Changing Faces/Places
(Note: This story takes place in Season Three of Angel, between the episodes Waiting in the Wings and Couplet.)
Prologue
I guess if I am going to explain everything that's happened, it makes sense to start at the beginning, right? But I'm not sure where it all began. Now everything's over, it all makes sense. Everything has been fitted into place, like a jigsaw puzzle. Or like an equation. I'm better at those than jigsaw puzzles. Equations are great. With equations, you always know exactly what you are getting and what's happening. Everything always adds up and makes perfect sense. But everything that has happened recently hasn't really been like that.
Maybe I should just start where it all began.
Chapter One The Visitor
I sat with Charles in the hotel lobby. We were sitting on the round sofa, just talking and laughing. Then the door swung open. A man walked in. As he entered the hotel, his eyes surveyed the room, and a smirk crossed his face.
Charles sprang up from his seat. "Jayden? Is that you?" The man's face widened into a smile. "It's me, bro." Charles and Jayden shook hands. "It's been a long time", said Gunn. "Too long." Jayden began to walk around the lobby. "I know, I know. But people needed me up in San Fran. I had to help them. But now I'm back. And I hear you got a pretty sweet existence with a vamp or something?" Charles's face became apprehensive. "It's not like they've told you." Jayden looked straight at Charles. "Who do you think told me what?"
Charles stared at his feet. "The old gang. They don't like that I'm with a vampire now. Even though he has a soul." Jayden laughed. "I got no problem with that, man. It sounds like you're doing good work." Charles smiled. "Yeah, I think we are."
Then, Jayden looked at me. "Well, hello there cutie! What's your name?" I looked at Charles. He nodded. "Fred," I said quietly. "And, who are you, Fred?" Jayden asked me. He was talking to me real polite. "I work here, with Angel. And I'm also Charles's girlfriend."
Jayden turned to Gunn. "Never figured you were that type, bro." Charles's eyebrow raised. "What type?"
Jayden smiled, and said "Nothing, that's all." Jayden walked up to me, and shook my hand. It was cold. "Nice meeting you Fred." He turned back to Charles. "I gotta run. I have some other people I need to see. What are you doing tonight?" Charles looked at me. "Um, well, we were kinda..." Jayden shook his head. "If you're busy, don't bother. I just thought it would be cool if we could go out somewhere together, like in the old days."
Charles looked at me again. "Do you mind?" I did. I minded. But I shook my head. Charles hugged me. Then he turned to Jayden and said, "I'll meet you at the Gatehouse Club at 9." Jayden was ecstatic. "See ya Gunn, Fred," and he left.
After he had gone, Charles told me all about Jayden. He had been one of the founding members of their Vampire-killing street gang, along with Charles, and they had been really good friends. Not long before Gunn met Angel for the first time, Jayden had gone to San Francisco to help fight the growing vampire population there. And now, after two years, he had returned to Los Angeles.
Charles was so pleased that Jayden was back. He described adventures they had had together, and he was so happy and excited, like a little kid, that I couldn't help feeling the same. So at nine o'clock that night, Charles went out to meet him at the Gatehouse Club, their favourite hang-out in the old days.
I stayed at the hotel all night with Angel, Cordy and Connor, trying to get Connor to sleep and watching old movies. I think it's safe to say that Charles had a much more exciting night than I did.
(Note: This story takes place in Season Three of Angel, between the episodes Waiting in the Wings and Couplet.)
Prologue
I guess if I am going to explain everything that's happened, it makes sense to start at the beginning, right? But I'm not sure where it all began. Now everything's over, it all makes sense. Everything has been fitted into place, like a jigsaw puzzle. Or like an equation. I'm better at those than jigsaw puzzles. Equations are great. With equations, you always know exactly what you are getting and what's happening. Everything always adds up and makes perfect sense. But everything that has happened recently hasn't really been like that.
Maybe I should just start where it all began.
Chapter One The Visitor
I sat with Charles in the hotel lobby. We were sitting on the round sofa, just talking and laughing. Then the door swung open. A man walked in. As he entered the hotel, his eyes surveyed the room, and a smirk crossed his face.
Charles sprang up from his seat. "Jayden? Is that you?" The man's face widened into a smile. "It's me, bro." Charles and Jayden shook hands. "It's been a long time", said Gunn. "Too long." Jayden began to walk around the lobby. "I know, I know. But people needed me up in San Fran. I had to help them. But now I'm back. And I hear you got a pretty sweet existence with a vamp or something?" Charles's face became apprehensive. "It's not like they've told you." Jayden looked straight at Charles. "Who do you think told me what?"
Charles stared at his feet. "The old gang. They don't like that I'm with a vampire now. Even though he has a soul." Jayden laughed. "I got no problem with that, man. It sounds like you're doing good work." Charles smiled. "Yeah, I think we are."
Then, Jayden looked at me. "Well, hello there cutie! What's your name?" I looked at Charles. He nodded. "Fred," I said quietly. "And, who are you, Fred?" Jayden asked me. He was talking to me real polite. "I work here, with Angel. And I'm also Charles's girlfriend."
Jayden turned to Gunn. "Never figured you were that type, bro." Charles's eyebrow raised. "What type?"
Jayden smiled, and said "Nothing, that's all." Jayden walked up to me, and shook my hand. It was cold. "Nice meeting you Fred." He turned back to Charles. "I gotta run. I have some other people I need to see. What are you doing tonight?" Charles looked at me. "Um, well, we were kinda..." Jayden shook his head. "If you're busy, don't bother. I just thought it would be cool if we could go out somewhere together, like in the old days."
Charles looked at me again. "Do you mind?" I did. I minded. But I shook my head. Charles hugged me. Then he turned to Jayden and said, "I'll meet you at the Gatehouse Club at 9." Jayden was ecstatic. "See ya Gunn, Fred," and he left.
After he had gone, Charles told me all about Jayden. He had been one of the founding members of their Vampire-killing street gang, along with Charles, and they had been really good friends. Not long before Gunn met Angel for the first time, Jayden had gone to San Francisco to help fight the growing vampire population there. And now, after two years, he had returned to Los Angeles.
Charles was so pleased that Jayden was back. He described adventures they had had together, and he was so happy and excited, like a little kid, that I couldn't help feeling the same. So at nine o'clock that night, Charles went out to meet him at the Gatehouse Club, their favourite hang-out in the old days.
I stayed at the hotel all night with Angel, Cordy and Connor, trying to get Connor to sleep and watching old movies. I think it's safe to say that Charles had a much more exciting night than I did.