Bonds

Author Email: jackieb@kconline.com

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
 

~Chapter: 6~

"That is all the information we have about Angelus, Ms. Claymore. Is there something else we can help you with?"

Maira watched, a look of disgust on her face, as the lawyer, one Nathan Reed, gave her an insincere smile. Goddess, how she hated working with toadies like him. Thankfully, after this initial visit she would be working with Ms. Morgan. Which would be an improvement; as long as she didn’t start fawning all over her. "Yes. You can scrap all operations regarding the vampire."

Lilah Morgan snorted. Just who did this woman think she was? "I understand that you have business with Angel but we have too much time and money wrapped up in stopping him to just drop the projects at the request of a client."

"I’m sorry, there’s been a misunderstanding." Maira’s eyes turned black as a sharp, cold wind began inside the office; blowing papers everywhere. "It wasn’t a request. It was an order."

Shivering as the wind cut through her suit chilling her, Lilah stared wide-eyed at the statuesque woman, sitting across from her. She had known that the woman was an important client by Reed’s pandering, but she hadn’t realized she was powerful enough to bypass the security system that prevented unauthorized use of magick.

"Please excuse Ms. Morgan. She’s just concerned with the waste of resources." Reed waved his hand, indicating it was a minor problem. "But don’t worry I will personally see that everyone is notified today."

Maira raised her right eyebrow at Reed’s assertion but let the spell go. "Good. As for Ms. Morgan’s *concern* I have a suggestion. You can use the extra manpower to eliminate the Slayer."

"You want us to kill the Slayer?!"

"Actually, Ms. Morgan, I want you to get rid of the Slayer *and* the blonde vampire that helps her."

Lilah gave the woman a look of disbelief. The woman’s gall was unimaginable. Waltzing in here and demanding that all operations against Angel be stopped and then telling them to waste their time trying to kill the Slayer. "Do you know how many attempts there have been against the girl? All of which, I’d like to point out, that have failed."

"No and I don’t care. The only thing that concerns me is that *you* get the job done."

Reed quickly spoke up before Lilah could make a sarcastic retort. "I know someone who may be of help. He’s already in Sunnydale; he has his own agenda so has kept a low profile. But I’m sure, for the right price, he’ll be willing to help."

"Fine." Maira stood up, ready to leave. "I’ll be in contact if I need anything else."

Once the door closed behind her, Lilah turned to Reed. "You can’t possible be serious about using Tucker? There’s only one thing he’ll want in payment and the Senior Partners will have your heart if you give it to him."

Closing his portfolio, Reed got up from the table and gave her a flat look. "Yes, I do plan to utilize Tucker. As far as the Senior Partners, they will do nothing. Maira Claymore is a very powerful, very unstable, witch; even the Senior Partners aren’t willing to challenge her." Reed opened the door to the conference room before turning back to Lilah. "A fact you would do well to keep in mind when you work with her."

Shit! Lilah resisted the urge to bang her head on the table. What did she get herself involved in this time?

********

"You don’t have to worry about Angelus." Willow wanted to reassure the others who were still keeping a nervous eye on the vampire. At least Cordelia finally released Fred, who gave the first aid kit to Angel. "The bond anchored Angel’s soul."

Cordelia snorted in disbelief. "Oh yeah, cause we all know *Angel* threatens Buffy all the time."

"No. That was Angelus’ feelings coming out." Willow stopped, drawing in a sharp breath as Angel cleaned the scratches on her back. She could feel his regret over hurting her through the bond and comfortingly patted his hand that rested on her shoulder.

"How? I mean, if Angel’s soul is permanent then how can Angelus take control?" Wes broke in while she was distracted.

"Because the ritual also eliminated the curse, freeing Angelus." Wondering what was taking Angel so long, Willow twisted trying to look over her shoulder, earning a warning growl from Angel.

"Sit still." Angel stared grimly at the deep scratches, still upset that the demon had managed to hurt her, only half-paying attention to what she said. It was obvious she had kept some information from him, a fact that upset her, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. She was his now and that was the only thing that mattered to him.

"Hello, still confused here," Cordelia called out drawing Willow’s attention back to them. "How can Angel and Angelus both exist at the same time."

Willow tried to shrug but Angel’s hand on her shoulder prevented it; probably a good thing as it would’ve hurt. "For the most part they always have since Angelus was cursed. The only time they didn’t was when the curse was broken. Otherwise, Angelus is always in Angel, just caged."

"Alright, I get what you’re saying about both of them always being there. But my question is: how do you know that Angelus won’t take control and start killing?" Gunn kept his hand on his axe as he waited for a reply.

"He can’t." Willow held up her hand preventing the others from speaking. "To make you understand why I know that I’ll need to tell you a little about how the bond is created." Taking a deep breath, she began to explain. "Most scholars and historians believe that the warrior is bonded to the Sister but that’s not quite how it works. When a Protector is bonded, or a Sister for that matter, they must take an oath, one that is created for each individual, and that is what the spell binds them to."

"The power is in the words," Fred spoke up for the first time. "It makes sense. Words are very strong."

"Right, that’s why I was very careful about how I worded the oath." Willow smiled at the brunette physicist. "The pledge I used invoked both Angel and Angelus, that’s what anchored Angel’s soul; it also bound Angelus to our fight against evil."

"So what? Angelus became a Care Bear with fangs?" Cordelia asked incredulously.

"Not likely. It didn’t change his basic personality. Which means he will continue to be sarcastic, taunting and vicious in a fight." Willow peeked at the silent vampire beside her, who had finished bandaging her wound, not sure how he was going to react to the rest. "But it does mean he can’t go on a killing spree like he did in Sunnydale."

"Well that all sounds good," came Gunn’s reply. "But I have a question; is he going to be the vampire version of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde?"

"Hopefully, no. I’m sure at first we’ll be able to tell between when Angel’s in control and when Angelus is. Eventually though, the soul and demon should merge into one entity. It would’ve been better if the Gypsies had done that in the first place but I can understand why they didn’t."

Seeing both Wes and Cordy were going to question that statement, Willow once again held up her hand forestalling their questions as she stood up. "Look we can discuss this more later but at the moment I need to go call Buffy; otherwise both her and Spike will be on the doorstep before sunrise."

Realizing she was right, none of the others made any objections as she made her way upstairs.
 

~Chapter: 7~

Hanging up the phone, Willow flung herself back on the bed and covered her eyes with her arm. Well, that went better than she had hoped. Willow gave a sharp laugh at that. It hadn’t been as bad as she expected but it certainly hadn’t been easy.

She knew something was bothering Buffy but she wasn’t sure what. Maybe it was her bonding with Angel. Willow turned that thought over in her mind for a minute before sighing. It was possible but it didn’t feel like the right answer. She wished they could sit down with a container of ice cream and talk about this. That wasn’t likely to happen though, not with her here in LA and Buffy in Sunnydale. Yeah, like they did a lot of that before she left.

Letting her arm drop down onto the bed, Willow frowned up at the ceiling at that last thought. Yeah, maybe they hadn’t talked that much since Buffy came back from the dead; both of them were going through a lot of changes they’d been trying to deal with. But they had talked before that. Hadn’t they?

Willow absently rubbed her fingers over the coverlet, finding the soft satin soothing, as she tried to remember the last time they had sat down and had a real heart-to-heart. The time right before her death they had been busy with protecting Dawn, trying to cure Tara and finding away to stop Glory. Also there had been her mom’s sickness and death and while she had been there, offering her support, they didn’t really have a serious conversation.

Well, before that they had talked. No, Willow shook her head. Buffy had been spending all of her free time with Riley while she had been spending hers with Tara. Her eyes widened briefly before she squeezed them shut in pain as she realized the last time her and Buffy had truly talked was right after they defeated Adam. When they had vowed not to let themselves grow so distance; obviously a vow they quickly ignored.

Feeling fingers caressing her cheek, Willow opened her eyes and looked into familiar brown ones; she wasn’t surprised to see Angel sitting beside her, having felt him enter.

"Are you okay?" He had tried to wait downstairs for her but the pain and confusion coming through their bond had pulled him to her.

"I’ve been better."

"Is it your shoulder?"

"No, it’s almost healed. One of the many advantages of my new status; quick healing." Willow flashed him a weak smile. "I was thinking about Buffy."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really. But I may take you up on that offer later."

Angel continued to run his fingers down the side of her face, enjoying the silky feel of her skin. "The offers always open."

Willow leaned into his caress for a moment before slowly pulling back to look him in the eyes. "Are you okay with the bonding? I know I should’ve told you the whole deal about Angelus. And I really did mean to but then you agreed and I got scared you’d change your mind if you knew the truth. It was selfish of me but…" Willow stopped as he placed a finger over her mouth.

Letting his hand slide away, Angel moved so he was lying on his side facing her. "It doesn’t matter. Nothing would’ve changed my mind." Seeing the doubt still in her eyes, Angel shrugged slightly. "Alright, I’ll admit I’m not thrilled you kept this from me but I’m not upset either." Unable to resist the need to touch her, Angel cupped her cheek in his hand and began to run his thumb over her jaw. "Its like you said, it’s not as if I wasn’t sharing space with him before. It’s just now I don’t have to worry about losing my soul."

Willow knew his urge to touch her had to be a result of the bond, he certainly had never felt the urge before, but she still wished he would stop. It was making her nerves hyper-aware, turning her insides to liquid and making it almost impossible for her to think. Inhaling a steadying breath, Willow had to bite back a groan, as it caused her to draw in his intoxicating scent. Swallowing hard, she forced herself to focus on the conversation. "How does Angelus feel?"

Feeling his demon fighting to talk to their witch himself and knowing she would be safe, Angel closed his eyes and gave in.

Opening his eyes, Angelus swept his gaze over the redhead, appreciating the visual feast she presented. He paused at her breasts, enjoying the way her shirt outlined her nipples which tightened even more under his scrutiny, slowly moving up to the pulse pounding madly against her throat until finally meeting her passion dilated eyes. A sensuous smile curved his lips. Despite all of his protest, soul-boy liked to play as much as he did.

Angelus leaned down until his lips were nearly touching hers. "You set me free; putting up with soul-boy is a small price to pay for that. Especially as it means having you." His smile widened as the smell of her desire grew stronger. "And I do mean having in every sense of the word."

Willow felt her heart skip a beat before it began to pick up speed as a throbbing began between her legs. She wanted to say something; to protest or beg she wasn’t sure but Angelus’ words and actions finished what Angel had started and turned her brain to mush.

"But not at this moment." Angelus quickly brushed his lips against hers before pulling back and moving to once again lie beside her. He grimaced as his body protested; clamoring for him to take her. He wasn’t familiar with denial, and he had no intentions of getting use to it, but he wouldn’t take her now. Not with the fatigue matching the desire in her eyes. When he finally made love to her there would be nothing to stop the fire he could sense in her from consuming her; and him.

Seeing the protest forming on her lips, Angelus hushed her. "No. You’re tired and need to sleep." Wrapping his arm around her and pulling her closer, he smirked down at her. "But don’t worry, we will continue this…*discussion* when you wake up."

Letting out a shaky breath, Willow slowly forced her body to relax, a task made more difficult by his closeness. The moment all of her tension was gone she was asleep.

A state it took Angel longer to achieve.

********

"Hello."

"Do you know what time it is?"

"What?! No, you did the right thing. See if you can find out anything else. I’ll contact you once I reach LA."

"Don’t take any unnecessary risks."

Hanging up the phone, Lindsey McDonald sat up on the edge of the motel bed and ran his fingers through his hair.

Shit! He didn’t want to go back to LA; he’d been more than happy to leave the city and everybody in it behind. He especially didn't want to go back and help Angel. But, damn it, he owed him and the one thing Lindsey had always prided himself on, even when he worked for Wolfram and Hart, was paying his debts.

Grabbing his jeans and T-shirt from the floor, he quickly pulled them on. There was no sense in bitching about not wanting to go to LA when he’d already made his decision. Slipping on his boots, Lindsey grabbed his guitar and duffel bag; thankful he hadn’t unpacked anything. All he needed now was a cup of coffee from the restaurant next door and he’d be on his way.
 

~Chapter: 8~

Buffy stalked through the cemetery, a stake gripped tightly in one hand, looking for some vampires or demons she could take her aggression out on. She ignored her companion until he started yelling.

"Bloody hell, Slayer! Tell me what happened!" Spike’s voice rose as he ran out of his very limited patience.

"Look, I told you she was fine," Buffy replied with just as much impatience. "So why don’t you go away."

Snarling, Spike grabbed Buffy’s arm, bringing them both to a stop.

Instinctively, she swung her hand with the stake at his chest. Luckily, Spike caught her wrist before the stake reached him.

"I’ve had enough, you bloody, annoying chit. Red’s my friend too and I want to know what’s wrong," he demanded.

Buffy’s eyes narrowed as she glared at him and contemplated continuing what she had started. Well, not actually staking him but a good fight would help release some of the anger she had. In the end it was the concern in his eyes that stopped her. "She *is* fine. She just got scratched by some Vahrall demons that attacked her and Angel but they managed to kill them."

Spike reluctantly dropped her wrist; he enjoyed touching her, normally using any excuse he could, but he didn’t want to set her off now that she was actually talking to him. "That’s it? That jolt earlier felt like more than some bloody scratches."

"That was mostly Willow bonding Angel," Buffy mumbled as she stared at the ground.

Spike blinked sure that despite his enhanced hearing he’d heard her wrong. "When she what?"

"Bonded Angel as her Protector." Buffy shot him a dark look at having to repeat the statement.

"Bloody hell!" Spike, still cussing, stalked over to a nearby tombstone and kicked it, causing it to crack. If Willow bonded that bloody wanker it meant she wasn’t coming back. After a few minutes, he calmed down enough to be civil or at least as civil as he got and turned back towards Buffy. "Is that what has you all twisted up?"

"Yes, no." Sighing, Buffy scrubbed at her face with her empty hand.

Spike lifted his eyebrow. "Well that was real clear." Seeing that she was torn up about the situation, he walked over to another tombstone, brushed it off and patted it. "Come on, tell daddy Spike all about it."

Rolling her eyes at his words, Buffy still walked over and sat down on the marker. "I don’t even know where to start," she said as she tapped the stake against the top of the gravestone.

"Well, first enough of this." Spike snatched her stake away and dropped it into one of the duster’s pockets. "If I have to listen to you do that the rest of the night it would drive me buggy."

Buffy huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Like that would take much."

"Enough pouting, Slayer." Turning, Spike moved so he could lean back against the marker beside her and looked up at the stars. "Now, is this about Angel?"

That was easy enough to answer. "No. Angel was my first love and will always have a special place in my heart but we’ve both moved on. I want him to be happy or as happy as he can be, but…"

Spike pushed aside his relief. Just because she was over that Irish bastard it didn’t mean she’d ever be interested in him. Pulling out his pack of smokes, he looked over at her, waiting for her to continue. When she didn’t he cocked an eyebrow at her and prompted her. "But what?"

Reaching out, Buffy pulled the cigarette from his mouth and crushed it against the tombstone. "None of that. You may not get lung cancer but I can."

"Whatever. You’re stalling, luv."

She grimaced at the accuracy of that. "Did it have to be Willow?"

"You said he was her Protector. Is there more?" Spike crushed the cigarette pack he still held at the thought. Not happy about that possibility, afraid it would signal the end of his friendship with the witch.

"No." Buffy shook her head. "At least not at the moment. Though with Angel spending so much time with her it wouldn’t surprise me if that changed. Not too many people can resist her wily, Willowy charms once they get to know her."

Spike couldn’t argue with that. He knew if he hadn’t been so enraptured by the Slayer, his feelings for the little witch wouldn’t have stopped at friendship. "You don’t sound very upset about the prospect."

Buffy shrugged. "I think Willow would be good for Angel. And if he hurts her, I’ll stake him."

"I’d help." Spike revealed in the smile that she flashed him. Tearing his gaze away from the petite blonde, he continued his questioning. "So if you’re not worried about them shagging each other senseless, though that wouldn’t take much in the Pouf’s case," he ducked the slap Buffy sent his way, "then what is the problem?"

"She’s *my* best friend. She’s supposed to stay here," Buffy blurted out. Dragging her hand through her hair, she sighed. "And doesn’t that sound selfish."

Snorting in amusement, Spike looked over at her.

Catching Spike’s glance, Buffy rolled her eyes. "Alright, it more than sounds selfish, it is selfish. But I can’t help it." Seeing him opening his mouth, she pointed a finger at him. "No comments from you!"

"What?" Spike tried giving her an innocent look.

"Hmmp." Buffy shot him a look of laughing disbelief. Turning serious, she braced her arms on the headstone and stared down at the ground. She was nervous about saying anything else, afraid he’d wouldn’t understand, not sure she did. "Willow’s more than my best friend. She’s the one who has been there for me no matter how tough things got. And now she’s gone."

"You’re feeling like your alone, now," Spike replied quietly; all to aware of that same emotion rolling around inside himself. He quickly shoved the feeling aside. It was bad enough everyone knew he was in love with the Slayer, he wasn’t about to admit he missed the little witch; he was the Big Bad, he wasn’t suppose to get mushy over humans.

Angry over his thoughts, Spike reached for his cigarettes before realizing he still held the crushed pack. Snorting in disgust, he tossed them aside and turned towards the blonde, ready to make a sarcastic quip. Seeing the lost look on her face, Spike let the comment go, shaking his head. He really was love’s bitch. He carefully put his arm around her, unsure if she would accept what he was offering. "The thing to remember, pet, is your not. No matter where she’s living, Willow will always be your best friend. Red’s stubborn that way."

"Yeah, I know." Sighing, Buffy leaned into him, grateful for his unquestioning comfort; something usually offered by Willow. "But it’s not the same."

"No but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Besides, luv, you’re not alone. You still have Xapper, demon girl and Dawn."

Hearing the emotions he was trying to hide, Buffy looked at him and for the first time saw how alone he truly was. He was right, she still had the others she could turn to. But for Spike, only Willow and Dawn had made the effort to accept him.

Making a decision, Buffy hopped down from the headstone she’d been sitting on and turned to Spike. "I’m going to go pick Dawn up from the Magic Box, then we were going to rent a couple of movies. Want to join us?"

Jerking his head up in surprise, Spike searched her eyes. He didn’t see pity just an offer of friendship. It wasn’t what he wanted but it was more than he had expected. "Sure as long as it isn’t any of those silly films you chits tend to like."

"Well, I’m certainly not going to watch some bloody horror movie," Buffy declared as the two of them began to make their way out of the cemetery.

"Please! Those things are a joke. No self-respecting demon would be caught dead in those situations," Spike stated causing Buffy to laugh. "I prefer action movies with plenty of explosions and fights."

As their voices faded away a shadow detached itself from the side of the crypt the two had sat in front of. Moving further into the open, it became obvious that it was a man; a fairly handsome man. The moonlight showcased the sculpted cheekbones, emerald green eyes and silver-blonde hair tied back in a ponytail.

The man stood still, listening intently to the sounds of the night. Satisfied that the Slayer and vampire were gone, he pulled out his phone and looked at the message. Seeing the number displayed, he snorted. He should’ve known. There weren’t too many people willing to call him at night, knowing he would be out hunting for the medallion. Thankfully, he had turned off the ringer before reaching the cemetery. Not that he doubted his ability to take the Slayer but he didn’t want to waste his time on an unneeded fight.

After a few minutes debate, he dialed the number; not surprised when it was answered on the first ring. "Tucker," he gave his name as greeting.

"Why should I get rid of the Slayer and her pet vampire for you?" He asked after listening to the request.

There was a flash of white as Tucker smiled at the reply. "Your Senior Partners can rot in Hell for all I care. You want my help, I want the lodestone medallion."

Hearing the soft rustling of leaves behind him, Tucker pulled a stake from his pocket, spun around and threw it. The vampire trying to sneak up on him barely had time to take in the glowing green eyes, warning him his victim was far from the helpless human he had expected, before the flying projectile punctured his heart.

Tucker turned his attention back to the person on the other end as the vampire turned to dust. "Enough. I’ll get rid of your problem for you and you’ll tell me where to find what I’m looking for." Not waiting for a reply, Tucker hung up and began to make his way out of the cemetery.

He didn’t really care if they agreed to his terms or not; they had already given him the information he needed, that they knew where the medallion was located. He would kill the Slayer and her vampire, it would suit him just fine to get rid of those two, and then if they were smart the law firm would give him the information he wanted. If not he would go to LA and take it from them. It didn’t really bother him one way or the other.
 

~Chapter: 9~

"Morning," Cordelia called out cheerfully. She paused and raised her eyebrow when she caught sight of Willow. "What’s wrong?"

"Nothing." Seeing the concern on the brunette’s face, Willow shrugged. "I just talked to Xander."

"I gather he didn’t take the news well." Putting her purse in her desk drawer, Cordelia headed for the coffeepot.

Willow sighed. "He didn’t like it but he was dealing with it. Until I mentioned bonding with Angel."

"At which point he threw a fit, blaming everything on Angel." Cordelia gave the witch a sympathetic look. She knew all to well how irrational Xander could be in regards to the souled vampire.

"That about sums it up," Willow said glumly.

Not wanting to get bogged down in a discussion of her ex-boyfriend, Cordelia changed the subject. "Speaking of which, where is His Broodiness?" Taking a sip of her coffee, she made her way back to her desk.

"*Angel* was still sleeping when I got up." Willow was amused to see that despite all the maturing she’d done, Cordy still retained some of her old habits.

Smirking slightly, Cordy gave the redhead a speculative glance. "Wow! You and Angel are already sleeping together?"

"What?! No we didn’t!" Willow paused and frowned. "Well, we did but it was only sleeping. Nothing happened!"

"You’re telling me Angel had you in his bed and didn’t do anything? No touching? No kissing?" Cordelia laughed as Willow face turned bright red. "Come on give me the details."

"There was some kissing and touching but he was just trying to comfort me. Besides part of the time it was Angelus."

Cordelia rolled her eyes at Willow’s naivete. "Please! The only difference that would make is how quickly you ended up naked."

"We did not get naked!" Willow denied vehemently.

"Who didn’t get naked?" Gunn asked as him and Wesley entered the hotel.

"Willow and Angel. They slept together last night and Will’s trying to convince me nothing happened," Cordelia reported gleefully.

Gunn grinned. "Yeah, right, Red. Tell that to someone else. We all saw how Angel looked at you. There is no way that man had you in his bed and didn’t try to jump your bones."

"Could we *please* not talk about my love life?" Willow begged, wanting them to change the topic.

"Aha!" Cordelia pounced on Willow’s choice of words. "So something did happen!"

Groaning in embarrassment, Willow buried her face in her hands.

Listening from the top of the stairs, Angel figured he should make his appearance and divert the conversation before Willow lost her patience and turned them all into frogs. More likely rats, he amended, remembering her fear of frogs.

"Well, well, if it isn’t Casanova himself," Gunn greeted him when he reached the bottom of the steps. "How did you sleep last night?"

"I slept fine," he replied flatly, his voice carrying a warning to drop the subject.

Not wanting the others to push the vampire, especially with the merging of Angelus, Wesley took the hint. "Where’s Fred? She’s usually up by now."

"She is." Willow couldn’t help but smile as she remembered the conversation with the excitable brunette earlier this morning. She’d never met anyone who could get so involved in a technical conversation or babble as much as she could; it had been fun. "She went out to get some donuts. She should be back…"

"Hey! You’re all here," Fred exclaimed as she entered carrying a box of donuts.

"Soon," Willow finished quietly. She was taken back by the hostility the rest of the AI team was showing for the man who had followed Fred in, carrying another box of donuts.

"They all looked so good and I wasn’t sure what everyone wanted. What type of donuts you eat depends on what mood you’re in, don’t you think? Anyway, I bought two boxes. Which is a good thing since I didn’t realize we were expecting company."

"He’s not company," Angel growled. "What do you want Lindsey? I thought I told you to stay out of LA."

"I no longer take orders. Something you should remember, Angel," was Lindsey’s sardonic reply as he placed the box he was holding down on the counter.

"You know him?" Fred asked looking at the handsome man who had helped her out.

Lindsey avoided her eyes. It wasn’t as if he’d lied to her; he just left a few things out of the introduction.

"Yeah." Putting her hands on her hips, Cordelia glared at Lindsey. "Born-again works for Wolfram and Hart and has tried to kill us several times."

"And let us not forget that your heroic vampire cut off my hand," he sniped back.

Cordelia snorted. "You more than deserved that for bringing back that skanky ho, Darla."

"Why are you here?" Wesley broke in, stopping the argument before it could escalate any further.

Lindsey swallowed the retort on his tongue. The longer this continued the longer he was stuck here. "I have some information for you."

"And what, you decided to share it with us out of the goodness of your heart?" Angel crossed his arms over his chest and glowered at the lawyer. He was using all of his self-control to stop himself from throwing the man out. It didn’t help that Angelus felt the same way; well his response involved a lot more blood and some maiming.

"Not quite. I tell you what I know and the slate between us is wiped clean."

"Yeah, cause sharing information goes a long way towards making up for trying to kill every body," Gunn retorted sarcastically.

Tired of their attitude, Lindsey turned towards the door. "You don’t want to hear what I have to say, fine. Let Wolfram and Hart kill you and your witch, see if I care."

At that Angel growled and launched himself at the lawyer. Placing his knee in the center of Lindsey’s chest, pinning him to the floor, Angel wrapped his hand around his throat.

"Angel! No!" Jumping up from where she was sitting, Willow rushed over and grabbed his arm.

"Either you tell me what you know or I’m going to start breaking bones," Angel snarled.

Fred sidled closer and looked down at the lawyer. "Um, Angel, he can’t tell you anything if he can’t breath."

Seeing that Fred had a point, Angel thought about it for a moment before shrugging. "Guess that means I can go ahead and start breaking his bones."

"Stop it!" Willow gave his arm a sharp tug, gaining his attention. "Let him go. Now," she commanded, her voice ringing with steel.

Looking up, Angel smirked at the sight of her resolve face. It would be fun to see what she would do to enforce her demand. Catching sight of Wes and Gunn gawking at them out of the corner of his eye, he sighed and got to his feet, releasing Lindsey. Playing would have to wait until they were alone.

Fred dropped to her knees to help Lindsey as he rolled onto his side, dragging in deep breaths of air.

"Good to see you’re the same kind and cheerful self, Angel," Lindsey sneered as he made it back to his feet.

"Would you like for me to remove your hand again?"

Sighed in exasperation at their continued posturing, Willow and Fred moved in front of the guys, ensuring they were separated.

"Look before things get any more out of hand," Angel let out a snort of laughter at Willow’s choice of words, earning himself an elbow to the stomach. "Why don’t you tell us what brought you here, Lindsey?"

Before he could reply the door to the Hyperion opened and Gavin Parks, with two other suits from Wolfram and Hart, entered.
 

~Chapter: 10~

Angel growled at the new arrivals. "What are you doing here?"

Gavin Parks, sure that the vampire wouldn’t hurt him, gave him a superior smile as he held out a letter towards him. "I have a court order regarding this hotel."

"You’re just in time. Nothing like a good piece of torture to start the day out right. I wonder if we have a chainsaw around here somewhere. I haven’t ever used one of those on anyone yet," Angel told the stunned lawyer, conversationally as he stalked over to him. Looking him over appraisingly, he gave him a wolfish smile. "I bet you’re a screamer."

"You can’t kill him," Willow warned as she put a restraining hand on his arm.

"Who said anything about killing? I was thinking some broken bones, some cuts and bruises or maybe even a good whipping." He paused at the last item, thought for a moment and began smiling. "That would work. I know a demon who would give me a good deal on a bullwhip."

"Why go to all of that bother?" Lindsey’s voice drifted over from where he was standing. "You have all kinds of sharp objects lying around, just start cutting off body parts. It’s not as if Wolfram and Hart can’t replace them."

Angel turned and stared at the ex-lawyer for a moment before lifting an eyebrow. "Do you really think they’d go to all that trouble for this pissant?"

Lindsey gave the wide-eyed Parks a considering look. "Maybe not but wouldn’t it be fun to find out who they do consider important enough?"

"An excellent suggestion! I could have fun and still gain some constructive information." Angel rubbed his hands together and returned Lindsey’s smirk with one of his own. "I say we start with Mr. Parks here." With that his left hand shot out grabbing the lawyer by his suit coat.

"It’s always a good idea to start with the ones stupid enough to deliver themselves to you," Lindsey agreed as he made his way over to the weapons cabinet. Opening the cabinet, he looked over the assorted swords and knives before pulling out Angel’s favorite axe and making his way over to the waiting vampire. "I’ve seen first hand how good you are with a scythe let’s see how you do with this."

Taking the axe in his free hand, Angel snorted. "You want me to cut off his hand? What’s the challenge in that?"

"Actually, I was wanting to see you duplicate the throw that took off my hand."

Angel’s smirk widened. "You think I got luck," he stated.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Lindsey looked at the vampire. "Luck or skill, I’ll let you prove but I have fifty bucks that say you can’t take his hand in one throw."

"It’ll be my pleasure to take your money."

"Wait! You can’t do this!" Gavin shouted as he struggled to get out of Angel’s grasp.

Pulling him closer, Angel smiled down into his terrified face. "You planning on stopping me?"

"Angel!"

At his name, the dark-haired vampire turned to find his witch glaring at him, with her fists on her hips. "What? I was just going to have a little fun. Wasn’t planning any permanent damage. Well, nothing permanent as long as Wolfram and Hart are willing to put out some money for repairs."

Willow sighed in exasperation as she fought against smiling at the puppy dog look he was giving her. "I don’t know about you but I can think of much better things to than to spend all afternoon cleaning up blood," she told him tartly.

"Oh, me too." Angel’s gaze traveled down her curves and his smile turned sensual, leaving her no doubt what he was referring to.

Feeling herself blush at his innuendo, Willow gave him a stern frown, telling him to behave. "Then release him and let him tell us why he’s here so him and his goons can leave."

The look she was giving him told him that she was had enough of his games and if he didn’t do what she’d suggested he could kiss goodbye any chance of finishing what they’d started last night. Growling softly, Angel turned back to Parks. Releasing his hold, he gave him a shove backwards. "Fine. Tell me why you’re here before I change my mind and use you for target practice."

Gavin Parks thrust his hand holding the letter out, chagrined that it visible shook, letting them know how much they had affected him. "This is for you."

Lindsey reached over and plucked the paper from his hand, giving the lawyer a derisive glance. He couldn’t believe that Wolfram and Hart had stooped to sending this jackass to harass Angel. Lilah must be loving having to work with some so low on the totem pole as Parks. A flash of amusement lit his eyes as he imagined his ex-colleague’s reaction.

Opening the letter all amusement fled. "This is bullshit! Even a half-incompetent lawyer could squash this in a matter of hours. What’s the real game?" His eyes were hard, as he looked at the lawyer once again being restrained by Angel.

At Lindsey’s first exclamation, Angel had grabbed Parks by his coat, preventing him from leaving. Flashing his fangs, he snarled at the hapless lawyer. "Why are you here? And no more lies."

"All I know is that Lilah Morgan told me to deliver the letter to you." Swallowing his panic, Parks gripped Angel’s wrist, trying to wrench free. Sensing the truth in his words, Angel abruptly released him, causing him to stagger and almost fall.

"Lilah really must not like you. She was certainly willing to feed you to the lions." The look in the other lawyer’s eyes told Lindsey his guess was right. "Since your nothing more than a glorified messenger boy take a message to Lilah for me. I don’t know what her game is but she’d better cut her losses or I’ll help Angel bury her."

Gavin’s face tightened at Lindsey’s derogatory remark but refrained from commenting, not wanting a fight with the firm’s former golden boy. Picking up the briefcase he’d dropped the first time he’d been grabbed, he headed for the door with what dignity he had left but was stopped by Angel’s voice.

"As long as your taking messages I’ve got one for your bosses. I’m tired of them messing with me and mine. If they continue I’ll show them how the game is played."

Shuddering at the silky tone of voice that the vampire had delivered the threat in, Parks and the other two with him scurried out of the office.

Once the lawyers from Wolfram and Hart had left, Lindsey turned back to the dark-haired vampire and gave him a mocking glance. "Never thought to see this day."

"What? Me kicking the ass of some pansy lawyer? You saw that from the receiving end many times," Angel replied as he met the brunette’s look with his trademark smirk.

"Please, I’m so much better than those jack-offs that just left, there is no comparison," Lindsey sneered. "No, the surprise was you taking orders from a slip of woman."

"Hey!" Willow protested while Angel laughed.

A sensual grin curving his lips, he gave the redhead a knowing looking. "I don’t mind taking orders when there’s the promise of such a sweet reward."

"R-reward?" Willow stumbled over the word as the heat from his gaze washed over her.

"Speaking of which, my little witch and I need to go *discuss* just what my reward will be for my good behavior." Angel strode over and taking Willow’s hand pulled her towards the stairs.

"What about me?" Lindsey called after the departing couple.

"You’re not invited," was the reply.

Lindsey rolled his eyes. "I have no desire to watch you have sex. We need to talk about my former employers."

Angel paused half way up the stairs. Turning around he gave Lindsey a considering look before nodding. "We’ll talk later this evening. Fred, show him to a room he can use while he’s here." With that he turned back around and dragged a blushing Willow up to their room.

********

Safely back in the car and heading towards the offices of Wolfram and Hart, Gavin Parks pulled out his cell phone and stabbed at a familiar speed-dial number.

"Is it done?"

"Why didn’t you tell me he was more Angelus than Angel?" He spit the words out between clenched teeth.

Lilah paused, lifting a surprised eyebrow at that tidbit. Leaning back in her chair, she made sure her voice was calm and collected, not giving away the fact she hadn’t known. "If you couldn’t handle the job just say so."

Gavin took a steadying breath, resisting the urge to yell at her; it would only show his lack of control. "He has the letter. Though I don’t know what good it will do. Lindsey said it wouldn’t take more than a couple of hours to break it."

"Lindsey MacDonald?" This time Lilah wasn’t able to keep the shock out of her voice, drawing the attention of the woman reading her files.

Some of Gavin’s anger lessened at her lack of control. "The one and only. It seems as if he decided to side with Angel after all."

Damn it! Lilah bit her lip to keep from repeating the curse out loud. This was a complication she didn’t need. It would be hard enough to manipulate Angel and his crew without throwing Lindsey in as a wildcard. "Come to my office once you get back." She hung up the phone without giving him a chance to protest.

"Who is Lindsey MacDonald?"

"He’s an ex-employee of Wolfram and Hart. After making a scene at the last board meeting he quit," she kept her answer short, only giving the necessary facts.

Maira raised an eyebrow at that answer. "And they didn’t kill him?"

Lilah shrugged. She too had thought it would’ve been the prudent thing to do. "Lindsey has a great deal of information about the firm and it’s policies. It was decided to move cautiously in an effort not to make an enemy of him in the case he decided to just quietly disappear from the scene."

"Obviously he has not," Maira replied. She went over her plan, determining whether she should change it or not. Finally, deciding that this was as good an opportunity to test the new player in the game as well as the others. "Everything is in place?" She queried as she turned her attention back to the folder in front of her.

"Yes, he has the letter."

"Good than the only thing left to do is remove the player that represents the most risk." She handed the file she had been reading to the blonde.

"You want to kill one of Angel’s friends?" Lilah looked from the folder in her hands over to the woman who had handed it to her in disbelief. "If what Gavin Parks said is correct and we’re dealing with Angelus he wouldn’t hesitate to kill me to get even."

"Glad you have your priorities straight. As for your concerns." Reclining back in her chair, Maira crossed her legs and gave her an amused look. "First off, it’s not Angelus. A full demon can never be bonded to a Sister; the witch must have done something to the curse binding him. And second, I don’t intend to kill anyone, at least not yet. I would never waste a potential resource."

next

back