Chapter 10: Billy
Chapter finally up. Sorry for the wait. I had school and a number of job interviews. But it's now up. Hope you all like. Enjoy!
"Don't stiffen up." Delia ordered.
"Yeah, you either." Cordy said. She was training with Delia in the basement of the Hyperion. Cordy had asked Liam and Delia to train her, but Liam had to look into the Orb of Danzalthar, so he refused. That left Delia to train Cordy. She didn't mind. She liked Cordy and Cordy liked her in return. Cordy raised the sword in her hands and they started moving through an exercise with Delia guiding her movements.
"Alright. A good defense is about moving the line of attack. When the bad guy comes at you, you want to step off the line," She explained as she adjusted Cordelia's grip on the sword and positioned her correctly. "like this." She jumped back to avoid the sword slicing her belly open. "creating a new one. Every time you do, your opponent will be forced to adjust. Always make the other guy work."
"Okay. Move the line. Then what?" Delia unsheathed her own sword that she put to the side.
"Then - just keep moving the line. You'll be able to keep an attacker busy until... - You know."
"What?" Cordy asked with a raised eyebrow. "Until he dies of old age or until 'you' and your hubby swoop in to save me?" She shook her head. "Delia, I didn't ask you to train me so I could stave. I already know how to stave. 'Now' I need to learn how to fight!"
"And I was getting to that." Delia said. "I'm a slayer, I know these things. Men-folk aren't always around to protect the women-folk, you know? Women need to know how to fight too. Besides, what if we have to fight Angelus."
"Hopefully that's a day that's just a few short years off of 'never'!"
"Tell me about it. Okay." Delia raised her sword and took a stance beside Cordy and she copied her movements. "When you put an adversary down, you wanna make sure he doesn't get up again. So, like I showed you..." They moved through an exercise parallel to each other. "Force the other guy to counter and he'll open himself up something like this. We'll go half-speed until..." Delia put her sword down.
"No need, I got it." Cordy interrupted her. "Three years of Varsity Cheer Squad, I only ever had to be shown a move once."
"You know, Cordelia," Delia chuckled. "Handling a lethal weapon is a 'little' different from shaking a pom-pom."
"Ready! O-kay!" Cordy came at Delia with the sword full-speed, ending with her up against the wall the sword inches away from her throat. This totally got Delia off guard. She was surprised out how fast Cordelia picked up on movements.
"Whoa. Easy there." Delia chuckled, looking impressed. She trained slayers in the future, and she rarely saw one with Cordelia's determination and potential. "Go team."
"What was that about being the slayer?" Cordy teased.
…
Delia emerged from the bathroom in her and Liam's room. They had both picked out a small suite, just big enough for the two of them, when they both started living in LA. Liam was over at a desk looking at papers. She went over behind him and hugged him.
"You going to come with me to Wes'?" she asked.
"In a little bit." Liam answered still looking at the papers. He was busy into research about the orb, but it wasn't going well. "This thing has gone through hands throughout history. They are only vague references to power being held by tyrants, but's just about it. There are even paintings and pictures of what could be considered the orb, but nothings clear."
"Should I be worried that you'll leave me for the orb?" Liam put down the book he was looking at and held Delia's hands. She was still hugging him from behind.
"If I find out where this thing is, I would bring you along."
"Because you love me?"
"That. And because I know that you could never resist saving my ass." They both chuckled. They were both silent for a minute. "I'm gonna find this thing, Del. I'm gonna find it and we are going to have the future we both want."
"What if it isn't entirely the future we want?"
"As long as I have you, and the future isn't having an apocalypse, it's perfect." Delia smiled and kissed Liam on the cheek.
…
A few hours later, the AI team was at Wes' apartment. Gunn and Liam were sitting on the couch playing a video game. Fred was sitting on the arm of the couch next to Gunn watching. Wes was pouring Cordy and Delia cups of tea in the kitchen.
"It's inspiring to see you like this." Wes complimented Cordy. "The initiative you've shown in training with Delia. Taking responsibility. I'm proud of you."
"Well, never hurts to be prepared." Cordy said.
"That's why I never go anywhere without a knife." Delia said. "Liam insisted on it. And it turned out to be very handy."
"Hm. I agree on both parts." Wes said. "We should all be battle ready. Every one of us."
"Dead! So dead! So very, very dead." Gunn hollered from the living room. "Just how dead are you, huh?"
"Only part. But just you wait." Liam countered smiling evilly. "You'll find I'm full of surprises." Wes looked at the three of them through the open kitchen door.
"I was thinking, perhaps I'd enter into a similar training arrangement with our Fred." Wes suggested. Delia and Cordy eyed him at the same time. They knew that Wes was having feelings for Fred. Especially after the look on his face when she decide to stay with them.
"Oh, hey, if you think she can help you fight, why not?" Cordy joked. Wes gave her a look. "I'm kidding."
"Wesley, if you wanna get to know Fred better, maybe the next time you have her over for an intimate dinner for two, you won't ask the rest of us to come along." Delia suggested.
"Ah, I don't... I mean..." Wes stumbled with the right words to say. Delia and Cordy both raised their eyebrows. "Was I 'that' obvious?"
"No!" Gunn cried out dropping his face into his hands.
"Yes! Ha, ha!" Liam cheered as he just killed Gunn's character. "Who's dead now?"
"I don't think anybody else noticed." Cordy whispered to Wes.
"She is a rather extraordinary young woman." Wed said eyeing Fred. A dreamy quality catching in his voice, causing Delia and Cordelia to smile. "Still, the last thing any of us should be doing is - coupling - with each other, I mean. Office romances, even under the most 'normal' circumstances..."
"Hey." Delia said, cutting him off. "I found my soul mate on the verge of an apocalypse and married him as it got started. And, if you haven't noticed, just look at Buffy and Angel. If they can make it work, I think the rest of you guys can." She paused and look thoughtful. "I'm actually debating whether or not to be insulted by what you just said."
"Well, you all have somehow found a way to work around it."
"We don't live in normal circumstances." Cordy said. "I mean, what are the odds of any of us actually finding someone out there who can deal with the kind of stuff we have to deal with? I don't know. Maybe we 'are' meant..."
"For each other?" Wes finished.
"Actually I was gonna say 'to be alone.'
"Hey, what did I just get down saying?" Delia asked, now looking insulted.
"But how often does a guy meet a slayer in the future, or even a slayer to meet a guy like Liam?" Cordy asked. Delia looked away, sipping her tea. It was very common if one knew about the slayers. "But what the heck - Wesley, if you like her, 'tell' her. Just go right up to her and…" Cordy started to frown and sway a little. "hug her into little pieces." Cordy got hit by a vision and collapsed on the floor. Gunn and Liam jumped off the sofa and ran into the kitchen.
"Easy." Liam said as he helped Cordy into a chair.
"Convenience store, man attacking a woman. His wife - it's his wife."
"How many convenience stores we got on the Westside?"
"Well," Fred began to say. "Even if you just include Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and Malibu only, the combined populations is something like a hundred thirty thousand people spread over more than thirty square miles, and given that..."
"A lot." Gunn finished for her.
"I was - getting there."
"Alright. We go in two teams." Wes said. "Gunn, you and I..."
"No. It's too late." Cordy said. "You can't save her. This murder happened a week ago." She looked up at the group. "Why would they show this to me now?"
…
Cordy was sitting at her desk in the Hyperion. She got up as Wes dropped a thick file onto the counter.
"What's this?" Cordy asked looking at it.
"Everything." Wes replied. "Everything about the crime I believe you saw in your vision. Police reports, husband's written confession, captures from the convenience store's video surveillance cameras..." The rest of the A.I. Team joined Cordy in picking up papers from the file. "...and I have to caution all of you, the medical examiners crime scene photos. Cordelia..."
"Maybe you shouldn't be looking at that." Liam said reaching out and taking the crime scene photos of the dead elderly woman away from her.
"Tell that to the Powers." Cordy said. "They already ran the THX version in my head, remember? How did you get this stuff?" She asked Wes.
"I did it the old-fashioned way." Wes said. "I bought it."
"The police sold you this stuff?" Fred said looking some papers.
"Not exactly. A source. Someone who has access. Usually they sell to the tabloids, when the victims are - more high profile."
"Charlene Baird." Gunn said looking at some papers form the file.
"The victim. She and the perpetrator were married for thirty years, no history of domestic violence."
"Why'd he do it?" Delia asked curiously.
"He says she wouldn't listen to him. He was trying to get her to stop talking."
"Sounds like some sorta wife joke a comedian would talk about." Liam commented.
"I don't get it." Gunn said. "This guy confessed. Crime solved. Why are the Powers airing re-runs in Cordy's head?"
"Nothing is ever what it seems at first." Liam said looking at one of the pictures from the surveillance cameras. He looked a little closer at it. "And once again, sayings are right." He put the photo on the counter. "Eleven twenty four, twenty minutes before the crime occurred. Look who's there." Wes looked at a person in the background of the picture with the magnifying glass. He recognized him. Wes handed the picture to Gunn.
"Oh, boy." Gunn said.
"What? - What?!" Cordy asked taking a photo and looking at the man Liam pointed out. "Okay. Kinda cute. So, who is he?" No one answered her. "Guys?" Gunn handed the photo to Delia and showed her the man.
"Great." She said.
"OK, who is this guy?" Cordy asked looking rather impatient.
"It's the guy I saved form the hell prison to stop those visions that were affecting you." Liam said. Everyone went very quiet. Cordy looked shocked and started to pace quickly back and forth, holding the photo in her hands.
"You're sure this is him? This is the guy?" She asked hoping the answer was 'no'.
"You pull someone from a hell dimension, you tend to remember their face. Yeah. - That's him." Cordy slowly sinks down into a chair.
"Well, then - now we know why the Powers made me experience that woman's death. - She died because of me."
"No." Liam said immediately.
"Yes! Cordelia said firmly. "Liam, if he's somehow responsible, then so am I."
"You're not the one who broke him out and put him back on the streets." Liam countered. "I did that."
"For me. You did it to save me."
"And I would let the world burn it meant saving people I love." He glanced over to Delia who looked at him in return. Liam went over and crouched down in front of Cordy. "Hey. - Hey, whatever's happening now, you're not responsible for this - and neither am I. - But I know who is."
…
Lilah was pouring herself a drink. She jumped a little as the door to her dimly lit apartment is suddenly kicked open, revealing Liam, in disguise as Angel, standing in the brightly lit hallway.
"That's a very dramatic entrance." Lilah said. "Except for the part where you can't enter." Liam was about to enter, but remembered that he to acted like his father, which meant not going into anyone's place without invitation.
"You're a little jumpy there, Lilah." Liam said.
"It's been a long day at the office."
"Then you know that your boy is on the loose. You know what he's doing." Lilah sighed.
"It's been brought to my attention." As she walked closer to the door, Liam saw that her face was black and blue from what looked like a beating.
"God. Are you...?"
"I'm fine. You should see the other guy."
"I plan to."
"Billy never touched me, friend."
"I know. He has some power. He makes people..."
"Billy never touched me, and you can't touch him. Nobody can. Billy as in Blim? As in Congressman Nathan Blim's nephew? That family is the closest thing this country has to royalty. They'd own half the eastern seaboard even if they weren't clients of ours. The law won't go near him."
"I'm not the law."
"This isn't some three horned Gurnarbeast you can just chop into meatloaf!"
"Why are you protecting him after what he did?"
"I'm sorry, but this deep chivalric concern coming from the only man I know who 'definitely' wants to kill me, is a bit much on a day like this."
"Your hands are shaking."
"Stay away from my client." She closed the door in Liam's face.
…
Wes' car pulled off the side of a road and its lights go out. Delia rides on her motorcycle, with Liam in back, and stop right behind Wes. Gunn and Wes get out and walk up to the gates of a big estate. Liam and Delia get off the bike and follow suit.
"This is it." Wes said. "The Blim estate." He let out a puff of air as he took in the fifteen foot high gates that encircled the property.
"Not very welcoming, is it?" Gunn deadpanned.
"I don't suppose it'll do much good to ring the bell either." Wes said eyeing the gate for any weak points.
"How about we sneak in, dressed up like security guards or something?"
"Well, that's a possibility. Or we could..." Liam and Delia both leaped straight up to the top of the gate. They dropped down on the other side and disappeared into the bushes.
"So... - wanna go next?"
"I guess we wait here." Wes said eyeing the gate.
"Yeah."
…
Liam and Delia ran towards the house. They saw Billy through one of the glass doors, talking on the phone. Liam and Delia made their way to the glass doors. Billy lowered the cordless and looked out, directly at the two. Liam ran out from behind a bush, with Delia following suit, jumped over a low wall, pick up a metal patio chair and tossed it through the glass doors, shattering them. Billy stood unmoved. He tossed the phone aside as Liam stepped in through the doors. Delia came in behind him, unsheathing her sword. Liam still had his glamour charm on, so he still looked like Angel.
"Why doesn't it surprise me that I can just walk right in here without an invitation?" Liam said. He knew that a vampire could walk in uninvited because he could smell the Billy was part demon when he got him out of the hell prison.
"Well, as far as I'm concerned you have a standing invitation." Billy said.
"You're not a right guy, Billy." Delia said. "You're not quite human either, are you?"
"Not quite. More than you two."
"You like to hurt women, do you, Billy?" Liam taunted him. "That make you feel like a man?"
"I have never hurt a woman in my life. - I just like to watch."
"Not anymore." Delia said.
"Oh?"
"You're going back."
"Really? 'cause I don't think so."
"Los Angeles Police department" They all heard a woman's voice say.
"Drop the weapon. Hands were we can see 'em. Turn around. - Slowly!" came a man's voice. Liam raised his hands and turned to face the shattered doors. Delia dropped her sword and did the same. Billy stepped up beside him before he can speak.
"You're looking for me." Billy asked.
"William Blim?" the female cop said.
"That's right. I'm the one that called you. Did you find the body? Was it where I said it would be?"
"William Blim we're taking you into custody for questioning."
"Oh, yes" Billy said smiling and turned to look at Liam and Delia. "I should think you would."
"Sanchez, be sure you read him his rights." The male cop pulled out a pair of cuffs and walked up to Billy. Billy put one hand on the cop's wrist.
"Will those be absolutely necessary? I won't give you any trouble, officer. I'll come quietly." Sanchez turned back to look at the woman detective. She nodded. Sanchez led Billy out of the house.
"Who are you?" The female cop asked Liam and Delia.
"They're nobody." Billy answered. Liam and Delia watched the cops lead Billy away, reading him his rights as they go.
…
Wes hung up the phone in the Hyperion's reception.
"My contact at the city morgue confirms it." Wes said. "Her body was discovered earlier tonight. A young woman was reported missing three days ago. Someone phoned in a tip."
"Billy." Delia said disgustingly, crossing her arms. "That little punk planned it."
"It doesn't make sense." Gunn said. "I mean, even if he did it, he didn't do it, you know what I'm saying? So why confess? What does he get?"
"Out." Liam said. "It gets him out."
"Yeah, out of his palatial twelve million Dollar compound and into a holding cell at Men's central."
"Yes, but for how long?" Wes said.
"Well, an impenetrable cube of hell fire in a heavily guarded demon dimension couldn't do much, so my guess - regular bars?" Cordy said. "Not really going to be a problem."
"She's right." Liam said. "All he'll need to get out this time is his lawyer." Liam turned to go.
"Liam, what are you doing?"
"I'm gonna get there before Lilah does."
"And then what?" Gunn asked.
"Well, I took him out of one cell, I can take him out of this one, too."
"Wait!" Delia ran over to Liam and stopped him from leaving. "Liam, you can't barge into a police precinct and go all Terminator. Even if you do dress like him." Liam turned to her and held her hands.
"I'll be okay." Liam reassured her.
"It's dangerous." Cordy said. "He's dangerous. What if he lays his whammy on you?"
"He won't be conscious long enough to try."
"He's not there!" Fred said. Everyone turns to look at her. "I just heard it on the police scanner. The patrol car carrying Billy never made it to the police station. There's been an accident."
…
Liam, Wesley, and Gunn arrived at the crime scene. An ambulance and another police car parked just beyond the stopped patrol car. The backside door was open and bent out of shape as if it had been kicked open from the inside with tremendous force. Wes walked away from the scene and met up with Gunn.
"There was an altercation between the officers who transporting Billy." We informed him. "One of them attacked his partner. She was forced to shoot him. The female's been taken to a local hospital."
"So, maybe she can tell us something," Gunn said. "like what Billy did to her partner before he snapped."
"It wouldn't be a bad idea if one of us were standing by at the hospital visiting a sick relative."
"Maybe happen to strike up a conversation with the hospital staff or one of her buddies?"
"Maybe."
"I'm on it." Gunn left and Wes walked over to where Liam was standing across the road from the patrol car.
"The blood in that car?" Liam said sniffing the air. "Some of it is his. - Not human." Liam walked down the road a little ways. "He came through here." Wes crouched down and touched the bloody handprint on the wall that Liam found.
"And recently." Wes added. "It's still wet." Wes picked up a piece of paper from the ground and pressed it up against the handprint. "I'll take a sample back to the hotel, see if I can determine just what sort of creature Billy is."
"Get Delia to help. Biology is pretty much her thing."
"Of course."
"I can find him."
"Be careful." Wes said turning to Liam, but Liam was already across the street and disappearing between two buildings. "Like father, like son." Wes sighed and pulled the paper away, checking to make sure he got a good print on the paper.
…
Cordy took a tazer from the weapons cabinet and put it into her shoulder bag. She picked up a crossbow and stowed it as well.
"What you doing?" Delia asked coming over. Cordy turned and see her.
"I'm gonna go run an errand." Cordy said. "Uh - a normal, everyday errand." Cordy walked to the side door. Delia moved to in front of her, blocking her exit. She had her arms crossed in front of her.
"Cordelia, I've learned a lot from being with Liam."
"Should I be disgusted?" Cordy asked raising an eyebrow.
"One: the best lies have a sense of truth to them. Two: always be specific when you lie. Your lie was poor. And I know exactly what you're going to do."
"Cordelia." Fred said coming over. Cordy turned to look at her. "I don't think you should do this."
"How can I not?" Cordy asked. "This guy is out because of me. I have to do something."
"You're not going to." Delia said. Cordy turned to face her. "Not without back-up." Delia moved around Cordy and got her sword from the weapons cabinet. "I'm coming with you." Cordy smiled and they opened the door and walk out. Fred stood there for a moment then turned as Wes came in the main doors.
"Fred! You're here." Wes said. "Good, I was hoping you would assist me." He lifted up a bag with the handprint in it. "I managed to lift a sample of Billy's blood. Maybe we can identify his demon lineage and somehow figure out how his power works. Would you hand me the…" He looks up to see that Fred holding out some glass slides. "glass slides. Thank you." He gave her a smile. Forgetting about asking Delia for help.
…
Lilah went to answer a knock on her door. She opened the door to see Cordy and Delia standing there.
"Cordelia Chase, right?" Lilah said. "And some girl I haven't got the chance to know. Come here to gloat?"
"I can do that anywhere." Cordy said.
"Are you gonna invite us in?" Delia asked and stepped into Lilah's apartment. "Oh, wait. Not vampires." Cordy walked in past Lilah.
"Please, come on in you two." Lilah said sarcastically. She closed the door and walked after Cordy and Delia.
"I want you to tell me about Billy." Cordy immediately demanded.
"Everything you 'didn't' tell Angel." Delia added.
"Right." Cordy said, realizing that she night have given away Liam's identity if hadn't been for Delia. "Everything you 'didn't' tell Angel. I want you to help me stop him."
"And what makes you tow think I'm gonna do that?" Lilah asked.
"Well, there's your face - for starters."
"I know the risks of my job and I accept them." Lilah said picking up her drink.
"Then why where you crying five minutes ago?" Both Lilah and Delia were a little stunned at Cordy's statement. "There's not a thing about badly reapplied mascara that I don't know."
"I'm not Lindsey McDonald. I don't switch sides whenever it gets tough. And since when is this your job? I thought Angel was the dark avenger."
"Angel feels responsible for this guy because he brought him back from hell." Delia said.
"And I feel responsible because he did it to save me" Cordy added.
"You, who are actually responsible for the entire thing, feel nothing at all, because 'you' are a vicious bitch."
"So? You know me." Lilah shrugged.
"Please, I was you." Cordy said. "With better shoes."
"These are Boracchi."
"Fall collection?"
"Next spring."
"He's widened the heel."
"And rounded the toe."
"That won't work with pink."
"The pink is out this spring."
"Girls." Delia said getting both of their attentions. "We are all here about Billy. Not shoes. No matter how much I want it to be." She walked dup to Lilah. "Billy Blim makes people crazy."
"Not all people. Just men. He brings out a primordial misogyny in them. Turns them into killers."
"Then why didn't he do it to Angel?"
"Angel's seen him?"
"Yes, right before he escaped from the cops." Cordy said. Lilah let out a chuckle. "What's so witty?"
"Billy's touch works differently on different men. Some lose their mind in an instant. Others - can take hours. - Gee, I sure hope Angel isn't starting to feel testy."
"You better hope it." Delia growled, making Lilah back up a step.
"I know. I've seen his dark side."
"You really haven't. - I have to find Billy."
"And I'm gonna help you why?"
"You know that guy that you hired to hack into my visions?" Cordy asked. "What he did to me? What it felt like? I was cut, my face disfigured, and burning with pain every second not knowing if it was gonna end or just get worse till I died."
"So you think I owe you..."
"It's not the pain. It's the helplessness. The certainty that there is nothing you can do to stop it, that your life can be thrown away in an instant by someone else. He doesn't care. He'll beat you down until you stay down because he doesn't even 'think' of you as alive. - No woman should ever have to go through that, and no woman strong enough to wear the mantel of 'vicious bitch' would ever put up with it. – 'Where' is Billy going?" Lilah didn't answer right away.
"Let's make it simpler." Delia said and punched Lilah in the face, sending her back into a wall. She slumped to the floor and Delia stood towered over her. She unsheathed her sword and held it to Lilah's throat. "One more time."
…
Liam, disguised as Angel, walked up on two guys standing beside a taxicab, talking.
"He seemed like such a levelheaded guy, you know?" One man said. "Always polite, with the 'yes, sir' and the 'thank you, sirs.' And to lose it like that, I didn't see it coming, did you?"
"I got to say, I understand why he did it." The second man said. "I mean, there is a point, am I right? How many times do you feel like talking a fist to a customer?"
"One of your drivers finally snapped, huh?" Liam asked coming over.
"Yeah, he beat the hell out of his fare."
"A woman?"
"That surprise you? Probably sitting in the back, nagging, telling him how to drive. You know the type."
"Yeah. Probably had it coming to her, huh?"
"I'm just saying..." Liam grabbed the second guy by the shirt and pulled him close.
"Get out of here." Liam said to the first man. The first man walked off. "This driver who snapped? You're gonna tell me what his last stop was, right before he beat up that woman. - I'm just saying."
…
A man opened the door to his apartment as far as the safety chain will let him.
"I'm looking for Billy Blim?" Liam said.
"Are you a friend of his or what?" The man asked.
"Friend? To be honest I'm looking to kill the bastard."
"Oh. Come on in." the man undid the chain to let Liam in.
"Is he here?"
"No. He came and went."
"And everyone's okay? "Liam asked surprised. "Frankly I was expecting blood - carnage, you know - bad things."
"You gotta know the rules around Billy. Everyone in the family knows the rules. You never leave him alone with your girlfriend, keep him away from your pets and don't 'ever' let him touch you. Like, if he wants money you gotta leave it on the table and back away."
"Is that why he was here?"
"Yeah, he said he needed some - fun money. I just wanted to get rid of him."
"So can you explain something to me?" Liam said. "How come you invited me in after I told you I wanted to kill your cousin?" Liam smelled something. And it wasn't blood.
"You're Angel, right?" the man asked.
"Did Billy mention me?"
"No, no. There were these chicks here. Both cute. One brunette. Other had dark hair. Well, brunette said that a melodramatic guy named Angel would eventually show up."
"Cordy and Delia... - think I'm melodramatic?" Liam asked. Sure he was like his father, but was he melodramatic?
"Well, you did say that you were gonna kill my cousin."
"That's not melodrama, melodrama…" Liam grabbed Dylan by the shirt front. "They were here?!"
"So you're saying that melodrama is exaggerated emo..."
"This isn't a demo, this is real! Where did you send them?"
"Santa Monica. My family has a plane there. Billy said he wanted to fly some place. I don't know where. Vancouver, Tahiti, he didn't say. Hopefully far away." Liam slammed the guy to the wall.
"If they get hurt…..I'm gonna kill Billy. Then I'm coming for you."
…
An airplane was slowly taxiing down the dark runway. Cordy and Delia came out from behind the nose of a private plane and walked up to where Billy was standing on the tarmac with his back towards them.
"Billy?" Cordy said. Billy turned to them
"Yes? - Do I know you?" He asked.
"Not exactly. I thought we should meet. I'm the woman Wolfram and Hart tortured to get you out of your fire cell."
"Oh, I see. - And you're here to whine. Poor, helpless, battered woman who needs to vent her feelings about the injustice of it all."
"No, ass-wipe." Delia said. Cordy pushed the tazer up against Billy's stomach and he collapsed gasping to the ground. He looked up to see Cordy aiming a crossbow at him and Delia with her sword to his throat. "We're here to send you back." Billy slowly picked himself back up, never taking his eyes off the girls.
"You think I hate you because you're women. I don't."
"Gee, and here we were feeling special." Delia deadpanned.
"I don't hate women. I mean, sure, you're all whores who sell yourselves for money and prestige, but men are just as bad. Maybe even worse. They're willing to throw away careers or families, or even lives for what's under your skirt!"
"We're wearing pants." Cordy informed him.
"So, you can dress like men, talk like men?" Billy smiled. "Does that make you feel superior?"
"Actually, I'm feeling superior because I have an arrow pointed at your jugular."
"And I have a sword with the tip on it." Delia said. "But I don't need the sword to feel superior to you."
"You don't have the nerve to do it." Cordy took a step closer, so the tip of the arrow was almost up against Billy's throat. Delia just leaned a little so that the tip of her sword was touching his skin.
"Wrong again." Cordy said. Suddenly the crossbow and sword were pushed away and Liam stepped between them, pushing them both away.
"I can't let you do it, guys." Liam said.
"You saved me again!" Billy said. "I knew that you would."
"Liam," Delia said giving Liam a look.
"You know what he is!" Cordy said.
"Yeah, I do." Liam said. "Which is why I'm gonna waste this piece of garbage myself." Liam turned to hit Billy, but Delia caught a hold of his arm and held him back.
"Liam!" Liam turned to look at her. "He can't hurt us." Liam turned away from Delia, trying to pull his arm free, and Billy took a hold of Liam's face with both of his hands, staring into Liam's eyes.
"No, I won't hurt them." He said. "'I' won't hurt them at all!" Liam pushed Billy away from him and Liam took few quick breaths. Billy, Delia, and Cordy stared at Liam. Liam glanced back towards Delia. He started to inch back towards her. "Liam?"
"Del, get out of here." Liam said looking angry.
"No."
"And there it is again. Every time I tell you to do something, you do the exact opposite."
"Liam, you have to fight this."
"Don't fight it - feel it!" Billy said stepping closer to Liam. "You can, can't you? All that rage, all that hatred bubbling to the surface? I actually never done this to a vampire. Should be pretty entertaining."
"And another thing." Liam said stepping closer. Delia and Cordy were backing away. "Cordy with her constant annoying talking. Yap, yap, yap, yap, yap. Geez, it sounds like I'm taking care of a Shitzu."
"Hey! – I am nothing like a dog." Cordy said.
"But my biggest problem is you Delia. You are always disobeying me. I tell you to stay, you run off. I tell you to come when I tell you to, you come when you ever you want. I don't want to dress up for Halloween, and yet we do, and our bodies switch. You never listen to me!"
"Liam, please." Delia pleaded. "This isn't you."
"No it's not." Liam stopped and so did they. "This is." Liam ripped off his coat and shirt and morphed into his demon form."
"Jesus." Cordy whispered. Delia pushed her out of the way as Liam lunged at her. They grappled on the ground, but Delia wasn't doing well. Delia screamed and pushed Liam off of her. He got back up and roared at her. Delia didn't know what to do. Liam was attacking her and she couldn't defend herself.
"Liam, it's me." She screamed. She was hoping that she could somehow get through to Liam and bring him back. "Fight it." Liam lunged again at her and it took all of her strength to hold back his aggressive attacks. She grabbed a hold of his neck to prevent him from biting her and had another hand on his chest to stop him further. She pushed him away. "Liam, please." She begged. Tears were forming in her eyes. Liam didn't seem interested in listening. She could see in his eyes that they were turning from yellow to red. He was losing control. Delia remembered what Liam told her. If he lost control, then she had to use the tea they received form the gypsies. Luckily, she kept it on her ever since. She pulled out the bag that contained the vial with the tea. Liam lunged at her again. She held him back with one hand and brought out the vial. She was going to use it to bring Liam back. She was about to use it, but hesitated. What would actually happen to Liam? It isn't like they tested out the tea. What if it killed him? Her hesitating gave Liam enough time to swipe at her stomach, forming a nasty gash. She screamed in pain and dropped to her knees.
"Well, this it interesting." Billy said smirking. Liam turned to Billy as soon as he spoke. Billy' smile faded. Liam lunged at him. He hit Billy full force sending him flying to the ground. Cordy got up and went to Delia, who was on the ground, bleeding form Liam's attacks.
"Are you ok?" Cordy asked her. Delia didn't answer. She was more in shock at what had just happened. She watched as Liam and Billy fought with each other. Liam tossed Billy through the air. Billy rolled as he hit the ground, then came up on all fours. He smashed both hands hard against the ground. A shock wave radiated out from his hands then returned to them as a crack appeared in the ground between them. Both hands begin to glow a bright red. The red left his hands, flashed up his arms and Billy's eyes flash yellow. When Liam came back at him, he tossed him like a toy. Billy was now pretty clearly the stronger of the two. Cordy saw her crossbow lying on the ground. She picked it up and aimed it at the combatants, but Liam and Billy changed positions so often that she never had a clear shot. Liam roared loudly and threw Billy off of him. Billy got up to face him, but Liam wasn't in front of him anymore. Cordy fired her crossbow bolt at Billy. Billy caught it without even looking. He looked at the bolt in his hands then at Cordy. Cordy stared in Billy's direction, but not at Billy. Billy saw this and turned around to see Liam standing behind him. Liam lunged and got Billy on the ground. Liam clawed and bit Billy everywhere. Billy screamed in pain. Cordy and Delia stood watching, horror struck as Liam, literally tearing Billy apart. Blood started oozing out of Billy's body as Liam kept slashing and clawing at him. Then Billy was still. Liam breathed heavily then morphed into his human form. He stood up. His front was covered in Billy's blood. Some was dripping from his mouth. He snarled at Billy before walking back to Cordy and Delia. Cordy and Delia looked scared. Liam picked up his coat and covered himself. He looked to the girls.
"Cordy, take Delia and get her to a hospital." He said sternly. "Make sure she gets taken care of." He turned away from them and walked off. Cordy wasted no time in calling 911 and stopping Delia's bleeding.
…
A few days later, Delia was released from the hospital. She sold a story that she was attacked by some animal before Cordy came along and helped her. They arrived at the hotel and Fred told them that both Wes and Gunn got infected by Billy's blood and tried to kill her. Until she devised clever traps that knocked them both unconscious. Delia asked about Liam and Fred said that he had been in their room since that day.
Delia opened the door to her room and saw Liam pouring over the books and paper on the desk, researching the Orb of Danzalthar. Delia cautiously knocked on the door, letting Liam know she was there. He didn't register the noise.
"Liam." Delia said. "I think we should talk." He didn't said anything. He just kept reading. "Liam, I know that it was Billy that made you lose control. So I don't blame you."
"You promised." Liam said not looking up from his books.
"What?" Delia asked confused.
"You promised that you would be there to bring me back if I lost control. I did. You didn't." Delia remembered her promise. After they had acquired the tea that would reverse the hell energy's process, she promised that she would be there to help him come back to his normal self. She didn't do that.
"I'm sorry. I know that I promised but…."
"But what?" Liam said angrily getting up and facing her. "You were too scared? You didn't have the tea on you? You couldn't bear the thought of hurting me? Well guess what Del." Liam came over and lifted up her shirt, revealing the bandages on her torso. "You got hurt because of me."
"But I don't blame you." Delia said stepping back, putting her shirt down. "You were under the effects of Billy's touch."
"But you promised to be there to bring me back." Liam yelled. "I trusted you to be there to help me. How can I trust you to do that, if you couldn't do it a few days ago?" Delia was speechless. Liam was yelling at her, all because she didn't want to kill him.
"Liam. I wanted to save you. But I didn't know if the tea would help you. I care about you too much to risk you dying."
"Get out." Liam whispered.
"What?"
"Go." He said louder.
"But…"
"NOW!" he yelled at her. Delia stood, staring at the man she loved, telling her to leave. She backed out of the room slowly, then turned and ran out. She was crying the whole way down to the lobby and out the doors. She didn't know what else to do. She felt that Liam needed time and she needed to give him his space. She hopped on to her motorcycle and rode off. She was going to go to some other people she could talk to. She headed right for Sunnydale.
…
Liam just watched his wife leave the room. He had just yelled at her for doing something that he would have done in her position. He went back to his desk and leaned on it. He looked at the paper and books he had laid out. He slid them all off the desk in a fit of rage.
"Wow." He heard a familiar voice say. "Angry much?"
"Go away Cordy." Liam said as calmly as he could be. "You don't understand."
"But I think I got the cliff notes." Cordy said walking more into the room. "I could hear everything from across the hotel."
"Hearing what we said doesn't mean you could understand what exactly is going on."
"Well let me take a crack at it. The love of your life couldn't bring herself to save you, all because she feared that it might kill you. And you are angry with her because she chose love over death?"
"I'm not angry because of what she did." Liam clenched his hands into fists, leaning against the desk.
"So why are you angry? Because she didn't keep her promise."
"Yes… No… I don't know."
"You don't know why you're angry? Well if you don't know, how am I so that I can help you?"
"You can't help me."
"Why?"
"BECAUSE I'M ANGRY AT MYSELF!" Liam shouted and grabbed the desk and threw it against the wall, smashing it to bits. Cordy stood stunned at the sight. "I'm angry because I wasn't strong enough to control my inner demon." Liam had tears in his eyes. "I couldn't control myself and my demon attacked Delia. I nearly killed her. If Billy hadn't spoken up and I hadn't remembered why I had been there in the first place…oh god." He dropped down to his knees and began to cry. "I nearly killed her. And I just yelled at her, telling her to leave. I yelled at the one person who helped save me. She could still have done that and I pushed her away. I am just like my father." Cordy had enough. She came over and slapped Liam upside of the head. "What was that for?" he asked looking at her and rubbing his head.
"Because you're being stupid. Newsflash buddy, you're not Angel. Sure you are like him in a lot of ways, but you're also like Buffy. And just because she got angry at someone and sent them packing, doesn't mean she left it like that. She would always try to fix whatever mess she caused. She's really stubborn that way. So if you want to be like your father and let this tension between you two tear you apart, be my guest. But if you want this woman who saved you, if you want Delia to be in your life, then be like your mother and go after her and make it right." Liam sat there staring a Cordy. Her words sinking in to him. She was right. He wasn't going to make the same mistakes that his parents made that made them miserable.
"Cordy." Liam said. "Do you think I can fix this?"
"I'm Cordelia. I don't think. I know. You and Delia will make your apologizes and move on to make-up sex and then we'll be right back where we were before you got all stupid." Liam laughed. She was right. He had to go fix it.
"I'll fix it. But I need to gather my thoughts. Otherwise, I might make things worse."
"Good idea. Just do it fast before she decides to marry some stud in the past." With that, Cordy left Liam in his room. Liam got up and sat on his bed. He looked at his hand that had the Claddagh ring on it. He had to might things right. He got up off the bed and went out of room. Determined to make amends to the mess he created by being, as Delia would call him, a jackass.
Liam got angry, became a jerk, and hurt Delia's feelings. Now he's got to fix it. I wanted to get a fight going between these two because, hey, no relationship is perfect. I though this chapter would be a good place to start because, Liam doesn't have the loss of hatred that his father had. So, fighting point made. Next chapter will be make up session. It will also be Tabula Rasa. An episode that a lot of people wanted to see. So stay tune.