Just a little filler, I didn't want it to end up a ten page chapter...working on the next bit immediately. Feeling like I could write more if there were some reviews, good, bad or ugly. VDM just likes to see her name in print. MKAngelus
CH3
Angel stood in partial shadow, down the block on the corner from the shabby little store. The headlights splashing the window fronts much less frequently now that the true night had fallen on LA, people had gone home, to their families, or to the bars with those families, they'd just gone. They'd left the block appearing abandoned, and that was how Angel liked it. Staring at the window, where earlier he'd seen the necklace, he wasn't a bit surprised when the Christmas lights came back on. The glow in the window so out of place; but that wasn't the only thing out of place. He heard the ringing of bells, a slow mournful sound reminiscent of Christmas Eve Mass he'd attended with his family. Stepping out of the shadows, Angel made his way to the door. A holly wreath hanging on the door brought a sharp pinch to his otherwise unpinchable heart. That had been Kathy's favorite part of the traditional decorations.
He stepped into the darkened doorway and the door swung inward. As before, the room was lit by only the bare hanging bulb, dusty and musty, rat droppings strewn about, but none of that was visible to Angel. Instead, on the cracked glass counter, the necklace rested on a pale pink velveteen display rack. Moth eaten and pitted, still Angel saw none of that. He just saw the necklace as he'd remembered it.
"Come inside Angel, sit down and we'll visit." The old man intoned in his lyrical Irish brogue. "Come in." Much like the spider whispered to the fly, Angel came in, lost in his memories of home, of his family and of Christmas's so far past they were hard to even visualize. He strode directly to the counter and sat upon a stool that had been placed in front of the counter. Reaching out to touch the necklace he smiled sadly and retreated into his memories, completely oblivious to the quiet chatter of the old man. "That's right Angel, sit right down. Would you care for a drink?" He asked with a wink and a sneer. "No? Alright then, let's just talk a bit about the home country, shall we?"
And talk they did, Angel; oblivious to the old man's constant quiet chatter started speaking, his memories coming to the forefront of his mind. He spun tale after tale of his life, as a child, when Kathy was born, his love for his sister and his mother, the tremulous times with his father and as a young man when the anger took over his life and blinded him. All night long he spoke and the old man urged him on when he paused, handing him the necklace to hold, encouraging him to rid himself of the guilt his life choices had caused him. He spoke right up til dawn when the old man clapped his hands the sound like thunder.
Angel looked up, startled, taking in his surroundings. "It's time to go Angel, time to go back to your hotel. Perhaps, I'll see you tonight though?" The old man said, taking back the necklace and hobbling around the corner of the counter, he placed it back in the display window. Angel glanced around and nodded. "Yes, I'd like that." He said absently. Without sparing another glance around the room he left the store and his vampire senses instantly kicked back in. He knew he had only minutes to get below ground before he became a dust pile forgotten by the world, striding away quickly his long leather trench coat billowing around his legs he looked like a man on a mission.
The woman stocking the newspaper display looked up, startled as the man strode by her. She hadn't even heard him. He looks pretty good she thought, a little older than she liked them though. Although, he carried his age well, the graying hair could be colored and hey, this was LA, wrinkles could be whisked away in an hour or less. Smiling at her silly dreams she shook her head, as if she had any right to give this guy any kind of makeover, mental or not. He was what he was, a middle aged man hurrying to an early morning appointment.
Cordelia came into the office and put her bag down behind the reservations counter. Grabbing the half full coffee pot, she drained the carafe and prepared it to be filled with caffeinated goodness. Stretching slightly she made a small mewing noise and yawned quietly, not hearing the stealthy barely there sounds of Angel returning via the basement to the hotel. Wesley entered shortly after Cordelia, sporting a large pink bakery box.
"I knew you'd remember!" She chirped, bustling over to get first pick. She placed a jelly donut on a napkin and into the top drawer of her desk. She'd never tell, but knew that Angel harbored a simple crush on the confections so she tried to get him one when she could. Never easy if Gunn or Fred were around, but since it was just her and Wesley, easily accomplished. Taking another napkin, she split a sugared donut in half and glanced wistfully at the other half before retreating to her desk. A minute on the lips, a lifetime on the hips she thought.
"It's hard to forget when there are messages left on both one's cell phone and home phone." Wesley muttered under his breath as he selected his own donut and turned to his office.
Cordelia snorted and rolled her eyes. Fred came down the back stairs then, "Donuts? Do I smell donuts?" She said her voice as childlike as she appeared to be.
"Yes Fred, you smelled correctly. Sugary confections of the highest caloric value just for us, courtesy of Wesley." Cordelia smiled, Fred could smell food like Angel could smell blood.
Fred giggled and grinned over at Wesley, which caused him to blush and look down, which in turn earned another eye roll from Cordelia. Even though she knew that Wesley harbored a crush for the waif like girl they'd rescued from Pylea, she knew that he'd never act on it. Normally, they would have been joined by the mocha block of muscle that rounded out their weird little family, but Gunn had been asked to help some former gang members of his with a small demon eradication problem and had been gone for a few days.
After the initial meet and greet of the morning and once the heady scent of coffee filled the air, Fred resumed her normal position in Wesley's office, her nose in a book. Wesley assumed his position behind the door, his nose also buried in his book. Notepad ever present to jot down the mysteries of the world, and Cordelia stationed herself at the main desk, her laptop on and with her own nose buried in both the bills that needed paid, the bills that wouldn't be paid, and every now and again a brief peek at one celebrity site or another so that she could keep her finger on the pulse of LA.
It was hours later when Cordelia looked up and stretched again, she rolled her neck and shoulders and stood up, bending over to briefly touch her toes. Afterwards she walked into the office and asked, "Hey, it's been pretty quiet here this morning, no Lorne, no Gunn and best of all no skull cracking visions." Although she'd been made partly demon by the PTB and the visions no longer hurt, she still winced just remembering how bad they'd gotten there at the end. Well, what would have been the end if left unchecked.
Wesley yawned himself and removed his glasses, rubbed his eyes and then wiped the glasses with his ever present white handkerchief, settling them once again on the bridge of his nose, he said, "Remarkable isn't it? Maybe we'll get a reprieve of some sort this holiday season, wouldn't that be something?"
Fred nodded and said, "Has anyone seen Angel? Usually he wanders down by now." She looked towards the stairs and then back at the other two. Ever since he'd rescued her from Pylea she'd had a soft spot for him and was the one most likely to ask after him. Cordelia indulged this little fantasy the girl harbored, for of all of them, she was the one closest to Angel. She'd known him from her Sunnydale days, had been through an Angelus attack or two and had been there with him when they'd both needed it the most. She too glanced towards the stairs and then at her watch, "You're right Fred, he's usually got a first class brood going on by now. I think I'll take him a little jelly goodness and see if I can't get him to poke his head outside the door. Who knows, maybe he'll see six less weeks of winter."
