Velvet Skies

Velvet Skies

Chapter one:

A Silent Surrender

X

Will you still remember

Twisted little star

Darker shining

Silently surrender

Twisted little smile Twisted's gonna last a while Twisted Little Star

Bertine Zetlitz

X

They need me, I just know they do. That was probably why I was driving this motorbike at full speed, Los Angeles was ahead of me and I could see the light a few miles in front of me. I wondered, as I passed a silver SEL Mercedes from the nineteen seventies, if she would still remember me. I remembered her. I remembered everything.

My hair was pressed hard against my scalp from the helmet pressing down on it. I probably shouldn't have put it in a plait before putting my helmet on, but it was easier than having my long hair covering over my black helmet. A few strands somehow wound up in my mouth and I was constantly spitting them back out.

A P plated car almost smashed into me as it turned into the fast lane to overtake another car without putting its blinker on. After a rude hand gesture that didn't work so well with my black-gloved hands, I revved the engine and overtook them. I would have poked my tongue out if not for the helmet I wore, and also there was a load of bugs, they were all over the front of my bike.

In my pocket within my leather pants I felt my phone vibrating, but instead of pulling over, I ignored the call and continue with my drive. I had to see her before she went, I know I probably had missed the big fight, in-fact I was sure I had, mainly because it was almost sunrise- which was a good sign.

Another good sign was that there was almost an equal amount of people going into the city as there was out. At the time in the morning it was- about five in the morning- I didn't think there would be too much traffic, but I was wrong as usual, which sucked worse then Hell.

When I finally did skid to a stop in front of Wolfram and Hart, I smiled. It would be easy slipping in, but getting inside undetected was another story. I unzipped my leather jacket and put my helmet in the back bag before taking the key to the motorbike into my back pocket.

I flipped open my mobile phone. Seeing one missed call from an old friend, I decided to call them back later after I had slipped into the building. My heels clicked as I walked up to the gate and pressed the button to ask for entry. "Wolfram and Hart, how may we be of service?" The voice was both confident and not bored like the phone operators.

"This is Lolita Briggs speaking, I'm here for my five o'clock meeting with Angel." I slapped my amulet right onto the speaker, and although it was very powerful and cost a fortune to get the demon to make for me- and I didn't pay in currency of any sort, he wanted a magical artifact I stole from a museum-, I knew it would only last for a one shot to get my name to appear on the roll of whose allowed into the building- they wouldn't let me make an appointment in this year- so when they looked at the piece of paper saying who is to be there, my name will turn up.

"Ms Briggs, Angel will see you now." I smirked and whipped a pair of sunglasses on my face so they didn't see my eyes- it looked cool when the movie stars did it. When the gate opened I walked briskly and smoothly towards the building's front door entrance.

I almost got all the way up there before I met some of the guards and knew I was screwed; they had appeared when I was in the lift. Before they actually looked at me I placed an illusion charm over my neck and invoked it with a prick of my finger, smearing blood onto it. I was now a young male in a business suit, trying to get a promotion.

"Seen a young woman?" They asked me, I tried very hard to keep a straight face.

Using a low voice-and failing to sound manly- I said to them, "I believe a young girl in leather, she was smoking hot, got off on the eighteenth floor." Like a normal man who dealt with demons, I avoided eye contact and kept my head held high before I got off on the medical floor.

My phone vibrated in my back pocket once more. Flicking it open I saw he had texted me their movement. I smiled. Closing the phone before replacing it back in my pocket. The elevator shut behind me and whilst I pulled off the charm and chucked it down into my back pocket. I would take the stairs from here.

Following the directions he had texted me, I found the place I was supposed to. They were currently in his office instead of the private hospital clinic like he was ten minutes ago. Obviously he had been warned about me. A blonde chick was playing the assistant at the desk; she had a phone to her ear and was filing her nails.

"Totally dig the dress," I told her before entering in, she was to busy telling thin air where she got it to notice that I was gone. I didn't bother knocking; I just opened the door to see him talking to a few people, including her.

"Well is this the Angel they all speak about down town in Australia?" She turned around and looked at me, while his expression was anger and shock, hers was recognition.

"Li?"

I smirked my infamous smirk I use to always smirk around her, "You bet your tight ass it's me Faith."

"Hot damn, never thought you were one to take all the energy to see Angel, we were just going to hunt you ourselves." I walked over to her and gave her a peck on the cheek; I played it safe and put my hand out for Angel to shake. "S'alright A, she's a friend." He grabbed my hand and squeezed it a little tighter then one normally would. I shook it with a little less firm and kept my smirk on my face.

"To be honest, I actually came to find you Faith, I've been trying to catch up with ya, had to get Jonathan to give me directions." I turned and winked at Jonathan before turning back to Faith. "It's very hard to catch up with old… friends these days." She laughed a laugh that almost seems broken; she had been through a lot since she passed through Las Vegas.

"So we can cancel the search right?" A voice I did not recognize said, his British accent did not to fail to cross through my mind. When I turned to look at him, I knew instantly that this was the Spike she spoke of.

"So you all survived the big fight?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood, but obviously… I didn't. With the grim faces I could tell some people close to them died, but Faith just remained blank.

"So where are you staying?" Someone finally said, breaking the awkward silence I had induced with my stupid question. Looking at the person in question, Jonathan, I smiled.

"Nowhere. I just arrived. My motorbike is still outside." This comment got Faith's ears perked up and her chocolate eyes boring into my own.

"A motorbike? What type?"

"A Yamaha YZF-R6." Grabbing my hand, she pulled me out the door, shouting back at them about a joy ride. I didn't have a spare helmet, but she didn't care, Faith just took the keys from my pocket, and by that I mean; she slammed me against the wall and dug into my pockets to find them. She was always like that though, rummaging through my pockets to find the stuff she wanted, she even would go through my bra if I told her that was where the keys were. Faith had no shame and loved to flaunt it.

So of course she was driving and I was riding behind her with my hands around her waist. I wore a helmet but she didn't. Stubborn as she was, I think she enjoyed the freedom of escaping the predicament from which Angel was speaking of.

When Faith slowed down, it was in front of a bar. She grabbed my wrist and pulled me inside. The mask she lay on her face to keep a pensive yet strong look was slipping away, and I could begin to see her yearn for release. The guys came over to us pretty quickly. Mainly they danced with Faith, but some tried to dance with me.

"No, no it's alright, I'm just going to hang here and relax. I've been on my motorbike too long, and my legs are cramped."

"Oh no you're not!" Faith grabbed me and with a yelp I was pulled into the centre of the dance floor. I waited to get a feel for the music before I slowly followed the same movements that she was using. She refused to let go of my hand. It was probably to make sure I wouldn't run away at first sign of release, and also because she knew I would.

The anticipation around the boys was showing that they wanted some girl-on-girl action, but they wouldn't see it tonight. Faith was here to forget. I was here to remember. And the two would not combine- not for a while, if at all. When people were beginning to leave, so did we. This time I drove because she was a little tipsy. Although she was telling me that she was fine and could walk in a complete straight line whilst kicking demon ass.

I didn't believe that.

But I made sure she was wearing the helmet and she helped guide me back to Wolfram and Hart. L.A confused me but it just seemed Faith knew the roads like the back of her hand. I wish I did, but I knew I wouldn't. It was way more twisted then what I was use to. God, I got lost in the Las Vegas hotels!

Angel had given us a room, but due to my lack of notice, I was to share with Andrew. I didn't though; I crawled in next to Faith. She almost hit me when I touched her. I guess the club still didn't ease her nerves. It didn't matter though, I probably wouldn't be more then a one-night stand, but I liked to pretend I was more.