.
“Cordy, stop that.” Angel grabbed at the motioning hands, fed up with her ridiculing his repeated concerns and orders.
Cordelia turned on the lower step of the stairs. “No, not until you stop. Get over it, Angel. I’m going, live with it, deal with it and move on to something I’ll listen too, like,” she snaked her arm under his. “How much you love me, trust me, and value my contributions.” She beamed.
Angel glared. “Just because you say that you love me doesn’t mean that I’ll let you walk all over me or ignore me.”
“Pleeaase, Angel. I’ve always done that. Pfft.” She graced his cheek with a kiss.
Incorrigible. Angel fought hard against the quirking of his lips or acknowledging the truth of her statement in any manner. He sighed in resignation. “Fine, but duck.”
“Pooh, Angel, you’re the only vampire that I know that carries a sword.”
***
Angel went straight to the weapons cabinet as Cordelia scanned the floor. “Has anyone seen my sword? I might’ve dropped it last night when…” Cordelia blushed. “I might have dropped it.”
Duncan held the blade up.
“Oh, thanks.” She hid it competently under the back of her black jacket. “So Fred said vampires? How many?”
Gabriel came forward. “Only a few. I don’t think everyone will be needed,” she looked at Duncan and Methos. “But you can go, Cordelia.”
Cordy narrowed her eyes at the blonde. “Why?”
Gabriel crossed arms over her ample chest. “Because, there are a few and a small boy at stake and you would force your way into going anyway.” She retorted.
Cordelia narrowed her eyes at the blonde then turned towards Methos and Duncan. “I agree that you shouldn’t go.”
“Cordy.” Duncan started.
“No, Duncan. You and Methos have been a great help, needed when Angel wasn’t here, but now he is. I can’t expect you to risk your lives anymore. This is our job, our mission.”
Duncan started to speak again when Wesley stopped him. “Actually, you and Methos would be of help if you could take this,” he held out the Baba Yaga text, “to Walter, he has methods to repair damage to texts, possibly he could fix this.” He cringed somewhat as he looked down at the coffee ruined pages.
Methos smacked Duncan’s arm for urging agreement. “Okay.”
Fred bit her lips looking around the lobby, Gunn was stashing stakes in his jacket, Wesley was searching the weapon’s cabinet, Angel and Cordelia were waiting near the door, and Methos and Duncan were getting their jackets. Gabriel was back to sniffling at Wesley’s comments about the book.
”Can I go with you,” she said before the thought was completely formed. Fred amazed herself at her words. Hospital and Caritas aside, she hadn’t really left the hotel before, but the idea of staying alone with Gabriel was rapidly washing away any nervousness she may have been feeling.
“You sure?” Methos knew that Fred had been hesitant about going out into the world.
Fred looked again at the blonde. “Definitely.”
***
“What is it Cordy?” Angel looked over at the pensive young woman. She shrugged and continued her brisk pace.
“Cordy?” Angel was getting slightly unsettled; Cordelia hadn’t said a word since they entered the sewers.
Cordelia paused taking a deep breath. “Why did the blonde bimbo want me to come with you, she should be all about ‘you aren’t needed, you aren’t suppose to here’, not go, go, go, with OH Angel.”
Wesley called from behind. “She explained that already and after last night she had to realize that seer or not, she wasn’t keeping you and Angel apart.”
“Like she could, blonde floozy and why did she want to, nevermind- I know why she wanted to – she wanted to get into Angel’s pants.”
“Cordy,” Wesley sighed. “Angel was a playing it a bit strong last night, she had reason to believe that he was interested in her.”
“I was not.” Angel turned offended.
Cordy swirled to face the vampire. “You were too, you were all about peering down her dress. Perv.”
“I told you it was self-preservation, duck, and avoid” He pleaded and then turned to glare at Wesley. “Shut up.”
Wesley ignored the vampire. “Please, Cordy, there is nothing sinister about Gabby’s actions. She just realized that you were going to go, it’s not like anyone could’ve talked you out of coming. I’m sure Angel tried already.”
Angel shuffled looking at his feet, mumbling, ” yada, yada, yada,” and open and closed his hand repeatedly, “Fat lot of good it did.”
Cordelia stared a moment at the face-making vampire. “God, you are just a baby sometimes.”
“Am not.”
“Are to.”
“Hey, you did it first.”
“Because I had a reason, you were being yady, yady stupid. Now you’re just being a baby.”
“I am not.”
“Are to.”
“Glad to see that doing the freaky freaky didn’t put the halt to all that adult bickering, I would’ve missed that.” Gunn rolled his eyes at the couple. “Can we get back to tramping through the sewer? Small child to save.”
Wesley spared the black man a glance. “Freaky freaky,” he silently mouthed.
Gunn shrugged.
Wesley shook his head. “Cordy,” interrupting another bout of am not – are to.
“What? Oh, I don’t know about Gabby Ho, she tried to get me killed before.” Cordelia huffed.
“Cordy,” Wesley rolled his eyes. “That was a mistake, you know that.”
“Hmmph.” Cordelia resumed her pace.
Part 49
“Another update on the Cordy-Angel sex escapades?” Lindsey stood in the doorway.
Lilah waved the other lawyer in as she continued to talk on the phone.
Lindsey sat down listening to Lilah’s side of the conversation.
“Oh for god sakes, we don’t have time for you to go searching schoolyards and parks for a small boy, get a shape shifter. We’re in a hurry. Lilah rolled her eyes. “Yes, I said vampires. Are you new? We’ve them on payroll, you idiot, check with personnel. And make sure they understand their instructions- Wyndham-Price must die and Cordelia Chase must be captured. The others I don’t care about, the priority is Wyndham-Price and the girl. I said we’re in hurry that means NOW.” She hung up.
“Interesting conversation.” Lindsey cocked a brow.
“Vision.” She shook her head.
Lindsey turned to the bigheaded brain pulsating man mediating above the floor. “I thought, big head freak was orchestrating those, leaving us with plenty enough time to set them up.”
Lilah shrugged. “Gabriel contacted him. She had to create a diversion. So she made up a vision. At least she didn’t concoct an apocalypse.”
“No, just the death of a child. Wonderful.”
“Is that compassionate disapproval, I hear? Don’t worry we can’t get a small boy on time.”
Lindsay rolled his eyes. “What’s the deal with Wyndham-Price, why do we want him dead now? And we have the green light to take Cordelia?”
“Yes and yes.”
“The reason?”
“It seems that the book that wasn’t a concern to our Immortal has now become one.” Lilah shook her head.
“What book?”
“The one she didn’t tell us about, the one that Wyndham-Price and the really old Immortal have been studying for the last few months, or at least the Immortal has but Wyndham-Price was getting interested. It seems that our Immortal didn’t foresee that somebody would actually read it, even though she knew Angel Investigations had the original. Amateurs.” Lilah said in disgust.
“The book?”
“The text of Baba Yaga.”
“The witch of Hansel and Gretal fame?”
“You aren’t just a pretty face are you?”
Lindsay rolled his eyes. “What’s so important about an ancient eastern European witch?”
“I don’t know, our partner is silent, except that now everything is on rush order. I’ve got research pulling up everything on the witch.”
“What do you need me for?”
“I’ve got my hands full staging a vision. You need orchestrate the acquisition of the original book. It’s being taken to that Bandox demon’s shop for repair.”
“Easy enough.”
“Um, Lindsay, two Immortals with swords are carrying it.”
“Less easy, but doable.” Lindsay commented as he left.