Prologue

DISCLAIMER: Lorne, Connor and others don't belong to me. Unfortunately.

Summary: LA has been sent to Hell. When Lorne finally finds Abigail. He must learn to deal with changes in his life-as well as hers.

" Think I'll have me some little fun," she could smell the alcohol on his breath.

" Leave me alone!" she said and raked her fingernails across his face, leaving angry looking scratches. He growled and grabbed her hand.

" I'm gonna to teach you for doin' that," the man snarled, showing his crooked, dirty teeth. He bit down on her index finger and gave it a yank, tearing the tip part off. She screamed with pain and felt blood trickling through her fingers. The man spat the part out and punched her in the ribs, causing her to fall to the ground. He kicked her in the ribs again. She could taste blood in her mouth and she coughed, nearly choking on it. The first man laughed and another man joined in, his fist connecting with her temple. A wave of dizziness washed over her. They're going to kill me, Abigail thought just as blackness consumed her.

" Any word on the rest of the team?" Lindsey asked.

" For all I know, we are the rest of the team. I haven't heard squat,"

" That's weird,"

" They'll call," Lorne said.

" No, I mean me saying "team" and meaning it. I kind of like the feeling,"

" Yeah, today."

" You and Abigail really done with them?" Lindsey asked.

" It isn't our kind of work anymore. It's unsavoury."

" Gee, I think it's just getting interesting," Lindsey said.

" Yeah, I bet you do." Lorne replied.

" You don't trust me. You don't think a man can change?"

" It's not about what I think. This was Angel's plan."

" Come on. I can sing for you," Lindsey offered.

" I heard you sing," Lorne replied then took out his gun and shot Lindsey twice in the chest.

Lindsey stumbled back, looking down at his wounds, "Why—why did you..."

" One last job. You're not part of the solution, Lindsey. You never will be."

" You kill me? A flunky? I'm not just... Angel...kills me. You don't... Angel..." Lindsey sighed and his body went limp.

Lorne sighed and looked down. For the first time ever and only that time, he hated Angel. He hated Angel for making him do this.

" Good night folks," he muttered as he walked out.

He walked the streets, looking for his father. Recently Connor had gotten his memories of his old life with his father and his friends back. His father hadn't wanted him part of the big battle but Connor wanted to help. He had gone to Wolfram and Heart but the building was now in ruins. He rounded a corner and saw a group of four men surrounding someone lying on the ground.

One of them was viciously attacking the victim. Connor walked closer and saw they were beating up a woman. Instinct took over as he ran forward and tackled the guy. They both fell to the ground and Connor punched him in the face. The other three grabbed Connor's arms and hauled him off the first man.

" Didn't anyone tell you that you should never beat up a woman?" Connor demanded.

" I'm teaching her a lesson," the man growled, " Look at what that bitch did to my face." He had a long nasty looking gash on his cheek.

Connor didn't reply but starting fighting the men. The man's three friends fled after learning how strong he was. Connor delivered a final blow, throwing the man against the wall, knocking him out. Connor ran over to the woman who was not moving.

A sick feeling of dread came over him when he saw who it was. It was Abigail Williams, the girlfriend of Lorne.

Abigail had been severely beaten. Blood was everywhere, she could have a head injury and was probably bleeding internally. Connor picked her up and headed for the nearest hospital.

Connor barged in, " I need some help here! A woman's been beaten up!" he shouted and a nurse from the nearby nurse station hurried forward and directed him to put her on a bed. They wheeled her off.

" How is she? " Connor asked the doctor an hour later.

" Are you a family member or friend?" the doctor asked.

" Friend. Sort of. I found her," Connor replied. When he was living his old life, he never got along with Abigail-she never forgave him for trying to kill Lorne. He had been new to the world and didn't understand that not all demons were evil.

" She's in a bad way. She is suffering from internal bleeding and head trauma." The doctor paused, " I'm afraid she's in a coma."

Connor sat next to Abigail's bed. Abigail was battered and bruised, her cuts had needed stitches and there was a thick bandage wrapped around her head.

He took out her cell phone and went into her contact list. He found Lorne's number and tried calling him but there was no service. He turned it off and kept his vigil.

Lorne sat in the bedroom of Sunset Motel and waited. He placed his gun next to him and glanced at his watch. It had been a whole two hours and no sign of Abigail. Surely her assignment with Spike was finished and she was on her way here. He tried calling her but the operator told him there was no service to make the call. He frowned and glanced at the screen. Sure enough, it said network unavailable. Strange.

Four hours went by and Lorne's hope was fading. Abigail had been sincere about meeting up with Lorne to start a new relationship with him. He had felt her sincerity, her hope for their future. There was only one reason why she hasn't yet turned up.

She was dead. Maybe they all were.

That meant he was the only one left standing.