Songs of Grace
Author- Midnight Faith
Feedback-
Archiving- fanfiction.net, Ace of Harts. Anyone else just ask- I won't say no I just on the lookout for great Angel archives. :-)
Disclaimer- I don't own Lindsey, Lilah, The Host, Angel or any of the characters featured in this story. They belong to Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt (God like figures who own the entire Buffy and Angel franchise.) So it's in their hands. Oh and the song lyrics aren't mine either.
Genre- short story, angst, fluff, song fic
Rating- PG
Spoilers- none
Primary characters- Lindsey, Lilah, The Host, Angel
Primary pairings- L/Li
Summary- Lindsey and Lilah must save their souls- is it too late?
Note- This story is the sequel to 'Stay.'
Lindsey watched Lilah as they walked out to his car to put the boxes in the trunk. Had she really just told him she loved him or had he just imagined it? No she'd definitely said it. He felt euphoria. Better than paradise, better than heaven. Even though this was the scariest day of his life, easily it was also the happiest. He had Lilah and nothing else mattered. He hadn't taken his eyes off her since they'd left the building. She'd been chewing on her lower lip. She was terrified. He'd never seen Lilah show any emotion before. Well tonight was a night of firsts.
They reached the car. Shiny, black Cadillac. He had to get a new car. A bright one- canary yellow. He couldn't imagine Lilah driving anywhere in a canary yellow car but then he couldn't imagine Lilah being scared of anything. He set his box down on the ground and fished for his car keys in his pocket. He looked at Lilah again; she looked cold and was eyeing the contents of his box.
"You can have a whiskey if you want one, if you're cold," he told her,
"No, I'm OK," she replied, "Where are we going anyway?" He lifted the hood of the truck and took Lilah's box from her, "Thanks," she said, not really trusting him. Lindsey glanced into the box quickly. He couldn't have been more surprised to see photos of him and her. He remembered when these were taken. Four years ago. When they'd been junior lawyers and they'd gone to Disneyland with Lee Mercer. He quickly skimmed through the pictures as she looked away embarrassed. Then he came to his favorite picture. Him and her locked in an embrace, they hadn't even known Lee was taking the picture. Their noses touched and they were smiling at each other. And now? They barely looked like the same people. He noticed Lilah looked ten years older, tireder somehow, with worry lines around her eyes and her eyes. There was something about her eyes. They'd lost all innocence, all softness. He finally put the photos down and looked at her.
"I had no idea you still had these," he told her, visibly moved,
"Stupid I know," she said quickly, trying to brush it off, "I've had them in my office in the drawer in the desk. Sometimes if you know, I felt lonely or scared or anything, I'd take them out and look at them. And just remembering made me feel better," she brushed away a stray tear, "You didn't answer my question. Where *are* we going?" she obviously wanted to change the subject and he didn't push her. They'd have plenty of time for talking.
"This bar I know," he told her, "I used to sing there all the time, before… well you know. I know the owner kinda well. He's a demon…"
"Lindsey, the reason we left Wolfram and Hart is to get away from demons…"
"No, he's a good demon. He sees the future from a person's soul. Then we'll know what's gonna happen to us." Lilah looked scared again at the mention of the future. Lindsey closed the trunk and sidled up to her. "You really think I'd let anyone hurt you?" he asked her, touching her bare arms, no wonder she was cold. "We need more clothes," he said, "and you know stuff. Like toothbrushes and things," she laughed at that, her eyes shining with unshed tears.
"Nathan will've burnt the place to the ground by now," she said.
"Yeah," Lindsey said rubbing her arms. She *was* cold and he only had a shirt on. The full desperation of the situation hit him. But he had to be strong, for Lilah. "Come on," he said, "get in the car, we'll get to caritas,"
"Caritas?" Lilah asked opening the passenger door and sliding in next to Lindsey. The car only had one front seat so it allowed her to snuggle up to Lindsey. He didn't object. Putting one arm around Lilah and one hand on the steering wheel he pulled out of the car park and left Wolfram and Hart for the last time. He noticed Lilah had her eyes closed, tears collecting on the ends of her lashes. Taking one last look at the building that had been his second home for nine years he drove speedily towards Caritas eager to know his fate… and Lilah's.
When Lindsey parked outside the bar he didn't want to wake Lilah. She looked so peaceful just lying there. Her head resting against his shoulder. It made him feel special like she'd chosen him against some demonic company, against Nathan, against them all.
"Lilah," he whispered to her, kissing her hair. She stirred and looked at him with her chestnut, sleepy eyes, "were here," he said unnecessarily, kissing her hair. She struggled to a sitting position and smoothed down a few stray strands of hair. She looked around half in disgust at the decidedly seedy location of the bar. She was used to diamonds and limos. He was going to have to teach her differently. She kissed him back, on the lips. A sweet tender kiss that made his head spin. "There's one thing I have to tell you," he said
"What?" she said playing with a few strands of hair above his ear he wanted to explode with happiness… and a bit of desperation.
"In order for your soul to be read, you have to sing,"
"Sing?"
"Yeah, it's a karaoke bar,"
"Oh god,"
"It's OK, we can sing together,"
"Lindsey?"
"Yeah,"
"For you? Anything." She kissed him again this time with a hunger that seeped through to Lindsey's soul. He returned the kiss with equal and opposite hunger but stopped himself before he went too far. It wouldn't be right. Lilah was vulnerable right now. She needed him not to be used by him.
"Come on," he said, "Let's get this singing over with…"
Lilah clung to Lindsey's hand as they walked into the bar, slightly wigged out by all the demons that occupied the place. Something scaly was giving a warped rendition of 'It's raining men.' Lindsey signaled to a green demon with wicked looking horns. Lilah couldn't help but smirk slightly.
"Lindsey," the green thing said, "and friend. Here to sing?"
"Just get us the song lists," Lindsey told him slipping him a twenty, "And put us at the front of the queue and a bit of advice. She's not my friend she's my girlfriend alright?" The ugly green thing nodded and went to get the lists. 'Wow!' Lilah thought, Lindsey was right she was his girlfriend. This was uncharted territory. It was new and exciting and a little scary for her. She shook the thought immediately. She was Lilah Morgan. Scared of no body and nothing. She clung to Lindsey's hand a little tighter and buried her face into his shoulder lovingly.
"What's the matter?" he whispered lovingly in his ear, "You scared?"
"Terrified," she admitted,
"Of what?"
"The singing mainly, it's mainly in the singing. And where we're going to sleep tonight and whether we'll get murdered tomorrow," she admitted.
"It's Ok," he told her, "We'll pick an easy duet it'll be fine. As for the sleeping I'm sure the Host'll give us a place to crash for a couple of nights and I have a bank account that's just begging to be withdrawn from," he told her, "We'll get a place. Tomorrow. I promise," He cupped her face with his hand and drew it up to look into her chocolate eyes. He smiled. "I promise," he told her and kissed her on the nose as the host came back with the song list.
"Here you are," he said handing it to Lindsey, "But hurry up you're up next," a pit of fear grew in Lilah's stomach. As the demon finished it's raining men. "You're up Lindsey cakes!" The Host said snatching the song list from Lindsey. Lindsey took her hand and led her up to the stage.
"What are we singing?" she hissed at him as the demons and such cheered. She froze as she recognized a familiar face in the crowd. "Lindsey," she said, "look." she pointed over in the direction of Angel and his crew sat with their mouths open at the sight of Lilah and Lindsey together and holding hands.
"Just sing the red lines," Lindsey said covering the microphone head with his hand. Lilah groaned inwardly as she heard the first bars of the song they were about to sing. But it was sweet of Lindsey to choose it. It was oddly fitting of their situation:
There you are In a darkened room And you're all alone Looking out the window Your heart is cold and lost the will to love Like a Broken ArrowHere I stand in the shadows Come to me, Come to me Can't you see that? Nobody wants to be lonely Nobody wants to cry My body's longing to hold you So bad it hurts inside Time is precious and it's slipping away And I've been waiting for you all of my life Nobody wants to be lonely so why Why don't you let me love you? Can you hear my voice? Do you hear my song? It's a serenade So your heart can find me And suddenly you're flying down the stairs Into my arms, baby Before I start going crazy Run to me, Run to me Cause I'm dying I want to feel you deeply Just like the air you're breathing I need you here in my life Don't walk away, don't walk away Don't walk away, don't walk away No, no, no, no Nobody wants to be lonely Nobody wants to cry Nobody wants to be lonely I don't want to be lonely Nobody wants to cry I don't want to cry My body's longing to hold you I'm longing to hold you So bad it hurts inside Time is precious and it's slipping away And I've been waiting for you all of my life Nobody wants to be lonely so why Why don't you let me love you? Why don't you let me love you? Why, oh why, why, why, why, why Nobody wants to be lonely I don't want to cry Nobody wants to cry My body's longing to hold you So bad it hurts inside Nobody wants to be lonely I don't want to be lonely Nobody wants to cry
Lilah eventually opened her eyes to applause.
"I didn't know you could sing," Lindsey said to her as they walked off the stage, avoiding Angel 'n' co's table. But before they could reach the host Angel and what looked to Lilah like his secretary intercepted them.
"Lindsey," Angel said,
"Angel," Lindsey said politely reaching for Lilah's hand,
"This is my associate Cordelia Chase," Angel said pointing to Cordelia, "We believe you are in danger from Wolfram and Hart. You see Cordelia has visions of the future and she saw you two in trouble. I know we've had our differences in the past but we want to help you,"
Lindsey looked at Lilah
"We don't exactly have anywhere to stay tonight," Lilah admitted to him, "And kinda no clothes and no food and no money,"
"Then we'll help you," Angel promised, "I believe in saving people's souls. And I believe I can save yours," Angel smiled at the ex- lawyers, as Cordelia beamed.
"So that no clothes thing must be a bit of a nightmare," Cordelia said to Lilah, trying to make conversation, "Come and meet the rest of the gang," Cordelia took Lilah's arm and led her over to their table.
"You're not doing this for me are you?" Lindsey asked Angel when Lilah and Cordelia were out of earshot
"No," Angel confessed, "I believe in there somewhere Lilah's a valuable member of society. We need people like that on our side. And well, you and Lilah? I guess you're a package now so we have to take you in too,"
They looked over to the table where Gunn was saying something in Lilah's ear that made her laugh. She looked right at home there.
"What about Wolfram and Hart?" Angel asked Lindsey
"I want it burnt. Burnt and the ground consecrated,"
"I can live with that," Angel said following Lindsey's eyes over to Lilah. 'I can live with that,' he thought. "Burnt?" he asked Lindsey.
"To cinders,"
"I'll need your help,"
"You've got it,"
"I'll only help you on one condition,"
"What?"
"You seek redemption,"
"Done," Lindsey said never taking his eyes off Lilah, "I'll do it for her…"
To be continued…