Whiskers Of Fury (10/?)
DEDICATION: To my "Whiskers" feedbackers: Amelia, chalkdusty, Cheryl, Christopher Marlowe, cile, cyberwulf, elizabethdarcy, gyrlfrend, Jane McCartney, JJ, Katherine, Kelley and Shelley, Levi Truelove, Lilyana, MattyMatt, Rayven, Shadowfang, silver, superrmk and Sweet Kitten. With the kind of feedback you guys have given me so far, how could I not keep writing this story? I'd marry every single one of you if it were legal.
***
CHAPTER 10 - Silence In Green
***
It was about half past four in the morning, and traffic going both in and out of Los Angeles was starting to pick up again. Amongst the outgoing traffic, a shiny, black convertible with the top down, headed north for Sunnydale.
Behind the wheel, Angel was deep in thought. He had heard that letting your mind wander while you were driving was not an incredibly intelligent thing to do, but it didn't seem to be doing any harm so far. He was still having trouble getting his head around the idea that he was returning to Sunnydale. So much had changed since he was last there, he wondered if the town would even recognise him anymore.
Beside him, Cordelia sat in the middle of the front seat, talking loudly into her cellphone to combat the static she was trying to be heard over. Wesley sat on Cordy's other side, looking expressionlessly at the passing buildings as they left L.A. Gunn, Fred and Lorne were in the back.
"Willow? Is that you?" Cordy moved around in her seat, leaning forward, then back again, twisting around from side to side, as she tried to position the cellphone so the interference would be as small as she could get it while she tried to talk to Willow. "It's kinda hard to hear you with this static."
In the back seat, Fred leaned over toward Gunn, and spoke softly into his ear. "So, why's this kitten such a big problem that it needs all of us to go and find it and kick its ass?"
Gunn raised his eyebrows. That was the strongest language he'd heard Fred use since they brought her back from Pylea with them. "I dunno," he asnwered quietly, turning his head to face her. "Wesley didn't tell me much back at the hotel. Guy's got a real stick up his butt ever since we found out about this kitten thing." Gunn's eyes flicked over to the leader of Angel Investigations sitting up the front, hoping he hadn't heard his name being mentioned. If Wesley had heard his name, though, he didn't show it. The ex-Watcher remained as he was, staring out at the street and the traffic and the buildings, looking distant. Gunn didn't think either he or Fred were among Wesley's favourite people right now - Fred for startling their boss into dropping the heavy dagger onto his foot earlier, and Gunn for laughing at him, more than once.
"Boy, that's the understatement of the year so far. Just on the off-chance, you guys wouldn't happen to be having a kitten problem, would you?"
Beside Cordelia, Angel looked irritated, flinching away from her as she spoke loudly into her cellphone. "Hey, Cordy, you wanna keep it down? I can barely hear my heart beating over here."
Cordy smiled sarcastically at the vampire. "Oh, so very, very funny." She looked away from him again. "What? Oh, no, not you, Willow. What are you saying? ... Hello? ... Will, are you there?" Sighing loudly in frustration, Cordy slammed the cellphone shut, and tossed it uncaringly onto the dashboard. "You were right about the warlock."
"Huh?" Angel looked at Cordy in confusion for a moment, then back at the road in front of him.
"The warlock?" Cordy prodded him. "You know? The really bored one who you said invented cellphones? I'll bet that's exactly how it happened."
Angel got it now. "Oh," he said. "So, what did Willow say?"
Cordy sighed again, her expression turning serious. "I don't know, I could barely hear her. I'm really worried, Angel. Something incredibly bad is happening in Sunnydale right now, and whatever this kitten's prime goal is, there's nobody up there that can really stop it right now, you know? I mean, with one Slayer in prison, and the other ..." Cordy trailed off. The look on Angel's face told her she didn't need to finish that sentence.
"Yeah, I know." Angel said no more.
In the back seat, Gunn looked over at Lorne. Like the man seated in front of him, the green-skinned Pylean looked like he was a million miles away. He hadn't seemed to have heard any of the conversation since the six of them all climbed into Angel's convertible and left the hotel. "Hey, man, you alright?" Gunn asked him.
Lorne snapped out of his trance, and looked back over at Gunn. "Hmm? Oh, me. No, I'm fine." He frowned. "Why?"
"Nothin'," Gunn answered. "'Cept that that's the first thing you've said in over five mintues now. I can't remember that ever happening ..." He considered this for a few seconds. "... well, ever."
Fred was looking at Lorne with some concern. "Are you alright?" she asked him. "Because, you look bad. No, I mean, you look fine, not bad. I mean, except for the horns and the green skin. Not that that's a bad look, for you, that is, I just, well, not that I think you're ugly or anything, just that, uh, you look bad. I mean, you look worried."
A large grin broke out on Gunn's face. Fred's rambling never failed to have that effect on him.
Lorne gave the young woman a small smile. "Don't worry about me, honey. It'll take more than one little kitten to ever make me look unappealing physically." Fred giggled, while Cordy snorted her amusement from the front seat.
A moment later, Wesley turned around in his seat, and stared right into Lorne's eyes. The Englishman's face was grim. The cold, empty look in his eyes made Lorne suddenly very uneasy. "One little kitten?" Wesley repeated softly, slowly. "I think it would be wise of us all not to underestimate our new foe in such a patronizing fashion." His voice grew louder as he fixed his gaze on Gunn. "And furthermore, if anyone here wants to talk about me in the third person, I don't think it would be terribly rude of me to ask you to wait until I'm either not around or at least out of earshot before you do."
"Come on, Wes, chill out," Gunn broke in. The leader of Angel Investigations was making the three of them in the back seat all increasingly nervous. Gunn became aware that Fred was clutching his right elbow tightly with both of her hands. "We were just making conversation back here. And Lorne was just making a little joke to ease the tension. Go easy."
Wesley stared at Gunn in silence for a few more moments, then turned back around, and stared out at the passing traffic once more. Gunn let out a quiet sigh of relief, then gave Fred a reassuring smile. Fred seemed to relax a little. Her grip on his elbow softened, but she didn't let go.
***
Buffy Summers was tired of waiting.
She had been standing outside this crypt for God knew how long now (she had taken her watch off after arriving at home earlier, and hadn't thought to put it back on before she went out again), waiting for Spike to show up. But the vampire remained a no-show.
Letting out a loud and irritated sigh, Buffy finally gave up on expecting Spike to get back anytime soon, and started walking. She wanted to get back home and check on Dawn, since neither Xander or Spike were anywhere to be found, and she wanted to get there and make sure her sister was okay as soon as possible.
Elsewhere, the unlikely trio of Spike, Xander and Faith were heading down Sunnydale's main street, while Giles was looking around in dismay at Xander and Anya's empty apartment, wondering where the engaged couple had disappeared to, but Buffy was aware of neither of these things. All her mind was focused on right now was getting back to Dawn. And the next time she saw Spike and Xander, she was going to have a serious talk with them.
***
Behind the reception counter in the foyer of the Wolfram & Hart building, Rhiannon Martinson looked down at her digital wristwatch as the alarm went off, signalling that the time was exactly 4:30 a.m. Immediately, Rhiannon looked up at the front doors. Sure enough, they were opening, and Lilah Morgan was walking in. "Good morning, Miss Morgan," she greeted the well- groomed lawyer.
Lilah glanced at Rhiannon briefly, and kept on walking, headed in the direction of the elevators. "Miss Martinson." Lilah Morgan was a picture perfect copy of the no-nonsense, coldhearted, high-powered business woman. She was starting early for the fifth morning in a row, and she didn't have time to stop and chat to a lowly receptionist. Almost as if they automatically knew she was there, the elevator doors slid open in front of her, and Lilah didn't have to so much as slow down as she stepped into the elevator.
The doors slid shut again, and Lilah instantly tensed, her calm facade evaporating. She was both nervous and excited about today. For the sole head of Wolfram & Hart's Special Projects division, today was a big day.
The kitten was coming.
T.B.C.
DEDICATION: To my "Whiskers" feedbackers: Amelia, chalkdusty, Cheryl, Christopher Marlowe, cile, cyberwulf, elizabethdarcy, gyrlfrend, Jane McCartney, JJ, Katherine, Kelley and Shelley, Levi Truelove, Lilyana, MattyMatt, Rayven, Shadowfang, silver, superrmk and Sweet Kitten. With the kind of feedback you guys have given me so far, how could I not keep writing this story? I'd marry every single one of you if it were legal.
***
CHAPTER 10 - Silence In Green
***
It was about half past four in the morning, and traffic going both in and out of Los Angeles was starting to pick up again. Amongst the outgoing traffic, a shiny, black convertible with the top down, headed north for Sunnydale.
Behind the wheel, Angel was deep in thought. He had heard that letting your mind wander while you were driving was not an incredibly intelligent thing to do, but it didn't seem to be doing any harm so far. He was still having trouble getting his head around the idea that he was returning to Sunnydale. So much had changed since he was last there, he wondered if the town would even recognise him anymore.
Beside him, Cordelia sat in the middle of the front seat, talking loudly into her cellphone to combat the static she was trying to be heard over. Wesley sat on Cordy's other side, looking expressionlessly at the passing buildings as they left L.A. Gunn, Fred and Lorne were in the back.
"Willow? Is that you?" Cordy moved around in her seat, leaning forward, then back again, twisting around from side to side, as she tried to position the cellphone so the interference would be as small as she could get it while she tried to talk to Willow. "It's kinda hard to hear you with this static."
In the back seat, Fred leaned over toward Gunn, and spoke softly into his ear. "So, why's this kitten such a big problem that it needs all of us to go and find it and kick its ass?"
Gunn raised his eyebrows. That was the strongest language he'd heard Fred use since they brought her back from Pylea with them. "I dunno," he asnwered quietly, turning his head to face her. "Wesley didn't tell me much back at the hotel. Guy's got a real stick up his butt ever since we found out about this kitten thing." Gunn's eyes flicked over to the leader of Angel Investigations sitting up the front, hoping he hadn't heard his name being mentioned. If Wesley had heard his name, though, he didn't show it. The ex-Watcher remained as he was, staring out at the street and the traffic and the buildings, looking distant. Gunn didn't think either he or Fred were among Wesley's favourite people right now - Fred for startling their boss into dropping the heavy dagger onto his foot earlier, and Gunn for laughing at him, more than once.
"Boy, that's the understatement of the year so far. Just on the off-chance, you guys wouldn't happen to be having a kitten problem, would you?"
Beside Cordelia, Angel looked irritated, flinching away from her as she spoke loudly into her cellphone. "Hey, Cordy, you wanna keep it down? I can barely hear my heart beating over here."
Cordy smiled sarcastically at the vampire. "Oh, so very, very funny." She looked away from him again. "What? Oh, no, not you, Willow. What are you saying? ... Hello? ... Will, are you there?" Sighing loudly in frustration, Cordy slammed the cellphone shut, and tossed it uncaringly onto the dashboard. "You were right about the warlock."
"Huh?" Angel looked at Cordy in confusion for a moment, then back at the road in front of him.
"The warlock?" Cordy prodded him. "You know? The really bored one who you said invented cellphones? I'll bet that's exactly how it happened."
Angel got it now. "Oh," he said. "So, what did Willow say?"
Cordy sighed again, her expression turning serious. "I don't know, I could barely hear her. I'm really worried, Angel. Something incredibly bad is happening in Sunnydale right now, and whatever this kitten's prime goal is, there's nobody up there that can really stop it right now, you know? I mean, with one Slayer in prison, and the other ..." Cordy trailed off. The look on Angel's face told her she didn't need to finish that sentence.
"Yeah, I know." Angel said no more.
In the back seat, Gunn looked over at Lorne. Like the man seated in front of him, the green-skinned Pylean looked like he was a million miles away. He hadn't seemed to have heard any of the conversation since the six of them all climbed into Angel's convertible and left the hotel. "Hey, man, you alright?" Gunn asked him.
Lorne snapped out of his trance, and looked back over at Gunn. "Hmm? Oh, me. No, I'm fine." He frowned. "Why?"
"Nothin'," Gunn answered. "'Cept that that's the first thing you've said in over five mintues now. I can't remember that ever happening ..." He considered this for a few seconds. "... well, ever."
Fred was looking at Lorne with some concern. "Are you alright?" she asked him. "Because, you look bad. No, I mean, you look fine, not bad. I mean, except for the horns and the green skin. Not that that's a bad look, for you, that is, I just, well, not that I think you're ugly or anything, just that, uh, you look bad. I mean, you look worried."
A large grin broke out on Gunn's face. Fred's rambling never failed to have that effect on him.
Lorne gave the young woman a small smile. "Don't worry about me, honey. It'll take more than one little kitten to ever make me look unappealing physically." Fred giggled, while Cordy snorted her amusement from the front seat.
A moment later, Wesley turned around in his seat, and stared right into Lorne's eyes. The Englishman's face was grim. The cold, empty look in his eyes made Lorne suddenly very uneasy. "One little kitten?" Wesley repeated softly, slowly. "I think it would be wise of us all not to underestimate our new foe in such a patronizing fashion." His voice grew louder as he fixed his gaze on Gunn. "And furthermore, if anyone here wants to talk about me in the third person, I don't think it would be terribly rude of me to ask you to wait until I'm either not around or at least out of earshot before you do."
"Come on, Wes, chill out," Gunn broke in. The leader of Angel Investigations was making the three of them in the back seat all increasingly nervous. Gunn became aware that Fred was clutching his right elbow tightly with both of her hands. "We were just making conversation back here. And Lorne was just making a little joke to ease the tension. Go easy."
Wesley stared at Gunn in silence for a few more moments, then turned back around, and stared out at the passing traffic once more. Gunn let out a quiet sigh of relief, then gave Fred a reassuring smile. Fred seemed to relax a little. Her grip on his elbow softened, but she didn't let go.
***
Buffy Summers was tired of waiting.
She had been standing outside this crypt for God knew how long now (she had taken her watch off after arriving at home earlier, and hadn't thought to put it back on before she went out again), waiting for Spike to show up. But the vampire remained a no-show.
Letting out a loud and irritated sigh, Buffy finally gave up on expecting Spike to get back anytime soon, and started walking. She wanted to get back home and check on Dawn, since neither Xander or Spike were anywhere to be found, and she wanted to get there and make sure her sister was okay as soon as possible.
Elsewhere, the unlikely trio of Spike, Xander and Faith were heading down Sunnydale's main street, while Giles was looking around in dismay at Xander and Anya's empty apartment, wondering where the engaged couple had disappeared to, but Buffy was aware of neither of these things. All her mind was focused on right now was getting back to Dawn. And the next time she saw Spike and Xander, she was going to have a serious talk with them.
***
Behind the reception counter in the foyer of the Wolfram & Hart building, Rhiannon Martinson looked down at her digital wristwatch as the alarm went off, signalling that the time was exactly 4:30 a.m. Immediately, Rhiannon looked up at the front doors. Sure enough, they were opening, and Lilah Morgan was walking in. "Good morning, Miss Morgan," she greeted the well- groomed lawyer.
Lilah glanced at Rhiannon briefly, and kept on walking, headed in the direction of the elevators. "Miss Martinson." Lilah Morgan was a picture perfect copy of the no-nonsense, coldhearted, high-powered business woman. She was starting early for the fifth morning in a row, and she didn't have time to stop and chat to a lowly receptionist. Almost as if they automatically knew she was there, the elevator doors slid open in front of her, and Lilah didn't have to so much as slow down as she stepped into the elevator.
The doors slid shut again, and Lilah instantly tensed, her calm facade evaporating. She was both nervous and excited about today. For the sole head of Wolfram & Hart's Special Projects division, today was a big day.
The kitten was coming.
T.B.C.