All characters and themes are property of Joss Whedon and "Angel". This story is set to take place after the episode "Dead End", and is an Angel/Lindsey slash, if you do not like slash, please do not read. Rating: MA
Into the Darkness
Lindsey MacDonald yawned widely as he and his '56 Ford sped down the highway. It was very early in the morning, or late at night, depending on ones perspective. After turning on the radio and fiddling with the tuner for a few minutes he decided that he wasn't partial to static or Mexican talk stations. Lindsey was exhausted; he hadn't stopped for a break since that gas station on the outskirts of Los Angeles. The gas station where he had noticed the parting gift Angel left on the back of his truck; "Cops Suck", that's mature. How long had he been on the road? Six…seven hours, had it been that long? It wasn't that he was heading somewhere, more that he was leaving. He had to get away from L.A, from Wolfram & Hart and most of all, from Angel.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Angel was sitting at his desk at the Hyperion brooding silently. Don't play their game, make them play yours… Like some powerful mantra, Lindsey's words kept repeating in his mind. Angel was sure that he was on the verge of same great breakthrough, he could feel it—that is until Gunn burst into the room.
"Angel!" Gunn exclaimed, a look of urgency in his big brown eyes.
"Gunn!" He replied scornfully, "Ever heard of knocking?" It took a few minutes for Angel to notice that was no time for office etiquette, this was serious. Angel stiffened in his chair.
"What's going on?" He asked, getting more and more concerned.
"It's Cordie" he replied, breathing heavily "She had a vision."
"Is she alright?" Angel was now standing.
"She's fine…it's the vision"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When Angel and Gunn entered the main area, Cordelia was sitting on the sofa with and icepack on her head and Wesley was nose deep in some dusty old volume.
"Any progress?" Angel asked Wes.
"Nothing," Wesley said shutting the book, "This is big Angel, I am not sure that I have resources that will be of any use to us."
"Or any medication to help me with this migraine" Cordie groaned.
"There has to be something to stop this," Angel thought out-loud "and I am going to find it." With that he threw on his black leather coat and walked to the weapons cabinet.
"What are you going to do Angel?" Wesley asked.
"Get information" he said pulling out two swords from the cabinet.
"How?" Cordelia asked, sitting up in concern, before being taken back down by the pain of the migraine grinding in her head.
Angel considered the two swords for several moments, before putting the smaller one back in the cabinet.
"Anyway I can" He replied half way out the door.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lindsey lied on his motel room bed staring at the ceiling. He would have been quite content to count the numerous stains on the roof were his stomach not roaring at him. He sat up slowly, resting his elbows on his knees. He ran his hands through his thick hair, eventually coming to rest on the back of his neck. So many thoughts were whirling through his mind, he didn't know where to begin, but luckily his stomach was not about to be ignored; this would at least distract him for a little while.
Lindsey walked out of his luxurious $30 motel room into the cool dark night. He marveled at the nothingness around him; desert and highway. He really was in the middle of nowhere. There was something soothing and yet almost unnerving about this place. Lindsey had been in the city for far too long, he had forgotten what it was like to be in a peaceful place. The moon shone across his handsome face and for the first time in a long time, Lindsey smiled.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was nearly sunrise by the time Angel returned to the Hotel. He walked through the door to find the gang had crashed for the night. Cordelia was snoring on the couch using her ice pack as a pillow and Gunn was out cold on a chair in the corner. At the sound of Angel's arrival Wesley came out of the office, looking as sleep deprived as always.
"Did you find anything Angel?" Wes asked, attempting to suppress his yawn, "We couldn't find a thing about the talisman."
Cordelia stirred to life at the sound of their voices, "Angel?" she asked, wiping the sleep from her eyes.
"Yeah, it's me Cordie," he said quietly, sitting beside her on the sofa "how are you feeling?"
"I'm fine" she said stretching "nothing a little nap couldn't fix"
"I hate to interrupt Angel…but"
"Sorry Wes," Angel said, directing his attention back to the conversation "I got a lead, a certain Tiny Texan we all know an loathe"
"You mean Lindsey?" Angel nods, "Impressive Angel, how did you get the information?"
"Oh you know, beat a few demons, staked a few vamps…"
"You sang for Loren didn't you" Cordie guessed, giving Angel the look that always managed to take him down a notch or three…
"Well, um, well, yah" he admitted "but I did slay a vamp on the way"
"What did you sing?" she asked.
"Doesn't matter…"
"Hate to say it, but at the moment, it doesn't" Wes intervened, "If Lindsey has something to do with this, then we have to find him, and he could be half way to anywhere by now."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lindsey woke up to the sun shining through the window. He felt strangely refreshed, despite the aches from the poor attempt at a mattress. Looking around the room in the daylight he began to wonder if sleeping in this bed was such a great idea. There was a myriad of stains of all shades and sizes covering the sheets, which provoked Lindsey to head to the shower very quickly.
Lindsey wiped the fog off the mirror with his arm as the only towel he was willing to touch was wrapped around his waist. He looked at himself hard in the mirror; the blue-eyed man at the other end was giving him a sour look that he didn't particularly appreciate given the circumstances. The man also seemed to have an obscene amount of stubble, causing Lindsey to wonder if he had brought a razor with him.
He walked back into the bedroom and opened his duffel bag; no such luck. He then noticed his briefcase lying in the corner; sometimes during particularly busy week at work he kept a razor handy. Lindsey picked up the case and admired the craftsmanship, it was a Prada, very expensive, not that this mattered so much anymore; he was low on funds these days. He opened the case; there were files, pens, candy wrappers, an amulet, but no razor. Lindsey was about to close the case when he became aware of the necklace; he knew it wasn't his. It must have been from a project at work, all well, finder's keepers Lindsey thought.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Back at the motel the gang was busy trying to find a way to locate Lindsey. Gunn, after eventually waking up, was busy calling all his contacts on the street to see if anyone knew anything. Cordelia was on the phone with Willow, trying to hack into the traffic violation database; after all cops don't like to be told they suck. Wes and Angel were looking for more info on the amulet.
"Thanks Will, we really appreciate it" Cordelia says before hanging up. "We got nothing boys; guess your sign didn't have the desired effect Angel"
"Thanks Cordie, it was worth a try" Angel said, becoming increasingly aggravated with the whole lot of zilch they were coming up with.
"No ones heard or seen anything" Gunn said slamming down the receiver.
"Oh Dear" Wes said.
"What is it Wes? Did you find something" Angel asked.
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if we don't find something soon we are going to be in big trouble…"
"How big exactly?" Gunn asked, looking a bit uneasy.
"I found what the talisman controls" Wes whispered. They all look at the picture of the unknown demon in the book.
"We have to find Lindsey" Wes said, apprehension in his voice, "Or else this could get very ugly."
"You don't know the half of it" A voice says.
Lila is standing in the doorway.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The small office connected to the motel smelled like a mixture of sweat and road kill, which caused Lindsey to gag slightly upon entering. The middle-aged fat man at the counter wasn't entirely appealing either. He was sitting there watching a small, barely color, television on the wall; the cheesy talk show he was watching seemed to be amusing him greatly. Lindsey stared at the man for a few minutes, but he didn't seem to notice. Lindsey scowled and the let out a cough; the man shifted and finally looked up from his show, giving Lindsey a dirty look in the progress.
"Can I help you?" the man, whose nametag read Pete, said.
"Yah, I am in room 6, and was wondering if I could get it for another night"
"Forty bucks"
"Forty? I paid thirty last night"
"You thank im tryin to rip you off son?"
"I didn't say tha…"
"Cuz if that's what you think you can…"
"Calm down, $40 is fine, I must have been mistaken"
With that the man gave Lindsey an arrogant look and began to watch his show again.
"Do you think I could get an extra blanket?" Lindsey asked, hoping that the urge to strangle the life out of this man would soon pass.
Pete gave Lindsey the evil eye, "Extra blankets will cost yah five bucks more"
"Fine, whatever" Lindsey handed over another five dollars. The man groaned at the prospect of moving and took a look under the counter. After fumbling for a few minutes apathetically, he came back up empty handed.
"Guess I'm fresh out"
"Are you serious?" Lindsey growled, "I am the only person in this goddamn hellhole, how can you be out?!"
The man shrugged.
"Well if not a blanket, can I at least have some clean sheets??" Lindsey said, fists clenched, cheeks flushed.
The man blinked at him for a moment.
"Here take room 9 instead"
Lindsey snatched the keys out of his hand and stormed out of the office, making sure to slam the screen door behind him.
The man turned up the volume on his television.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Lila!" Angel growled, "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Is that any way to greet someone?" Lila asked nonchalantly, she sauntered over to where they were standing, "especially someone who is trying to help you."
"Help us what?" Wes asked "die horrible fiery deaths."
"Oh yee of little faith" She smirked.
"I ask again," Angel snarled "What are you doing here Lila?"
"I am here to help"
Angel scoffed.
"I heard you folks were looking for someone, Lindsey to be more exact"
"Let me guess, a little birdie told you"
"Something like that" She smiled, staring at her heels as she kicked at a scuff on the floor.
"Well if that's all the information you have…" Wesley began.
"We know where he is" Lila said, giving them a self-righteous look.
"How?" Gunn asked.
"Modern technology is an amazing thing boys and girls," Lila began to the bemusement of everyone "these days even the sleaziest places have surveillance cameras, a cheap pay-by-the-hour motel in the desert for example"
"So why would the senior partners want us to know?" Cordelia asked "What's in it for them?"
"Let's just say, Lindsey has become a bit of a liability," Lila pretended to be serious "his recent split from the firm has caused a lot of hubbub." She paused irritatingly "The partners would be more comfortable knowing that he is not in possession of any of their powerful property"
"We get it already" Angel grunted, "Cowboy out of the picture, fine, I need to know where he is"
Lila opens her briefcase and hands Angel a piece of paper with an address scrawled across it and then begins to walk away.
"Oh, I forgot to mention," she said "I have it on very good authority that he plans to spend another night, you might want to hurry"
Angel scowled, "Thanks, think we got it covered"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lindsey thrust his shoulder into the door of his new room. The door was tight, but he managed to force his way in. He flipped the switch on the wall, flooding the dank little room with light. It smelt as horrible as the last one, but as promised, the sheets were "clean". He threw his duffel bag in the corner and proceeded to switch on the TV. Lindsey wasn't partial to watching television as he never had one as a child; however, he liked the noise. It made him feel…less alone.
The motel room was stifling, and Lindsey was sweating profusely. His white muscle shirt was drenched and sticking to his chest, he pulled it off gently, revealing his muscular chest. A chill went up his spine as a breeze from the window hit the sweat beaded on his neck. Lindsey proceeded to undo his belt and his jeans, letting them fall to the floor. He always had to wear a belt as his slim hips usually failed to keep his pants up. Lindsey surveyed himself in the mirror, flexing slightly. He would definitely miss the Wolfram and Hart employee weight room.
Lindsey picked up a lime green rag face cloth out of the cupboard and wet it with cold water. He put it to his face, letting the water cool him. Droplets fell from the cloth and ran down his chests and abs, reaching the blue boxers that were hanging loosely on his hips. He looked in the mirror, eyebrow arched slightly, wondering what the hell he was doing there.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Angel had begun driving as soon as the sun went down; he had to make it there before Lindsey left. Damn him, Angel thought to himself silently, headlights of passing cars dancing over the hood of his car. He had just gotten rid of Lindsey, and here he was driving at dangerous speeds to find him. Why had the idiot taken the Talisman in the first place, he said he wanted out. What was it, some sort of collateral? It didn't matter much either way, because it did not change what Angel was going to do. But what was he going to do, really? Sure Wolfram and Hart wanted Lindsey dead, but what about him, what did he want? Lindsey was evil, but did he really deserve to die? At a time Angel would have said no, but things were changing, he was changing.
Moving to L.A. had been difficult for Angel, leaving Sunnydale, leaving her… Sure he had his friends, but times were hard, L.A. was a cold place. In Sunnydale, his biggest problem was small time demons and to be fair the occasional Apocalypse, but who's counting. In L.A. things were different, not so black and white: Wolfram & Hart, evil lawyers…Darla. Who was he to decide what a human life was worth…who was he now, the Angel of Death? And so what if he did kill Lindsey, what would happen, what would Cordie and the gang think, what would he think of himself? What if he just had a little taste, could he quit, could he keep a tight reign on his darkness, on Angelus? Who can answer these questions, he wondered to himself. Angel was so deep in thought he nearly missed his turn off.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lindsey lay there on the bed, staring at the talisman in his hand. It was black gold with a red ruby in the middle. He flipped it around several times in his hand, examining the little flaws. Wonder what it's for, he thought silently. He had a bit of experience with magic from his studies at W&H, but he had never seen this particular talisman before. It probably needed some special word or action to activate it, but Lindsey would not even know where to start. As a matter of fact, he probably shouldn't start at all, as W&H's special equipment tended to have less than desirable effects. Still…it was kind of pretty.
He walked to the mirror and slipped the necklace over his head. It looked pretty nice in Lindsey's opinion. He was busy admiring himself in the mirror, and failed to hear the car pulling into the parking lot.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Angel didn't know how Pete the motel manager had managed to grift him out of 50 bucks, but at least the annoying little man had given him what he needed a key and an invitation…
Angel was creeping quietly along the north side of the motel, where he came across Lindsey's truck. He was peering inside suspiciously until he heard the distinctive sound of screaming coming from room 9.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It took Lindsey a few minutes to realize that the screaming he had heard was his own. The demon standing before him was revolting and terrifying. It towered over him and stared with awful yellow eyes, bile dripping from its enormous jaws. And the smell...Lindsey thought that alone might kill him. The door of his room began to squeak, followed by a series of profanities. Before he knew what was happening his door burst open, and a large blur knocked him clear across the room. After seeing nothing but stars for a few minutes, he realized what it was…Angel.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"What the fuck are you doing here!?" Lindsey cried at Angel, his voice a little high from his recent screaming fit.
"Saving your ass by the looks of it," Angel replied, repeatedly attacking the demon with his sword.
"I don't need your help" He scowled at Angel, blue eyes like ice.
"Yeah, sounded like you had it under control" Angel replied, dodging projectile motel furniture, "How did you know screaming like a little girl would kill this thing?"
Lindsey's face flushed slightly, and he looked away. How did he always know how to get under his skin?
Angel had been fighting the demon for quite some time. Lindsey had eventually joined in, hitting it with the lamp. Just as things were beginning to look dire, Angel's cell phone began to ring.
"Catch!" Angel yelled, throwing it to Lindsey.
"Hello?" Lindsey answered, in his gritty Texas drawl.
"Angel?" The man's voice on the other end asked hesitantly.
"Uh no, this is Lindsey, Angel…has his hands full at the moment" Lindsey jumped out of the way as Angel flew headfirst into the wall, looking a little dazed for a moment, he quickly rushed back into the fight.
"I was afraid of that" The British sounding man on the other end said. "Tell Angel that we found out the identity of the demon. It's a Neboro Demon."
"Hey Angel" Lindsey called, "Apparently it's a Neboro Demon"
"Great Lindsey," Angel growled, "Now how do I kill it?!"
"Angel wants to know how to kill it"
"Um, give me a moment" the man said, Lindsey could hear him calling to his helpers, pages rustling.
"Time is a factor" Angel coughed, the Neboro was choking him against the wall.
"Ah, here it is, too kill the Neboro you must…smash its talisman"
"Gotcha" Lindsey said. "Angel, we just have to smash the talisman" Lindsey smiled triumphantly.
"What are you waiting for!!!" Angel howled, still pinned against the wall.
"Oh right" Lindsey closed the phone. He ripped the talisman from his neck and threw it on the floor. He grabbed a nearby broken piece of debris and smashed it.
The Neboro halted suddenly, its yellow eyes growing wide, and turning to a dark reddish color. It spit bile directly into Angel's face before turning into a heap of dust on the floor. "Neat" Lindsey said, Angel shooting him a dirty look, before running into the bathroom to wash the green goo from his face.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Angel emerged from the bathroom short time later, goo free. He stood there staring at Lindsey.
"So what are you doing here Angel, I've only been gone a day, miss me already? He said, arching his eyebrow slightly.
"Cordelia had a vision" he replied.
"Ah, so you came to save the day" Lindsey smirked "Let me guess, time for a speech"
Angel stared.
"No speech? Thank god" Lindsey taunted. "So uh, how did you find me?"
"Wolfram and Hart"
"Really, that's strange; I didn't think they were too concerned for my wellbeing"
"They want me to kill you Lindsey"
"Ha" Lindsey scoffed "They don't really believe you'll kill me do they? I mean your soul boy, you have rules"
Angel just stared. Lindsey shifted nervously
"I mean your Angel, defender of the weak and down trodden" Lindsey mocked "you wouldn't kill a human"
"Who says I'm Angel?"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A chill found its way up Lindsey's spine again, only this time it was not so refreshing. It was not until that time that he noticed how vulnerable he was. Sitting on the bed in his boxers, no weapon, no one around…Lindsey reassured himself silently, its Angel, he can't hurt me, he is just trying to scare me. Angel's brown almond eyes burned right through him.
"Alright" Lindsey said smugly "I'll play, who are you then?" He was trying to sound confident and playful, but Lindsey was really not feeling it at this point.
"I can smell it you know" Angel said in a dark voice.
"Smell what?" Lindsey asked.
"Fear Lindsey" Angel stared "As always, fear"
"You think I am scared of you Angel?" Lindsey said, standing up, "Because I am not, I know you and your not capable of killing me"
"Your not listening Lindsey" He stepped a little closer, causing Lindsey to back up instinctively, "I am not Angel"
"So who then?" Lindsey invited, "Angelus?" Angel cocked his head. "What, you don't think I know about your little alter ego? I worked for W&H, I probably no more about your past than you do. Your not Angelus, and I am not scared of you.
"You think you know me Lindsey?" He asked, getting closer, driving Lindsey nearer to the wall, "You don't know a thing. I may not be Angelus, but I am not Angel either"
"Huh?"
"You think I am either black or white, don't you?" he laughed ominously "Well maybe it's time I teach you a lesson"
"I am not scared of you" Lindsey whispered. Before he knew what was happening Angel had him pushed against the wall.
"Well let's see what we can do about that, hmm?" a smile crept across his face, a face that didn't look like Angel's at all, the face of a stranger.
"You…you have a soul, you won't kill me" Lindsey sputtered, trying to squirm out of Angel's grip.
"Maybe your right Linds, maybe I won't kill you" his grip tightened around Lindsey's arms, "But I think tonight my soul will take the back seat."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lindsey started to thrash, trying desperately to get out of Angel's grip. Angel was much stronger, something he hadn't fully appreciated until now. Angel picked him up and threw him across the room. A thump resounded as Lindsey's head made contact with the wall. Before he could even get over the shock of the blow, Angel was there, picking him up by his hair. He cried out and stumbled to his feet quickly, following Angel's lead.
Angel threw Lindsey onto his stomach on the bed, and before he could move, was sitting on his back. Angel was much heavier than him, and Lindsey found himself pinned. Before he knew if Angel's head was right by his, had he breath, it would be on the back of Lindsey's neck. Angel kissed the back of his neck gently, and moved to his ear, caressing softly.
"What that fuck are you doing" Lindsey yelled, "Ged off of me!" Lindsey's vain struggles made him smile.
"Shhhh, "He whispered quietly in his ear "If you are a good boy, it might be over quickly."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Angel licked Lindsey's neck roughly, making him gasp in fear. The very thought of ripping into his warm veins made Angel's cock rock hard. Angel reached around and slipped his hand into Lindsey's boxers, taking him into his hand and rubbing.
"Stop it you fag!!!" Lindsey yelped. Angel turned him around, and slapped him hard across the face. He looked into his big blue eyes, they were filled with fear, anger, confusion and many other nameless emotions that Angelus had always loved to bring out in people.
"Shut Your Mouth!" Angel yelled. Lindsey gritted his teeth and breathed heavier, but stopped speaking. He glared at Angel, eyes blazing with hate.
Angel pinned his arms over his head and began kissing him hard against his mouth. He slipped his tongue in his mouth, exploring the warmth. Lindsey pushed his arms back in futility. Angel proceeded to pull off his boxers, holding his arms up still with one hand. He began to rub his hard cock, looking him right in the eyes as he did it.
"You enjoying this Linds?" he asked, knowing he wasn't, but he wanted to see his cheeks flush with embarrassment. Lindsey wouldn't look at him. Angel pushed him off the bed and began beating him. He curled up in a ball on the floor, trying to avoid the blows aimed at his face.
The beating continued for quite awhile, until he got bored and put Lindsey back down on the bed. He was trying to hold onto a semblance of pride by not crying, despite bruises that were forming all over his body. Angel respected that, but it simply would not do. He flipped him over on his stomach again, pushing his shoulders and face into the bed. This time Lindsey was not so lucky. Angel entered him slowly, causing him to scream out in pain. As Angel quickened inside him, he could feel Lindsey heaving as sobs ripped form his body. Angel pulled his smooth hips closer as he thrust deeper, making him sob even louder. His soft, smooth skin felt amazing against his body.
He pulled him up onto his knees and pushed his back down into a bowing position, still thrusting against him. He then pulled his thighs apart and was pulling on his hips to enter him. Reaching around he began to stroke his cock roughly. He had quit fighting and sobbing long before. Angel knew this situation all too well, he and Angelus had seen it many times before. There was always a point were fighting become unnecessary and pain and the pleasure became the same.
As they both drew closer to the end, Angel began kissing and sucking his neck playfully. His neck was covered with goose bumps, which felt amazing against his tongue. He wasn't sure if it was his heavy breathing, or the terrible rhythm of his heart beating, but Angel could control "himselves" no longer. He bit into his neck gently and began to drink. The taste of his blood was euphoria and he could not hold back any longer. One final thrust and they came together in unison, ecstasy and blood, the perfect cocktail.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was not until after sunset that Angel woke up. His head throbbed and his muscles ached. He could feel a fog over his mind, and couldn't quite remember what had happened. Where am I? he wondered. Looking around the dingy motel room, the previous nights events began to flood back into his consciousness. Cordie's vision, the drive, the demon, and the bile…There had been something wrong, it made Angel feel strange. He didn't remember much after it had hit him, it had been a blur. It had woke it up, the darkness, the beast, but it was gone now, Angel knew it was gone. What had he done though the night, what had really happened? Where was Lindsey? Oh God…Lindsey.
Angel jumped to his feet, peering around the dark motel room. That was when he saw him, curled up against the wall, in the corner. He had to watch closely to see whether he was sleeping, he wasn't. He just sat there in his boxers, knees against his chest, staring at the cheap shag carpet. He had both arms rapped around his legs, a stake in his hand. He just sat, staring into nothingness. The guilt hit Angel like a two-by-four as he looked at Lindsey. He remembered the first time he had seen him. Standing there, with that smug smile, those deep blue eyes, his fancy suit, he was strong, in control. But looking at him now, no one would have guessed. He looked so small, curled in the corner, bruises on his body, bite mark on his neck. How could he have done this, magic or not, he had hurt him so badly. This was not the Lindsey he had known; he had destroyed him, maybe forever.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Lindsey" Angel said gently, taking slow, small steps toward him. He did not stir at all, just sat there, staring.
"Lindsey, listen to me", Angel looked at the ceiling, searching for the right words to say to this man, "What happened, it was, it was the demon, it did something to me, it…" Angel stopped, thinking again, how could he justify this to him, how could he do anything to help. "I am so sorry, I never wanted to, I mean I never meant to." A muffled noise came from were Lindsey was.
"Did you say something?" Angel walked closer.
"I said get out" Lindsey looked at him with cold empty eyes.
"No, listen, I can help you, I mean I could…"
"You've helped enough, now leave" Lindsey said, grip tightening around the stake.
"You have to understand, I never meant for this to happen, I couldn't have known…" Lindsey gave him a look that silenced Angel instantly; he saw a deep dark hate, the all consuming kind and Angel knew finally what he had to do…
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Back in L.A., the gang was still awake, despite how late Angel arrived at the Hyperion. He could tell that they had not slept.
"Angel!" Cordie squealed, running to him, throwing her arms around him, "Your alright!"
"Yes Angel, we were all so worried, you should have called" Wes said, a tired concern in his voice.
"Damn it Angel, we were getting ready to come down there ourselves" Gunn added.
"I am sorry guys, I just, got caught up" he kicked at the floor "the sunrise and all."
"Would it have killed you to call?" Cordie scowled.
"My battery died,", "but I am fine."
"So then you didn't get my message, about the Neboro?" Wes sounded concerned.
"No, what was it?"
"Apparently, its bile contains a powerful substance that can have devastating effects on the victim" Wes picked up a book "It can cause death or insanity, or…" Angel closed the book.
"Guys, I am fine, we didn't come in contact with it"
"Oh right, what did you do with Lawyer boy?" Gunn asked.
"Yes, I would like to know that myself" a voice said from the doors. It was Lila. "Did you take care of MacDonald?"
"I thought you people wanted the talisman thingy" Cordelia asked suspiciously.
"This had nothing to do with the talisman did it?" Angel said, glaring at Lila.
"Okay fine, you got us, guilty as charged" She said smiling, "We planted the talisman on Lindsey, hoping that it would inspire you to take care of our little problem", she folded her arms and give Angel a questioning look "And did you?"
"I hate to disappoint you Lila, but Lindsey is alive" Lila rolled her eyes at Angel, "Now that that little matter is taken care of, GET THE HELL OUT" Angel growled.
"Keep your soul on" Lila said before sauntering out of the motel.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"So what happened to him Angel?" Wesley said, asking what the others were all thinking.
"He wanted to leave," Angel said "I let him leave"
"So that's it?" Gunn asked, confusion entering the faces of his friends.
"You just let him leave, no fighting, no banter, no…" Cordie started
"Yeah, that's it," Angel said, "But,"
"But what?" Gunn asked.
Angel turned his back on his friends and began to ascend the stairs.
"Something tells me, that's not that last we'll see of Lindsey."
Don't play their game, make them play yours…
The End
*Ratings and comments appreciated