~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sunnydale
Buffy stirred as she heard the phone ring in the dorm room. Grumbling, she rolled over to look at the blazing red digits on her alarm clock and noted that it was only seven in the morning.
Sighing in frustration at being woken up so early on her first official day of summer vacation, she prepared to reach for the phone when the ringing suddenly stopped. Buffy cracked an eye open and saw that Willow had answered, and was deep in conversation.
Feeling relieved that she hadn't had to remove all traces of sleep from her mind in order to answer the phone, Buffy promptly closed her eyes and allowed her mind to drift again.
Only a few minutes passed before she was woken again by the sound of frantic, yet muffled screams. Immediately recognizing the voice as Willow's, Buffy jumped out of her bed, ignoring the clock and her body's desperate cries for rest, and landed in a fighting stance, ready to take on and kill whatever evil was harming her friend.
She looked quickly around the room after seeing Willow unharmed, then relaxed her stance after she had assured herself that there was no danger.
"Buffy, I'm so sorry!" Willow came over to friend, "I didn't mean to wake you up."
"No prob, Will," Buffy yawned, more tired than upset.
"It's just that I was so excited!" she stopped Buffy just as she was about to head back to bed.
Buffy turned around, blinking her eyes and clearing the haziness from her vision, and looked closely at Willow. Her face was beaming, her eyes were glittering, and she had the widest smile on her face. Buffy couldn't help but smile back.
"What happened?" she asked, stepping over to her friend, "who was that on the phone?"
Willow grinned for a moment longer before she answered the question, "Only the biggest law firm in Los Angeles."
Buffy pondered that statement for a moment before deciding there had to be more to it if it had gotten Willow this excited.
"And?" she prodded.
"And," Willow was practically bouncing up and down, "they want to offer me a job!" The sheer jubilance of her voice warmed Buffy, as she found herself automatically hugging Willow and jumping up and down with her friend. "Will, that's great!" her voice was ecstatic.
"Isn't it?" Willow released her as she began talking at a rapid pace, "I got this letter from them like two weeks ago saying that they were interested in offering me a job when the school year was out, but I just assumed it was some generic letter, you know, like the kind that they send to thousands of people. But that was them this morning, asking me if I'd had a chance to look over their letter and the information that they sent, and wondering if I could come in for an interview today. Can you believe it?"
Buffy's initial happiness for her friend had subsided a bit, allowing her to think a bit more clearly. "But Will, you're not a lawyer."
"I know, silly. They want me to manage their computer system--the position is for a systems analyst."
"Oh! That's great!" Buffy congratulated her, "you said they were in LA?"
"Yeah," Willow nodded her head, "the best law firm in LA..." she trailed off as she realized what that meant, "which happens to be the city that Angel lives in. Buffy, I'm sorry--"
"What do you have to be sorry about?" Buffy cut her off casually. "So Angel lives in LA now. It's a big city. Lots of people live there...I just don't want *you* to live there."
"What?" Willow was confused for a moment.
"Will, you're my best friend," Buffy tried to explain, "and I have no doubts whatsoever that you're gonna get that job. Then you move to LA, and where does that leave me?"
Willow's cloud came crashing back to earth suddenly as she registered Buffy's words. "I'm sorry. I didn't even think of that. It's just that I was so happy that they offered me--"
"And you should be," Buffy apologized, "I'm just being selfish. You should be thinking about your future, not mine. It's just that, when you said this place was in LA, the first thought in my mind wasn't 'yay for Willow', it was 'no more Willow for me.' *I'm* sorry."
"Buffy," Willow came up to hug her friend, "I don't even know if I'm going to get the job."
"Of course you will, you brain with legs you," Buffy chided her, "and you should go for it. When's your interview?"
"In the afternoon. They've booked me on a flight out to LA in a couple of hours. Help me pack?" she asked almost shyly.
Buffy's face broke out into a smile as she said, "Of course. What's the firm's name anyway?"
Willow grinned as she pulled out the letter she had received from them, showing Buffy the personalized stationery as if to emphasize her point about the firm's prosperity and size. "Wolfram and Hart."
Buffy returned her grin.
***
Los Angeles
"Well?"
"Well what?" Lindsey looked at his companion, feigning innocence.
"Has it been arranged?"
"She's scheduled to board a flight out here in a couple of hours. We have a limo arranged to take her to a hotel room in case she needs to drop off any items or freshen up, then bring her directly here to our offices."
"I see."
"I told you not to worry," Lindsey stood up from his desk and stretched, "everything's ready. All we need now is the witch."
His companion smiled.
End Part 1
"Welcome to Wolfram and Hart," Lindsey smiled at the petite redhead as she entered the main building. He had been waiting by the main entrance for her arrival, and, admittedly, was somewhat relieved when the limo arrived. He couldn't afford for anything to go wrong, especially now.
"I'm glad to be here," Willow smiled at the man, noticing, much to her horror, his evident good looks. "And, um, you are...?"
"Lindsey," he extended his hand to greet her formally, "Lindsey McDonald. And may I say that it is a pleasure to finally meet the infamous Willow Rosenberg."
"Infamous, huh?" Willow questioned as she shook his offered hand.
"Of course. Not too many people of your...qualifications...can be found. They're quite remarkable, actually."
"The people or my qualifications?" Willow's brow ruffled slightly in confusion.
Lindsey laughed, a sound Willow found to be somewhat charming, and responded, "Your qualifications, of course."
"Oh. Well, thank you."
"You're welcome. Would you like a quick tour first? Or would you prefer to meet my associates?" Lindsey asked, gazing with interest at the woman before him. He still had a hard time believing that so much power and intelligence could be stored in such a small, if at least pretty, frame.
"Um, a tour sounds good," Willow answered. She didn't exactly know why she had selected that option. Oddly, it was more of a gut instinct than a rational decision.
"Right this way," Lindsey nodded his head and led her to the first floor offices.
***
"And this is my new office," Lindsey spoke as he opened the door and allowed her to step inside, "which officially concludes the tour."
"New?" Willow's ears had settled on the word.
"Yes. I was recently promoted to Junior Partner."
"Congratulations," Willow told him, despite the sudden chill she had received upon entering the office. In fact, the chill seemed to be present throughout the entire building--it was merely intensified here. Lindsey had led her by the first floor offices, which were mainly occupied by interns, secretaries, and security men. They had then gone past the cafeteria, which was more like a five-star restaurant, and the lounging room, which looked like it belonged in the foyer of the Ritz. The two rooms seemed to be the majority of the first floor. The second floor and beyond were merely offices, all arranged in the same patterns and quite orderly, but Willow couldn't help but feeling that there was more. Heck, she *knew* there was more, since there was a floor above this, but Lindsey had quite certainly said that the tour ended here. It was probably just that no one was allowed on the top floor--reserved for the executives and all that.
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but Willow still felt a little uneasy. Noticing for the first time the two other people in the room, Willow quickly gathered her wits and smiled at them, casting her unease away as mere nervousness. "Hello, I'm--"
"Willow Rosenberg," the woman seated at the edge of the desk stood, "We're very happy you decided to come today. Oh, how rude of me. I'm Lilah, Lindsey's associate, and this is Holland, one of the Senior partners."
The elderly man that Lilah had called Holland stood from his seat as well and shook her hand, "A pleasure to meet you Ms. Rosenberg."
"Likewise," she tried to put on her best professional manner. She wasn't used to being around such business-like people, and for a moment, she felt intimidated.
"Please, take a seat," Lindsey motioned to the chair facing the desk, and Willow sat down. The three lawyers did the same, with Holland occupying the seat behind the desk, Lilah seated towards her left, and Lindsey at her right.
"Well, Ms. Rosenberg," Holland cleared his throat and began, "we're quite aware of what you can do--your records are exemplary--"
"Records?" Willow cut him off unintentionally, but wondering what in the world he was talking about. The man didn't seem to mind, though, as he answered, "Your academic records. From high school and your first year at UC Sunnydale. Your achievements are outstanding--"
"But I thought those records were private, well, unless you were a college or something," Willow was still confused.
"Willow," Lindsey tried to explain, "you don't mind if I call you Willow, do you?"
"No."
"Good. I don't quite know how to put this, but Wolfram and Hart isn't your average law firm. We have a certain reputation and status here in Los Angeles that we're able to maintain by thoroughly investigating our prospective employees. We only hire the best of the best, and in order to find out exactly who that is, we conduct our own...searches."
"I see," Willow pondered over that for a moment, wondering why her feeling of unease had suddenly intensified. Smiling, she continued, "Well, I suppose that that's perfectly logical."
"Good," Holland smiled, exchanging a look with Lindsey that she couldn't quite interpret. "Now, in light of all that we know about you, we're prepared to offer you a position here, as a computer systems manager, of course. You'll find the benefits to be quite rewarding, and the work...while it may be difficult, we have every confidence in your ability to handle it. What do you say?"
Willow eyed the people in the room suspiciously. This wasn't at all what she had expected when she came here. She expected an interview. Questions about herself, to gauge her personality, or even her *sanity* for crying out loud. This was all too reminiscent of a cheesy mystery plot in some paperback novel or low-budget film.
"Well, I..." Willow trailed off uncertainly as she felt something brush across her mind. It was the slightest of penetrations, but a penetration nonetheless. And it carried the stench of evil--Hellmouth evil. With a startled gasp, Willow slammed down on her thoughts, unknowingly putting up a solid mental barrier.
"Is something wrong?" Lindsey was at her side in a second, and yet another look passed between him and Holland.
Willow didn't know what was going on, but she knew she didn't like it, and she didn't trust it. But the last thing she needed was for them to know that she was suspicious of something. "No, I'm okay," she finally managed, "I've just been having slight stomach pains lately. I'm fine, really. It's gone."
Lindsey looked as if he was going to say something, but the look quickly passed as he took his seat again. Willow cleared her throat and made her best effort to look calm. "I actually wasn't expecting an offer this soon," she addressed Holland.
"We understand," he answered promptly, "but we're very persistent. Once we recognize talent like yours, we're not quick to give up on it."
"I'm not saying no," Willow hurriedly amended, "I'm just saying that I'd have to think about it. I mean, my whole life has been in Sunnydale...all of my friends, my school...I'm not quite sure if I'm ready to leave."
"Like Holland said, we understand," Lilah spoke from her seat, "please, take some time to think it over. We'd appreciate it if you stayed in Los Angeles for awhile, though. At least a week. You can give us an answer then." She smiled a fake smile, and Willow decided right then that she didn't like this woman one bit.
"Thanks," Willow stood up, clearly communicating that she wished to leave. Lindsey stood up as well and said, "Allow me to escort you out."
Willow was about to protest, but decided that she didn't want to seem more suspicious than necessary. "Thank you," she said again, allowing the man to lead her back to the limo. As he held the door open for her, she said, "I didn't mean to seem so...off back there. I guess I was just thrown for a loop."
"Not a problem," he smiled his charming smile again, which Willow recognized as being just as fake as Lilah's, and told her, "the limo will take you back to hotel. You're free to stay there as long as you need to. Wolfram and Hart will take care of all the bills."
"How kind of you," Willow tried to keep the sarcasm from her voice, and flinched inwardly as she heard some of it seep through anyway. Lindsey, however, if he noticed, seemed unaffected. "Have a nice day," he told her, closing the door after she had climbed inside.
And with that, the limo drove off.
***
"So what do you think?" Lindsey asked as he entered his office once again. Holland and Lilah were still seated casually, only there was now a third person in the room. "Did you enjoy the showing from your VIP seat in the corner?" Lindsey directed this question at him, as he indicated the corner of the room hidden in shadow.
"Of course," the deep, almost raspy voice responded. "I selected her, didn't I?"
"So you've found her suitable?" Lilah asked the figure enshrouded in dark robes, "did you get a chance to scan her?"
"I was able to skim the surface, but she has strong mental defenses. The only thoughts I was able to grasp were of surprise. She truly didn't expect you to offer her a job this soon. In any case, she has the power we need. It's untrained power, but that only works to our advantage."
"So then she's been accepted?" Holland asked.
"Yes. Bring her aboard," the figure chuckled.
Lindsey smirked and nodded his head.
***
"Good Morning!" Cordelia chirped as she entered the room.
"Don't you mean good afternoon?" Wesley asked, from where he was bent over some old books.
"Whatever," Cordelia deposited her things on the chair by the entrance and closed the door, "the point is I had a great night's sleep!"
"Well at least you're refreshed, even if you are late," Angel emerged from his office, carefully avoiding the beams of light that managed to come in around the closed blinds.
"See? At least someone's taking a positive view," Cordelia directed her comment to Wesley, then, as she suddenly realized that that someone was Angel, whipped her head back around and asked the vampire, "Are you feeling okay?"
Angel's lips twisted upwards a fraction of a centimeter, a movement Cordelia had finally recognized and labeled as a smile. Before she had a chance to follow up on her comment, though, her mind was wracked with blinding pain. She screamed aloud and felt her knees give way, but was caught up deftly by Wesley before she hit the ground.
Images flashed in her mind at a rapid pace and her throat tightened at the sheer force of the vision. The feel of evil and terror wrapped around her, strangling her senses for a moment. When she could finally breath again, and when the vision, along with the pain, finally subsided, she looked up into Angel's concerned eyes and whispered, "Willow."
End Part 2
"Willow?" Angel asked Cordelia, needing to know if he really had heard what he thought he heard.
Cordelia struggled to stand up on her own, then settled for leaning against Wesley's shoulder. She nodded her head in confirmation. "It was Willow. In major trouble."
"What sort of trouble?" Wesley asked, also concerned for the young woman. He hadn't gotten to know her that well--he hadn't gotten to really know any of the Slayer's friends all that well--but it didn't mean he hadn't cared about them.
"It was hard to tell," Cordelia finally managed to catch her breath again, "I think that was one of the most un-informative visions I've ever had. There was no supplemental detail. And right when it concerns someone we actually care about, too!"
Angel was startled for a moment by her words, but decided not to comment on them. "What did you see?" he asked, even though he knew he couldn't bear the thought of seeing, much less hearing a description, of something terrible happening to Willow. She was far too good, too pure.
"Like I said, I didn't get much," Cordelia met his eyes, "but there was some sort of ritual going on, in some language I didn't recognize. There was this demon--weird looking--blue, kind of like the Judge, but his face was human--I mean, there were no ugly ridges or wrinkles or anything--but he had spikes for fingers and was wearing some odd robe with an odder symbol on the back and on the ground. Willow was...she was...oh Angel! We have to stop this!"
Angel swallowed harshly as he spoke the next words, "I need to know what was happening to Willow."
"Angel, please!" Cordelia knew that it was important, but she couldn't bear to remember that vision--or the inexplicable pain that accompanied it. And it wasn't just her pain, but Willow's, too. At the look on his face, though, she continued, "She was lying on the floor, and there was this black light around her, and there was blood coming from her lips and her ears and her eyes, and she was screaming for it to stop, and cursing, and praying, and crying, and...and...and they wouldn't stop." Cordelia's voice broke at the end, and she lowered her head as tears began to fall. "It was horrible," she whispered.
Angel swallowed again, trying desperately to keep control of his emotions. He knew that no matter what he would protect Willow from the fate that Cordelia had just seen. He would give his life for it. But, dammit, it was daylight!
Suddenly the door to the office opened slowly, almost cautiously, as a small redhead entered the room. "Angel?" her voice was soft, but music to Angel's ears.
"Willow!" he exclaimed, running forward and grabbing her into a hug.
"Ang--" Willow's voice was cut off as the breath left her lungs, "Angel, you're on fire!"
"Huh?" Angel let her go and saw that, indeed, his left arm, which was in the direct path of a beam of sunlight, had blazed in flame. He ran back into the shadows and patted his arm furiously, putting out the small blaze. "Thanks," he smiled at her, "you mind closing the door?"
"Oh!" Willow blushed slightly as she went to close the door, wondering to herself if she had actually seen Angel smile. Maybe it was a trick of the light and shadow.
Willow turned back to around, only to find herself locked next in Cordelia's hug. "Cordelia?" she asked in complete confusion, lifting the mass of brown hair slightly to make sure that it was, indeed, the ex-cheerleader that was hugging her.
"You're safe!" Cordelia exclaimed, quickly wiping away the tears, but not before Willow saw them.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"Actually," Wesley stepped forward, immensely relieved that she was okay, "you're probably the one that should be answering that question."
"Huh?" Willow looked at him in confusion, "Wesley? When did you move to LA?"
"Why don't you come sit down," Angel motioned to her, finally managing to gain control of his wildly cascading emotions. He was thrilled to see Willow safe, happy to have her in LA, curious as to why she was in LA, and afraid about the vision that Cordelia had seen. "We need to talk."
"Yeah," Willow stepped forward, "that's why I came here. I remember Oz telling me that you had an office on this street, and I really needed to see you."
"What happened?" he asked, catching the note of worry in her voice.
"Well, I got this job offer from this company here, so I came for an interview, and I kept getting the strangest feeling while I was in that building," Willow began, sitting down on the chair across from the desk. Angel kneeled on the floor to her right, Wesley sat in the chair next to her left, and Cordelia took her place in the desk chair.
"And?" Angel prompted.
"Well, it was sort of like a Hellmouth feel to it. You know, the Hellmouth type evil? Demony?" Willow tried to explain, "I figured you were the best person to ask."
"You made the right choice," Angel squeezed her hand, "especially after..." he trailed off, looking at Cordelia for a moment. She nodded her head, and he continued. "You see, I had this friend before. His name was Doyle, and he had visions. From the powers that be."
Willow's mouth rounded into an "oh," but she remained silent.
"He died," Angel continued, "and passed his gift onto Cordelia."
"Gift!" Cordelia snorted, "more like a curse." She crossed her arms over her chest and was silent again, an indication for Angel to continue.
"Anyway, not two minutes before you walked through that door, Cordelia had an awfully...frightening vision...about you."
"What?" Willow's eyes met those of the brunette's, but she didn't say anything more.
"You were being killed," Angel told her as gently as possible, but mentally knocked himself upside his head for his lack of tact and his inability to soften the blow.
"I was..." Willow trailed off, not quite sure if she had heard him right.
"But its not to worry," Wesley jumped into the gap, trying to remedy Angel's mistake, "you see, the visions that are sent are of the people we're supposed to help. The events we're supposed to stop. They rarely ever occur."
"I see," Willow looked at him questioningly. She cleared her throat and asked, "Who was...well I mean, how...?"
"We don't know," Angel told her, "but we're going to find out. What can you tell me about the company you interviewed with?"
Willow took a deep breath to calm her nerves, then began, "They're a law firm--Wolfram and Hart--"
"Wolfram and Hart?" all three of the others questioned simultaneously.
"You've heard of them?" Willow squeaked.
"Their name is synonymous with the Devil," Cordelia's voice was dripping with venom.
Angel quickly filled Willow in on the past events concerning their firm, and Willow's expression changed alternately between amazement, fear, disgust, hatred, and horror. "I knew something was off with them!" she exclaimed, "They know about all these demons--these murderers--and they *help* them?"
Angel shrugged his shoulders and responded, "In all the time we've been battling demons without souls, we've forgotten that there are humans out there who, even with souls, that can sometimes be just as bad."
"Tell me about it," Willow muttered to herself, "so now what?"
"Now," Angel stood up and began pacing, "we try and figure out what, exactly, they want from you."
"Yeah," Cordelia chimed in, "I mean, no offense or anything, but I doubt they really want to hire you."
"Gee, thanks," Willow smiled at her wryly.
"Well, Cordelia does have a point," Wesley spoke up, "even if she did phrase it wrong. Whoever was responsible for...what happened in the vision...well, Wolfram and Hart is our best suspect."
"I agree," Angel stopped pacing and looked at the others. "But why? And how do we find out?"
"I might have an idea," Willow spoke up, her eyes shining with a mixture of fear and determination.
End Part 3
"Okay; I am getting *such* a bad vibe now," Cordelia muttered as she prepared to hear Willow's idea.
"Cordelia," Wesley gently scolded her, "at least hear her out first."
Willow gave Wesley a look of gratitude then took a deep breath. "I think that I should...go undercover...working...with Wolfram and Hart," she finally managed to stammer out.
"What?" came the simultaneous reply from around the room.
"I apologize, Cordelia," Wesley's voice was the first to make a comment, "your bad 'vibe' was certainly correct."
"Hey!" Willow directed her exclamation towards the former Watcher. She had never thought *he* would be the one to shoot down her idea first.
"Look, Willow," Angel's voice of reason spoke next, "Wesley's right. You getting anywhere near that building is completely out of the question."
"What other option do we have?" Willow decided she may as well try to practice her skill at persuasion.
"We have the choice of you staying alive!" Angel told her firmly. "The whole reason behind Cordelia's vision was to keep you as far away from that building--and those people--as possible."
"Well if Cordelia's visions are as accurate as you say, then I'm already involved with them somehow, and something is certainly gonna happen."
"The visions are what happen if we *don't* get involved," Cordelia told her, "duh! We already explained that part to you. Don't you listen?"
"Then what do *you* propose to do?" Willow shot at her.
"Well...we could...Angel?" Cordelia was at a loss for words. Her job was *finding* the problem, not fixing it!
"I say we just blow the whole damn building up," Angel muttered only half-jokingly and found himself to be the center of attention when three pairs of shocked eyes stared at him. "Don't tell me you haven't thought of that yourself," he accused.
"Well, yeah, but coming from *you*?" Cordelia retorted.
"What? I'm a vampire, and I'm allowed to have vampirey thoughts."
"Of explosions?" Wesley lifted an eyebrow.
"Enough, all right?" Angel quickly put an end to the drifting conversation. Of course, killing them all would solve an awful lot of problems...
Angel shook his head and attempted to get back to the point. Blood and guts were reserved for his nightmares, not his dreams--no matter how much he wanted to protect the people he cared about. He briefly wondered to himself, though, about what he was capable of if the situation demanded it. Demons were one thing--and humans another entirely. "The point is that Willow is *not* going undercover, and that's the end of it."
Willow opened her mouth to object, but Angel shot her a look that promptly convinced her not to oppose his decision. He was, after all, looking out for her. For some reason, that thought ignited a spark of anger and resentment in her, and Willow was surprised at herself. She told herself that it only meant that Angel cared, and with that thought, the feeling vanished. But something told Willow that it was a feeling she shouldn't bury for long.
"What are you thinking?" Wesley's question--directed at Angel--brought Willow out of her reverie.
"I'm thinking that Wolfram and Hart isn't going to like this at all, and that if they don't get Willow now, they'll just try some other ploy," Angel began slowly. There was no way he would ever even consider letting Willow wander into danger, but that meant giving Wolfram and Hart the next move. "I say that we--Willow and I--go and have a talk with them. Let them know that we're on to them--bluff if we have to--and that Willow is under my protection."
Again those words sparked something in Willow's mind, but she refused to pay any attention to it.
"After that," Angel continued, "it'll be their move. We just have to be prepared for it."
"It's risky," Wesley admitted, also clearly not liking having to give Wolfram and Hart the upper hand.
"But better than sending Willow to her death," Cordelia spoke up.
"Then its settled," Angel stated.
"Wait a minute!" Willow exclaimed suddenly, startling the others, "you three are sitting around here planning how best to handle an event in *my* life without even asking what I think about it! I'm not some nameless, faceless stranger that you help here. I *know* what goes on and I have a *right* to make my own decisions! If I wanted to be pampered like a child, I would have stayed in Sunnydale!"
It wasn't until the words were said that Willow realized they were true--she had just never wanted to admit it before. Everyone had always treated her as if she was extremely fragile--some sort of delicate vase that would shatter at any instant. They never realized that she had grown up, that she was intelligent and capable of taking care of herself--of having ideas of her own and making her own decisions. Even her absentee parents had always thought they knew what was best for her, even though they didn't even know *her.* Maybe that was, in part, the reason she was so eager to come to Los Angeles and interview with Wolfram and Hart. Maybe that was the reason she wanted to go undercover--to prove that she didn't need fragile handling.
"I never knew you felt that way," Angel whispered, also shocked by the words.
"I didn't either--until just now," Willow's voice was calmer now. Another thing that she valued about herself--she also knew her limits. "Maybe you are right. No undercover--we'll talk to them."
"Good," Cordelia sounded relieved, "and now that that's settled, I am *so* out of here." She gave Willow an almost shy look, as if she completely understood her sudden outburst, then quickly turned away.
"Already?" Wesley asked, "but you just got here."
"Why don't the both of you just take the day off," Angel offered, "I'd like to talk with Willow."
After eyeing the both of them, Wesley nodded his head in understanding, "Call me if you should need anything." Angel smiled in thanks as Wesley and Cordelia left the office, leaving a rather loud, uncomfortable silence in their wake.
"What happened in Sunnydale?" Angel finally asked, his voice slicing through the tension.
"A whole lot of nothing?" Willow sounded uncertain of herself now.
"Can you be more specific?"
As Willow filled Angel in on the events with the Initiative, she found herself revealing a lot of her feelings and thoughts to Angel. She ended with the demise of Adam, including everything from how Spike was 'neutered' to the enjoining spell. Even the part about her fight with Buffy.
"Don't get me wrong," Willow tried to explain her feelings, "I love Buffy. But I just can't help but feeling like a lot of what was said that night is true. And I know that I should be feeling more useful than ever--I mean, I helped--we all helped--to bring Adam down, but--"
"--You want to accomplish something on your own," Angel finished for her.
"Well...yeah," Willow didn't know if she was relieved or even more confused that Angel understood.
"I've felt that way, too, you know. Oddly, in Sunnydale also. I felt like I needed to make my own redemption--find my own worth, my own path--" Angel didn't know what had suddenly prompted him to confide in Willow, but he felt an odd kinship with her. It went far beyond protecting her because of his loyalty to Buffy and his need to help people--it was more protecting her because of his loyalty to *her* and his need to help *her.* "I understand how you feel."
"Then don't pamper me?"
"Of course not," Angel held up his hands in surrender. "But do you trust me? And do you trust that I just want what's best for you?"
"Always," Willow smiled at him, feeling a weight being lifted from her chest.
"Good," Angel's tone clearly meant that the emotional conversation was over, but still, Willow cherished the fact that he had opened up to her. "So when do we drop the bombshell?"
"What bombshell?" Angel was puzzled.
"Wolfram and Hart?"
"Oh! That. Tonight good enough for you?"
"I don't have any plans," Willow told him, "I suppose I should call Buffy and tell her something though."
Angel noted the hint the reluctance in her voice and suggested, "You don't have to tell her what's going on if you don't want to, Willow."
Willow made a face as if she had just gotten the shock of her life, then gasped, "Angel! Are you suggesting that I should keep a secret from *Buffy* of all people?"
Her mood was infectious, as Angel found himself cheering up as well. "What Buffy doesn't know won't hurt her."
"Actually, what Buffy doesn't know will probably end up hurting *me,*" Willow reminded him.
"Not if I can help it." Angel's voice was filled with sincerity and unspoken promises, and Willow couldn't help but being moved.
"I'm glad we had this talk," she admitted to him.
"I'm glad, too," he replied. And Angel knew he meant it.
End Part 4
Lindsey paced back and forth across the plush carpeting of his new Junior Partner office. He had to admit, it was very nice. And nice was something he was becoming very fond of. Three weeks ago, he would never have dreamed of moving so far up so fast, but now that he'd had a taste of it--it was like Ambrosia. He knew there was no way he'd be promoted again in the near future--but that wasn't what he wanted right now anyway.
Respect.
Now there was something to be truly desired. His father had never commanded it, and as a result, neither had he. Everyone had said he'd grow up to be a deadbeat just like *him*, but he'd vowed to prove all of them wrong. And the next few weeks would be the key to it all. If his plans went smoothly, he'd certainly catch the eye of every one of the senior partners--and every single mover and shaker in the damned city of angels would know his name--and respect it.
Unfortunately, it all depended on the cooperation of one Willow Rosenberg.
An image of the bright-eyed, fire-haired young woman flashed briefly before his eyes, and he knew that no matter what, he *would* see his plans through. Even if it meant...no, he wouldn't consider that option just yet. If Ms. Rosenberg agreed to the position at Wolfram and Hart, then all would be well--he'd get what he wanted, and the young witch would never be the wiser.
Yes, that was it. He just had to wait. And the good thing about this plan was that he'd have all the time in the world to complete it.
Sighing softly, Lindsey sat back down in his executive-style chair and peered out at the city below him. The sun had set about an hour before, and Lindsey had stuck around to watch the night lights illuminate the skyline. Late nights at the office were nothing unusual for him, though. In fact, for any of them. A large number of their clients found it preferable to meet during the later hours, so naturally, the wiser employees of the firm had arranged for more convenient office hours.
A soft knock on the door brought him out of his drifting thoughts. He turned his chair around and called out for whoever it was to come in, wondering who in this building would even bother knocking in the first place. In a moment, he had his answer.
"Willow!" he stood up immediately and came around to the front of his desk, "a pleasure to see you. Though I have to wonder why you're here so late."
"Well, Mr. McDonald, I--" Willow began a bit nervously, even though she knew she had no reason to be.
"Please, call me Lindsey," he shot her one of his most charming smiles, "and let me guess. You've decided that you'd love to work here and couldn't wait to inform us, right?"
"Not quite," a new voice spoke hostilely from the shadows, but Lindsey didn't have to see the face to recognize the voice.
"Angel," he spoke with a false tone of pleasant surprise, "what brings you here at this hour of the night? Oh, wait--I forget. You really couldn't come any sooner--that pesky sun and all."
"Though even that isn't enough of a buffer between me and this god-forsaken building," Angel stepped forward to come and stand next to Willow.
"Look who's talking," Lindsey shot back at him.
"Did you really think," Angel blatantly ignored his comment and shut the office door behind him, "that I wouldn't know if you or one of your *associates* was planning something?"
"Hmm," Lindsey nodded his head slightly and put on his best arrogant air, "and just what am I--or my associates--planning?"
"Don't play games with me," Angel growled, "because I make it a point to always win."
Willow noted the dangerous gleam in the vampire's eyes and quickly jumped in, bringing the conversation, if one could call it that, back to the main topic. "I've actually decided that I can't accept your offer here," she told Lindsey, looking him straight in the eye. Then, turning to Angel, she said, "Okay, that's said. Let's go." She turned and grabbed Angel by the arm, as if to haul him out. There was just something about this building that she *really* didn't like. But Lindsey's next comment stopped her, or rather, stopped Angel.
"Oh, this is rich! Now you've resorted to poisoning the minds of our prospective employees? Tell me, Angel. Is that your master plan? Make sure we never hire anybody else and just watch us all grow old and die off?"
"Now that you mention it..." Angel's voice hadn't lost its dangerous edge.
"Willow, please don't listen to him," Lindsey turned his attentions to the young woman who suddenly looked extremely uncomfortable, "I really don't know how he tracked you down, or what he said to you, but I assure you that every word out of his mouth is a filthy lie."
"Now look who's talking," Angel piped up.
Lindsey shot him a glare, then turned back to Willow. "Do you realize what sort of an opportunity you'd be giving up here?"
"Yes," Willow told him, far calmer now. She really was very glad that Angel had talked her out of going undercover in *this* place.
"Then how can you just...refuse?"
"Because I'd rather have the opportunity to keep my life."
Lindsey was taken aback, but only for a moment. Just what had Angel said to her? "Listen to me. Do you really think that you can believe anything he tells you? You don't even know who he is! Why should you trust him?"
"Why should I trust you?" Willow snapped back at him, rather enjoying playing the part of the angry 'victim.'
Lindsey was silent for a moment as his gaze shifted back and forth between the girl and the vampire. Obviously, a lot had been said that he wasn't aware of. "Please," he stepped forward and placed his hand over her wrist, as if to draw her away, "could we at least have a moment alone to discuss this?"
One moment, Lindsey was staring into a pair of surprisingly radiant green eyes, and the next, his arm was locked in a rather punishing grip behind his back. "What do you think you're doing?" he snarled.
"You touch her again and I'll have you begging for death," Angel growled into Lindsey's ear, his fangs nearly brushing against the man's neck.
"Angel! Let him go!" Willow was genuinely concerned for the man's life. She may not like him, but she could clearly see that Angel detested him, and she wanted to keep Angel from doing something he would regret later.
She watched in silent terror as Angel battled with the demon inside of him. Finally, his human facade slipped back into place and Angel released Lindsey's arm, coming back around to stand in front of him. Willow realized thankfully that Lindsey hadn't been able to see the vampiric visage that had been looming over him just moments before.
Lindsey struggled for a moment to catch his breath. He hated to admit it, but his heart had begun to beat quite a bit faster, and he really hadn't known what Angel what would have done to him. And quite frankly, he didn't like that feeling--not being in control.
But one thing was for certain, though. Willow and the vampire were more than just mere acquaintances--Angel hadn't gotten lucky and tracked her down. They had known each other ahead of time. Why else would Angel have reacted so violently? Lindsey tucked that bit of information away for further use later.
"You never cease to amaze me," he spoke after finally getting his emotions into check, "I never would have imagined that you had such respect for all your clients--or that you thought I was so much of the big bad wolf." Shifting his position slightly so that he could look Willow in the eye, he continued, "Look at that display. Do you feel safe with his...penchant for violence?"
"Let's get one thing straight here," Angel stepped between Willow and Lindsey's gaze almost automatically, "I don't like you. I don't trust you. And whatever you *had* planned for Willow, you may as well forget it, because you're never going to get your hands on her. She's under *my* protection now--you could consider her my client. You want to get to her? You go through me. Period."
"I see," Lindsey locked his gaze onto Angel for a moment, "is that how you feel, Willow?"
"You heard the man," Willow came around so that she could keep an eye on the both of them and silently wondered to herself if Angel had always had such a possessive streak.
"Man, indeed," Lindsey growled. Calming himself down, he continued, "Well, we at Wolfram and Hart aren't in the habit of forcing people to come and work for us--but if you do happen to change your mind, *Willow*, please give us a call. Now, if you'd please escort your *protector* outside...unless you'd like me to call security."
"Of course," Willow smiled at him, thankful that it hadn't come to bloodshed. She'd been worried for a moment. "Come on, Angel." She took his arm, but even as she pulled him out the door, Angel kept his gaze on Lindsey.
When they had finally gone, Lindsey stepped forward and locked the door, not wanting any interruptions. He walked back to his desk and felt his anger erupt. "You stupid son-of-a--" he picked up the paperweight that was set at the edge of his desk and hurled it with all his strength across the room, hearing it shatter into a thousand pieces as it hit the door.
"You're not getting away with this," he muttered to the absent vampire, "I've worked too damn hard!" Lindsey paced a few times in front of his desk, then came around and sat down in his chair. "Fine. You want to play hard ball? I can play hard ball." Picking up the phone, he dialed an extension and waited for an answer.
"Yes?"
"Get in here. Now," he told the voice.
"Problem?"
"You could say so."
"I'll be right there."
Lindsey waited for the click, then hung up. He leaned back in his chair and swiveled around to look over the city once again. Oh, yes. They would respect him all right. He'd see to it.
End Part 5
"Well that was certainly...an interesting show," Willow told Angel as they entered the investigations office. On the way home, she had re-played in her mind the barrage of insults that Angel and Lindsey had hurled at each other during their 'confrontation' over her working at Wolfram and Hart, and decided that the situation was far from over. Even if Lindsey and his cohorts did decide to drop whatever scheme they were planning for her, she knew that the events tonight had escalated the tensions between Angel and Wolfram and Hart to a new level of danger. She couldn't help but wonder what would happen next.
"I warned you," Angel responded while shrugging out of his coat and depositing it on the chair, "everyone down there--especially Lindsey McDonald--is a piece of work."
"Well, in some respects, that could be taken for a compliment..." Willow's attempt to cheer her friend's mood died unaccomplished at the look of sheer disgust on Angel's face. "Or not."
"I'm sorry," Angel felt his shoulders sag a bit, "But believe it or not, I've been on one hell of an emotional roller coaster today, and I guess I'm just...tired." As if he himself was bewildered by the words, he continued, "I can't remember the last time I admitted anything like that."
"Emotional roller coaster?" Willow repeated his words. Surely he couldn't have been *that* upset over the events today? For Angel to use the words 'emotional roller coaster' was as unimaginable as the wax figures in museums coming to life and dancing to the latest from Marc Anthony.
"Too strong words?" Angel guessed her reaction, feeling a bit embarrassed at his choice of words.
"No," Willow smiled at him, "it's just that I never pictured you--Mr. Stoic Guy--as ever having your emotions go all crazy."
"You'd be surprised what happens whenever it's something concerning Sunnydale--or the people in it."
"You mean Buffy?" Willow hated to broach the subject, and mentally knocked herself upside the head for even bringing it up.
"Yes. And Giles, and you, and believe it or not, even Xander."
"Well that's not a bad thing," Willow came up to pat Angel on the arm, "it just means you care about people."
"Yeah," Angel's expression was filled with poignant irony, "after eighty-something years with this curse..."
"You finally have people you care about? You finally have friends?" Willow concluded for him.
"It's a nice word, isn't it?" Angel suddenly looked her straight in the eye.
Willow's eyes gleamed with newly discovered mischief, and she asked, "What word?" Angel suddenly looked extremely uncomfortable, and Willow smile broadly.
"You know what word I'm talking about," he stammered slightly.
"Do I? Why don't you say it?" Willow found it impossible to wipe the smile off her face, so she refused even to try.
"You just said it yourself," Angel began fidgeting, and Willow swore that if it were possible, he'd be blushing.
"Hmm, I don't remember," Willow shrugged her shoulders, "refresh my memory--please?"
"Ohh, you are taking way too much pleasure in this," Angel growled.
"Come on," Willow pleaded, "just say it. It's not going to kill you."
"You want to bet?"
"Sure! You know I'd win--you're already dead." Willow noticed Angel's lips tug upwards slightly, and she knew that she had won.
"Friend," Angel drew the word out, "are you happy? I said it. Friend."
"Ahh, sweet victory," Willow smiled broadly at him.
"Only because you're cute when you smile," Angel grumbled in reply, but he noticed that, somehow, without his realizing it, his mood had lightened immensely.
Willow took the compliment at face value, and held up her smile, intent on having Angel mirror it. "Well, I'd bet you'd be cute too, if you smiled."
"Me?" Angel looked shocked, "I smile all the time!"
Willow put her hands on her hips and raised a quizzical eyebrow.
"Okay," he amended slightly, "sometimes."
When Willow remained stock still, he coughed and tried again, "Occasionally...all right! Once in a blue moon! Are you happy now little girl?"
"Well, considering you still didn't smile...no."
At this, Angel couldn't help it. He felt an involuntary twitching of muscles in his lower cheeks, followed by a slight spasm. His sealed lips parted slightly and curved upwards, and his teeth gleamed through.
"A smile!" Willow shouted ecstatically, jumping up and down and patting his cheeks, "A smile! I see a smile! A full-blown, drawn out smile! On *your* face! I think I'm gonna go into shock."
"Willow..." Angel found that he still couldn't gain control of his cheek muscles.
Willow stepped closer and acted as if she was scrutinizing him very closely, then proclaimed, "I was right. You're cute, too, when you smile." As if she suddenly realized what she said, Willow blushed slightly and tried to correct herself. "Well, not that you're not cute all the time, either, but I just meant that when you smile you're even more cute...and that came out all wrong, didn't it?" She finally managed to stop herself.
Angel huffed slightly at the compliment, however unintentional it may have been, and noted the bright red blush spreading rapidly over Willow's cheeks in embarrassment. "You know something Willow?" he attempted to change the subject, "You have an uncanny ability to make me--"
"Smile?" Willow interjected, glad to have found something else to say.
"Feel better," Angel concluded his statement.
"Well, I'll take what compliments I can get," Willow told him warmly.
Angel smiled again at her comment, and Willow's eyes lit up in response. Two smiles in less than five minutes! She was getting good.
Her cheerful mood was suddenly crushed when a sharp pain shot through her head, causing her to cry out in unexpected pain. Angel was at her side in a second, gripping her firmly by the arm and waist, and trying desperately to gauge the reason for the sudden cry.
Willow felt his presence like a solid wall next to her, but she couldn't manage to say anything to him. The pain was slowly spreading through her body, numbing her senses and throwing her completely off balance. She tried to speak, but found that her throat was closed off, and she only managed to get out a few croaks. The room spun around her and the sudden sense of vertigo was enough to make her stomach lurch and her heartbeat accelerate almost painfully. Without knowing it, she leaned her full weight on Angel, only vaguely hearing his distressed questions.
Blackness slowly began to inch it's way into her vision, and even as she felt her legs give way, she couldn't put up any sort of resistance. Her body simply refused to obey her.
"Willow!" Angel caught the redhead as he felt her go limp and scooped her into his arms, his eyes reflecting the worry and fear that had replaced the light-heartedness of the previous moments. His concern doubled as he felt her body temperature rise suddenly, and he knew that there was no way this could have been some normal flu or virus attack.
"Please, Willow," he begged her, carrying her down a quick flight of stairs and depositing her gently onto his bed, "open your eyes. Say something to me. Do something to let me know that you can hear me!" And even as he said the words, he felt her temperature continue to rise, heard her heart beat quicken even more, and saw the rise and fall of her chest movement slow.
This was some sort of psionic attack--he was sure of it--probably instigated by someone at Wolfram and Hart. And the worst part was, despite his vehement promise that he would protect her, Angel had no idea what to do.
***
"So tell me again exactly what happened?" Lilah's voice intruded on Lindsey's thoughts. He had to admit, she was getting extremely annoying.
"I told you already," Lindsey nearly snarled, his patience wearing thin. Sometimes, his own associates ticked him off nearly as much as Angel did. He was comforted, though, by the thought that in a few weeks time, they would no longer be a problem to him.
"Well tell us again," Holland motioned calmly. "You say that this vampire--Angel--somehow managed to track down Ms. Rosenberg and persuade her to refuse our job offer?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying," Lindsey told him. He had purposely left out the part about his suspicions that Angel and Willow had known each other ahead of time.
"And why would she even listen to him?" Lilah asked the most obvious question.
"Does it look like I know?" Lindsey threw up his hands, "he didn't tell me exactly what method of persuasion he used--for all I know he could have brainwashed her! My point is that she refused the job."
"Which puts us in a very bad situation," Holland steepled his fingers in thought. "What do you propose we do?" he directed the question at Lindsey.
"I already have a plan," Lindsey took a deep breath to calm himself down before continuing.
"Which is?" Lilah snapped.
"We take her power from her by force," the previously quiet voice answered, as if it was the simplest thing in the world. All three heads turned to look at the cloaked figure as he emerged from the shadows.
"You can do that?" Holland asked, becoming alert once again. He had to admit, he had invested a lot of hopes into this plan that Lindsey had proposed to him over a month ago. If it worked, the young man had assured him, it would have guaranteed them all power beyond their wildest imaginations. Needless to say, he had jumped at the opportunity with only one hesitation--involving the demon. Once his task was performed, however, he'd be of no use to Wolfram and Hart, and they would be free to eliminate the problem.
"It won't be as easy," the raspy voice continued, "but it can be done."
"And the girl?" Lilah asked, wondering how it would affect her.
"Will be in an awful lot of pain," the demon answered her carelessly.
Lindsey winced at his words, but it was too late to turn back now. He had warned Willow, and she had ignored him. He'd been planning for this opportunity for nearly three months now, and nothing in Heaven or Hell--especially a demonic angel, whichever place he had been spawned from--would keep him from accomplishing it. All the power of the Ancient Domains--the Seven Sacred Gifts--would be his and his alone. And once he had the power, respect would soon follow--from the senior partners and the rest of the city.
"That's of no concern to us," Holland spoke as he stood and prepared to leave, "just get the results as promised. And I assure you," he directed to the demon, "you will be greatly compensated for." With a nod to Lilah, the two of them left the office, leaving Lindsey and Paytolv, as the demon asked to be called, to discuss the particulars.
"You heard the man," Lindsey told Paytolv, also standing. "Do it."
The Sporac demon nodded in consent, but even as he turned away, a cruel smiled graced his nearly human features. He would be compensated for, yes, but he would see to it himself. If the humans thought that he was a mindless demon whose only job was to do their bidding, then they had another think coming. He had been hunting for this power for nearly two centuries, and now that he had finally found the source of it, he wasn't about to let it go.
And anyone who tried to make him would pay dearly.
End Part 6
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