CHAPTER NINE

" She just doesn't remember you. Her memories will come back."

Lorne nodded and left. He decided to try again tomorrow. He was on his way to the office when he caught a glimpse of a very familiar person, one he thought he'd never see again.

" What the hell are you doing here?" Lorne demanded, hurrying over to Bailey. Abigail's former assistant looked like he wanted to bolt.

" Um…" Bailey trailed off. Lorne grabbed his arm suddenly and pulled him into his office.

" Sit down," Lorne instructed him.

* * *

Angel, Wes and Spike arrived in Lorne's office to find Bailey sitting down with a bleeding lip and a cut above his eyebrow. Spike's eyebrows shot up. He hadn't known Lorne all that long but he's never known Lorne to be violent.

Angel didn't look surprised however. He crossed his arms and stared at Bailey, " You gonna talk to us?"

Bailey wiped the blood from his lip and glared at the green demon, " It all went wrong that night. It didn't go the way it was supposed to. And it's all his fault." He nodded at Lorne.

" Why?" Spike asked but he knew the answer.

" Abigail and I went into the portal, but she was supposed to be in a different place then the place she ended up in. She was supposed to…" he trailed off and looked at Lorne meaningfully.

" She was supposed to die," Lorne finished the sentence, " But she didn't."

" No. Oh you tried to make sure she did by sticking a knife into her but it didn't work…and instead of beating me up, you should be thanking me. I was the only one who could get her out."

" Get her out of where?" Wesley asked but Angel knew. He'd been there himself.

" Hell." He said and Bailey nodded.

Lorne's face turned pale, " She was in…hell?" he whispered.

" Yeah. So I pulled her out of there. And now she can't remember what she's been through. Which is a good thing because she what she went through…"

" You saw what she went through?"

" Yeah. It wasn't fun." Bailey said, " So I had to get her out."

" No wonder she can't remember anything. Who would?" Spike said.

Lorne couldn't take much more of this. If Bailey was telling the truth then it had been his fault. All of it. He left the room silently.

" Lorne-" Angel called after him but the demon ignored him.

* * *

Chrissy sighed and hung up. She'd been trying to call Lorne all afternoon but either the demon had his cell phone turned off or he was ignoring her. She decided to meet him at his home, he couldn't very well ignore her there.

She let herself in and waited in his bedroom. After a while, she heard footsteps and the door open. He didn't bother to turn on the light as he padded towards the bed. It wasn't until his eyes adjusted to the darkness he saw her.

" What are you doing here?"

" I wanted to see you." She replied, standing up. She put her arms around him but he flinched and looked away. His eyes were dark and clouded, he clearly wasn't in the mood.

" You better leave," he said in a low voice, " I'm not really in the mood for company right now."

" I'm just what you need," Chrissy said then kissed him. Lorne untangled her arms and pushed her back, a little forcefully then she liked.

" Chrissy, I mean it. We can't see each other anymore."

" Why the hell not?" she demanded.

" Because….my girlfriend's back." He admitted finally, " I thought she was lost to me. But she's back."

She frowned, " So…now that your girlfriend's back…you're gonna get rid of me? Now that you're through with me?"

" Chrissy-"

" Fine. But let me tell you Lorne, you're gonna find that getting rid of Chrissy will not be easy." She wrapped her arms around his neck and stared into his red eyes, " Understand?" she kissed him then and left, slamming the door behind her.

She was going to make him pay, and the best way to do that was to get rid of his girlfriend.