The Prophecy
"Let it be known that on the day that two Champions fall in love, and the lives of Innocents are threatened by an unstoppable force, as well as a triangle being broken by one, that this shall be the day that the Apocalypse draws dangerously close. Beware of the fallen Champion who will destroy The Prophecy that will save the Innocents and the rest of the world from an unbearable world worse than hell itself."
Part 1
It had been three hours since Fred woke and discovered Connor, Angel's son, was missing. Gunn held on to her hand as Angel dialed a few numbers on Cordelia's phone. "Wesley, Angel. Listen, I can't stress how important it is that you call me as soon as you get this message. We've got a huge problem here...just, please get here. Soon." Angel hit the off button and looked at the phone for a while before slamming it back down into it's cradle.
"Angel." Cordelia whispered. She was sitting on the arm of the couch Fred and Gunn currently occupied. "Don't." Angel barked at her. Cordelia didn't push, despite the worry and need to comfort look in her eyes. Fred couldn't really help but notice the lack of looking at her that Angel had. She didn't blame him, how could she and Gunn not hear someone come in and take Connor? Why weren't they more attentive? How was Angel going to forgive her?
Suddenly, another hand made contact with her. It was Cordy, who now had a sense of sensing other people and how they're feeling. Fred forced a smile that died all too quickly. Angel had leaned against the wall and buried his face in his hands. Unfortunately for him, it was daytime, which meant his search options for Connor were limited. Angel was going stir crazy and they all needed to start looking for Connor, fast.
Almost as if on cue, Lorne entered Cordelia's apartment. Normally more cheerful, he must have decided to play it a bit lower key for Angel's sake. "What should I be asking my sources boss?" Lorne asked in a low tone. "Anything that has to do with my son." He answered simply. Lorne didn't waste any time. While walking out, Angel turned to Gunn. "Find Wesley, then you, him, and Fred go to Wolfram & Hart," Angel ordered. "I want answers."
***
Fred and Gunn had no luck at Wesley's apartment. They had discussed what to do next and decided the hotel would be their next best option. That was just about all the talking that went on between them. Fred knew that Gunn blamed himself for Connor missing. She knew, too, that he knew she was thinking it was her fault too. They were nearly there and Fred couldn't wait for the silence to end, it was so uncomfortable.
"Fred...last night, who were you talking to in the hall?" Gunn asked. The way he sounded, it seemed to Fred that he had been thinking a lot about it. "Wesley, he stopped by guess and I caught him when he was leaving," Fred answered. "I just needed to talk to him." Gunn nodded. "Nothing else, right? Just...talking?" Gunn asked in a cool tone. Fred eyed him suspiciously. "Of course."
Gunn nodded again. Something about the way he kept his eye on the road, which wouldn't be at all unusual if Gunn were blinking, and his tone when he asked the question suggested he didn't trust her. "Do you believe me, Charles?" Gunn didn't look at her when he answered. "Of course." He replied dryly. Fred decided to give up before she did something she would regret. She now wished she hadn't thought about the silence ending. Her and Gunn had just patched things up; Fred did not want them ruined.
"Do you see Wes' car?" Gunn asked as he pulled up to the hotel. Fred scanned the area. She shook her head as Gunn stepped out of his truck. Fred reached for the door, but Gunn had already run around and opened it for her. He smiled as he offered her his hand so she could step down. "I'm sorry that I'm acting jealous," he apologized. "You're just really important to me."
Knowing she could never stay mad at him, she grabbed his hand and smiled. "Maybe he walked." She offered. Gunn led the way, gently dragging Fred behind him. They stepped into the hotel and saw no one at the front desk. "Wesley?" Gunn called out. He released Fred's hand. "Check his office, I'll see if he's upstairs." Gunn told her. Fred nodded and headed toward the front desk. She walked behind and was now face to face with Wesley's office door.
She turned the knob and pushed, revealing an empty office. Fred sighed and went to turn and shut the door when she heard a thud coming from a door in Wesley's office. Fred paused, assuming it was her imagination, and listened again. Nothing came for a while, until Fred went to leave again. Then it happened again. Fred looked back, trying to decide whether to check or get Gunn. She decided to check.
Walking cautiously over to the door, Fred wrapped her hand around the knob and turned. She pulled the door open slowly and screamed when she was met with a scream from the person that was inside the closet.
***
Gunn was having no luck upstairs. He had decided to make his way back when he heard two screams. The only thing he knew was that one of them was Fred. Gunn ran down the hall and took the stairs two at a time. He ran behind the desk and whipped out a stake when he entered Wesley's office. Fred was backed against the wall and...Lilah was tied up in the closet.
"Lilah?" Gunn said in disbelief. He turned and went over to Fred, putting his arm protectively around her waist. "You OK?" he whispered before turning back to Lilah. Fred nodded and wrapped her arms around him. "What are you doing in there?" Gunn asked. Lilah looked up at him with anger in her eyes. "How about getting me out of here and untying me." She snapped back at Gunn.
Gun chuckled at her, and then laughed harder at Fred's confused look. "How about you be a little bit nicer to the only guy and girl around that can untie you." Gunn said with raised eyebrows. Lilah glared at him and kept her mouth shut. "Now, what are you doing in there?" Gunn asked in a polite tone. "Your boss put me in here." Lilah answered in a syrupy tone. Gunn furrowed his brow, "Angel?"
"Wesley." Fred whispered to him. Gunn understood, Wes must have put her in there while under the force's influence. Gunn released himself from Fred's grip and pulled Lilah out of the closet. Instead of untying her, he simply sat her in Wesley's chair. "Aren't you forgetting to do something?" she asked Gunn. He smiled back. "We're not quite finished yet."
"Oh really?" Lilah asked with raised eyebrows. "Yeah," Gunn replied as he put his arm around Fred again. "See, the way I look at it, Wolfram & Hart haven't been doing much to try and find you. So, I'm thinking that they just pretend you don't exist after being gone for a while without calling, and if that's true they still won't look after more days go by.
"I can make sure that Angel knows you're here, Lilah, and I can explain that little scenario to him. He'd be very happy, I'll tell you that." Lilah glared back at him. Gunn could see that she knew he was right. He also noticed Fred looking up at him with admiring eyes. "Fine," Lilah said after a while. "Ask away."
"Let it be known that on the day that two Champions fall in love, and the lives of Innocents are threatened by an unstoppable force, as well as a triangle being broken by one, that this shall be the day that the Apocalypse draws dangerously close. Beware of the fallen Champion who will destroy The Prophecy that will save the Innocents and the rest of the world from an unbearable world worse than hell itself."
Part 1
It had been three hours since Fred woke and discovered Connor, Angel's son, was missing. Gunn held on to her hand as Angel dialed a few numbers on Cordelia's phone. "Wesley, Angel. Listen, I can't stress how important it is that you call me as soon as you get this message. We've got a huge problem here...just, please get here. Soon." Angel hit the off button and looked at the phone for a while before slamming it back down into it's cradle.
"Angel." Cordelia whispered. She was sitting on the arm of the couch Fred and Gunn currently occupied. "Don't." Angel barked at her. Cordelia didn't push, despite the worry and need to comfort look in her eyes. Fred couldn't really help but notice the lack of looking at her that Angel had. She didn't blame him, how could she and Gunn not hear someone come in and take Connor? Why weren't they more attentive? How was Angel going to forgive her?
Suddenly, another hand made contact with her. It was Cordy, who now had a sense of sensing other people and how they're feeling. Fred forced a smile that died all too quickly. Angel had leaned against the wall and buried his face in his hands. Unfortunately for him, it was daytime, which meant his search options for Connor were limited. Angel was going stir crazy and they all needed to start looking for Connor, fast.
Almost as if on cue, Lorne entered Cordelia's apartment. Normally more cheerful, he must have decided to play it a bit lower key for Angel's sake. "What should I be asking my sources boss?" Lorne asked in a low tone. "Anything that has to do with my son." He answered simply. Lorne didn't waste any time. While walking out, Angel turned to Gunn. "Find Wesley, then you, him, and Fred go to Wolfram & Hart," Angel ordered. "I want answers."
***
Fred and Gunn had no luck at Wesley's apartment. They had discussed what to do next and decided the hotel would be their next best option. That was just about all the talking that went on between them. Fred knew that Gunn blamed himself for Connor missing. She knew, too, that he knew she was thinking it was her fault too. They were nearly there and Fred couldn't wait for the silence to end, it was so uncomfortable.
"Fred...last night, who were you talking to in the hall?" Gunn asked. The way he sounded, it seemed to Fred that he had been thinking a lot about it. "Wesley, he stopped by guess and I caught him when he was leaving," Fred answered. "I just needed to talk to him." Gunn nodded. "Nothing else, right? Just...talking?" Gunn asked in a cool tone. Fred eyed him suspiciously. "Of course."
Gunn nodded again. Something about the way he kept his eye on the road, which wouldn't be at all unusual if Gunn were blinking, and his tone when he asked the question suggested he didn't trust her. "Do you believe me, Charles?" Gunn didn't look at her when he answered. "Of course." He replied dryly. Fred decided to give up before she did something she would regret. She now wished she hadn't thought about the silence ending. Her and Gunn had just patched things up; Fred did not want them ruined.
"Do you see Wes' car?" Gunn asked as he pulled up to the hotel. Fred scanned the area. She shook her head as Gunn stepped out of his truck. Fred reached for the door, but Gunn had already run around and opened it for her. He smiled as he offered her his hand so she could step down. "I'm sorry that I'm acting jealous," he apologized. "You're just really important to me."
Knowing she could never stay mad at him, she grabbed his hand and smiled. "Maybe he walked." She offered. Gunn led the way, gently dragging Fred behind him. They stepped into the hotel and saw no one at the front desk. "Wesley?" Gunn called out. He released Fred's hand. "Check his office, I'll see if he's upstairs." Gunn told her. Fred nodded and headed toward the front desk. She walked behind and was now face to face with Wesley's office door.
She turned the knob and pushed, revealing an empty office. Fred sighed and went to turn and shut the door when she heard a thud coming from a door in Wesley's office. Fred paused, assuming it was her imagination, and listened again. Nothing came for a while, until Fred went to leave again. Then it happened again. Fred looked back, trying to decide whether to check or get Gunn. She decided to check.
Walking cautiously over to the door, Fred wrapped her hand around the knob and turned. She pulled the door open slowly and screamed when she was met with a scream from the person that was inside the closet.
***
Gunn was having no luck upstairs. He had decided to make his way back when he heard two screams. The only thing he knew was that one of them was Fred. Gunn ran down the hall and took the stairs two at a time. He ran behind the desk and whipped out a stake when he entered Wesley's office. Fred was backed against the wall and...Lilah was tied up in the closet.
"Lilah?" Gunn said in disbelief. He turned and went over to Fred, putting his arm protectively around her waist. "You OK?" he whispered before turning back to Lilah. Fred nodded and wrapped her arms around him. "What are you doing in there?" Gunn asked. Lilah looked up at him with anger in her eyes. "How about getting me out of here and untying me." She snapped back at Gunn.
Gun chuckled at her, and then laughed harder at Fred's confused look. "How about you be a little bit nicer to the only guy and girl around that can untie you." Gunn said with raised eyebrows. Lilah glared at him and kept her mouth shut. "Now, what are you doing in there?" Gunn asked in a polite tone. "Your boss put me in here." Lilah answered in a syrupy tone. Gunn furrowed his brow, "Angel?"
"Wesley." Fred whispered to him. Gunn understood, Wes must have put her in there while under the force's influence. Gunn released himself from Fred's grip and pulled Lilah out of the closet. Instead of untying her, he simply sat her in Wesley's chair. "Aren't you forgetting to do something?" she asked Gunn. He smiled back. "We're not quite finished yet."
"Oh really?" Lilah asked with raised eyebrows. "Yeah," Gunn replied as he put his arm around Fred again. "See, the way I look at it, Wolfram & Hart haven't been doing much to try and find you. So, I'm thinking that they just pretend you don't exist after being gone for a while without calling, and if that's true they still won't look after more days go by.
"I can make sure that Angel knows you're here, Lilah, and I can explain that little scenario to him. He'd be very happy, I'll tell you that." Lilah glared back at him. Gunn could see that she knew he was right. He also noticed Fred looking up at him with admiring eyes. "Fine," Lilah said after a while. "Ask away."