Part Two

Angel stood in the doorway of the courtroom, holding onto Marquez. The Wolfram and Hart Lawyer, up at the front, was filing for a dismissal of all charges against his client who, he claimed, was an upstanding, law abiding citizen. The Lawyer turned and caught sight of Angel and Marquez… he trailed off. Angel recognised this particular one, it was the smooth, handsome, but tiny, attorney that had represented Russell Winters: Lindsey MacDonald. Last time they had met, Angel had kicked Lindsey's very lucrative vampire client out of the window and into the sunshine. He imagined the Lawyer would remember him as well.

The prosecuting attorney stood up in delight 'your honour, the state calls Mr. Marquez.'

Marquez walked to the front of the courtroom, took to the witness stand and was sworn in. The whole time, Angel and Lindsey never stopped staring at each other.

Back in his office, Lindsey was furious; but he had to try and explain what had happened to his superiors, who were not known for being understanding. He apologised profusely and took full responsibility, promising that he would sort the situation out himself, that Angel would not be allowed to cause trouble like this again. He hung up the phone and one his fellow associates walked in. Lee Mercer had also been bested by that irritating vampire with a soul, and his little ragtag gang of minions, before now. Wolfram and Hart did not, as a general rule, encourage friendships and camaraderie amongst its legal team, but in this instance Lindsey knew that Lee would understand. 'I hate it when things go wrong and I've got no one to blame', he told the other man.

Lee smiled a supercilious smirk at him and threw some papers down on the desk.'I think I've found the solution to our problems', he said.

As Lee strode through the main foyer of Wolfram and Hart, he found Lilah Morgan falling into step with him. 'Lee! I heard you thought of a good way to deal with our friendly neighbourhood vamp.'

'No I thought of a great way. Much more final than trying to buy his little sidekick.'

'In fairness, I wanted the half breed for his own sake, pissing off Angel was only ever a bonus. So… how did you find out there's a rogue slayer in town?'

'It's my job', Lee told her. 'I've read the police reports … she's been a busy little beaver.'

'But you don't know where she is?' Lilah clarified.

'I will'

Lilah opened up the manilla folder she was carrying. 'I already do. I'll make contact.'

'It's my deal', Lee protested. 'I'll make contact.'

'Let me think…?' she laughed, sneeringly. 'No'

'Why not?'

'Your people skills. You don't have any'

'Bitch'

'See? Now if you behave, I'll let you ride in the Limo.'

'No we don't do divorce cases', Cordelia said into the telephone. 'No it isn't about the money … oh, it's about that much money?'

Doyle gave her a disapproving look from his place across the desk, but she flapped her hands at him to tell him to shush up and started making notes on her pad. 'How soon can we meet? …. Yeah I know where that is…'

Angel and Wesley came up in the elevator, arriving back from court. She wound up her conversation: 'OK, we'll see you there tomorrow, thanks for calling. Bye.' She hung up and glared at Doyle, daring him to say anything, then she turned to the new arrivals. 'So how'd it go?'

'We won!' Wesley told her triumphantly.

'Gang guy testified?' she was astonished.

'Stood up and told the truth', Angel confirmed.

'What did I tell you both?' Cordelia asked turning to Wesley and Doyle with a look of reproach for their lack of faith in Marquez.

'That he never would in a million years.'

'Y'know I'm sorry I didn' take that bet, after all.'

'Tch!' Cordelia snorted, disgruntled with their accurate memories. 'Well I have some good news too', she told her boss. 'We just got a new client - and this one can afford to pay!'

'What's the case?'

'Uh… I'm still in the gathering information phase right now', she lied. Doyle raised her eyebrows at her and she scowled at him, once more daring him to talk. He didn't. 'We're meetin' for lunch tomorrow', he supplied instead. He had no wish to upset Cordelia, Angel could do that tomorrow when he refused to take the case.

'So are you happy with how things went?' Cordelia asked her boss, she turned to the other two. 'You can always tell when he's happy, his scowl is... slightly less … scowly.'

Doyle smiled at her, Wesley ignored her. 'That young man was lucky he ran into you', he said to the vampire.

'He's lucky Doyle had a vision … but all he needed was a bit of guidance, a push in the right direction.'

'I only wonder how Wolfram and Hart will push back', the watcher mused.

Lilah had found Faith at another dark club, had bought her a drink, and then suggested they go outside. If the lawyer was nervous to be in the company of a psychotic vampire slayer, she didn't let on. Lilah was always in charge; you didn't get to be a female associate at Wolfram and Hart by 32 if you couldn't take charge and hide your fear. Especially if you didn't have any children to sacrifice.

'Yeah, I guess we could go somewhere and talk', Faith was saying. 'But I'm more of a doer than a talker.'

'I think you misunderstood my intentions', Lilah told her.

'No, I think you misunderstood mine.' The slayer stopped abruptly and turned to face the older woman, backing her into the chain link fence they had been walking past. 'I like that watch', she said. 'Is it diamond?'

'Faith', Lilah said to her in a calm, controlled voice. But hearing her name just set the girl off even further.

'How do you know my name? I don't think I told you.' She thumped the fence beside Lilah's head and the lawyer winced, this girl was strong! But she collected herself and began again.

'Well, we know all about you, who you are and what you do. We're also aware of the troubles you've been having. We think we can help bring some order back into your life.'

'We do, do we? Who is we? And why do they know about me when I know Jack about you?' She grabbed Lilah by the throat, forcing her right into the fence so that the metal pricked into her back, and then she began to squeeze with her slayer strength. But this was not enough to undermine a woman of Lilah's calibre.

'Green..' the lawyer choked out. Faith stopped, looking confused. '...Is my favourite colour,' Lilah continued. Faith understood and relaxed her grip a little, Lilah's voice grew bolder 'I look good in diamonds and' … Faith had all but let go, a car drove up behind her and stopped, 'I love riding in Limousines', Lilah finished.

The door of the Limo opened and Lee Mercer leaned out. 'Faith… can we talk?'

'I like black', Faith said to Lilah, as she turned away from her and got into the car. Lilah smiled as she followed on.

Darla returned to the house. She hadn't seen Angelus this past night and she was worried, but here he was, by the fireplace where he'd killed the gypsy girl.

'Not everyone screams', he said.

She frowned, he was huddled against the wall, she'd never seen him like this. 'What?'

'When you kill them … some just stand there - frozen .. whilst others…'

'What are you doing?' She smiled in anticipation. 'Are we playing a game?'

'The children - they usually scream.'

Her smile grew wider as she thought of it: 'hmmm yes', she moaned, 'like little pigs. Have you brought me some?'

Angelus turned to face her, he looked ragged, bedraggled and there was something in his eyes … something haunted. He raised his hands to his head and gripped at his long hair. 'How long have we been killing now? 145 years? We drank them all … and they're all dead.'

She approached him and tried to pull his hands away from his face, he had never acted this way before and it made her nervous. 'What are you doing? Where have you been?' A sudden shaft of ice pierced her heart as she considered a possibility, and she knew jealousy for the first time in 145 years. 'Have you met someone else?', she demanded. The crazed seer, much as Darla had disliked her joining the family, had never caused this kind of reaction - and she was far too wrapped up in that ridiculous new boy of hers to be a threat now. This was something else entirely.

Angelus gripped her shoulders and leant against her, and as he did Darla sensed something wrong inside of him, something that scared her, though she did not yet understand. 'No. Let go. Let go of me!' she pushed him away 'What happened to you? Angelus what happened?'

'The gypsy girl you brought me - her people found out...they did something to me.'

'A spell?'

'It's funny… all the people I've maimed ...I've killed… you wouldn't think I could remember them all. But I can. Every single one.' He stumbled towards Darla, 'help me' he pleaded. She put her hand against his face and it all suddenly became clear, horribly clear. Although she had not breathed since the 1600s she inhaled sharply now, horrified .'The spell? They gave you a soul … a filthy soul. No!' she scratched his face and tore herself away from him in anguish. Her darling boy, her most depraved monster, her vicious, violent, brutal creature of the night; infected with a human soul. It was too cruel to bear.

'Darla!' he reached for her again.

'No get away from me!' she picked up a wooden chair and raised it, blocking the space between them so this twisted travesty of her boy could not get near her.

'You brought her here', Angelus accused, admonished.

She smashed the chair and picked up one of its legs and then lunged at him, hoping to drive the splintered wood deep into his heart. This thing would be dust, and she could keep her precious memories of their time together, intact.

'I am like you', he told her as he avoided the plunging stake.

'You're not like anything! Get away from me, get out! I'll kill you.'

He stumbled from the house and down the street, glancing back at her to see her stood in the doorway with her makeshift stake raised. She watched him stagger away from her down the cobbled alleyway and remembered, clear as day, the way he had stumbled from the tavern and into the alley where he had died. She remembered the night, a century and a half ago, when she had told him that the love that infected his heart would continue to dwell there, even when it was no longer beating. He had been so confused, so very young, and she had shown him her world and taken him into her own heart. And now that unbeating heart was breaking...

Inside the swish offices of Wolfram and Hart, Faith paced the floor; she felt caged here, so high up in such a formal setting, like she couldn't escape if she needed to. Faith hated to be cooped up, she needed to know where her exits were. The short lawyer who had met them at the law firm was talking, telling her about her own predicament, which she already knew '... what it doesn't mention is that you're a slayer' he finished up.

'Which is why we find you so appealing', Lilah told her

'You have a problem', Lindsey told her, 'we have a problem. If a small service is rendered, I believe we can get you off your felony charge.'

'So who am I supposed to kill?' she was straight to the point. She'd done cold blooded assassinations before. Her first was that little demon who had offered her and Buffy the Books of Ascension. She'd just kept stabbing. That first one had frightened her, and he'd fought back. The last one had been that cuddly old volcanologist, Lester. He hadn't understood and had died without a fight, just a frightened cry of anguish. She'd been used to killing by then, hadn't given it a second thought. But now she remembered how friendly he'd been when she'd arrived, not in a creepy way though, like a nice old grandpa. And how scared he'd been when he realised this pretty young girl from the Mayor's office brought only death… But she wasn't thinking about that ...

'Please understand', Lindsey was saying, 'that we would never advocate the killing of another human being - his name is Angel - he's something of a private..'

'No problem'

'Don't you want to know anything more?' Lee asked, he sounded impatient, she didn't care for that.

'Yeah, apart from getting me off, how much are you paying me?'

'It might behoove you to know a bit more about the intended … before we discuss remuneration', Lee said.

'Huh?' She did not like his tone.

'Payment...I want to make sure that you understand that this firm is not connected to anything that you do. It's my ass on the line here, I don't want you to make me look bad.'

Faith grabbed him by the neck and slammed his face into the desk. 'How do you look now?' As she continued to pound him head first into the hard wood she carefully did not think about the way Angel had tried to talk to her after her first kill, had tried to connect with her. Or the time she and the Mayor had tried to take his soul away and for the first time she thought she had something over Buffy. She had thought she could win. How her and Angelus had chained Buffy up, ready to torture her, and how she had enjoyed kissing him, pressing herself against him, making Buffy watch. Taking Angel from Buffy had felt sweet, but it had been more than that, thinking she had someone of her own, someone she could share the dark side of slaying with. A friend. A lover. Everything Little Miss Tightly Wound took for granted. But then it had turned to ashes, Angel was lying, and Buffy had won. Faith could never take anything away from her, could never have what she had … But she wasn't thinking about that...

As Lee's face smashed into the desk, the cartilage of his nose cracking and breaking, Lindsey and Lilah smirked at one another. 'She shows initiative', Lilah approved. Lindsey flicked open his cell and dialled his secretary: 'Jesse, I think you had better make it three for dinner, instead of four.'

The elevator at the four seasons L.A opened up onto the restaurant level, revealing the four members of team Angel. Doyle whistled. 'This is pretty fancy, darlin', y'sure this is where we're supposed to meet?'

'He's a very very rich client, but he doesn't have much time, so he can only meet for lunch.'

'I just feel like maybe I shoulda worn something a bit fancier y'know?'

She glanced at his battered, brown, leather jacket and his dark red bowling shirt, with its top button located somewhere around nipple height, thus revealing way, way more chest hair than was ever strictly necessary to show in polite company. 'Yeah, that wouldn't have been a bad idea, maybe Doyle should wait in the car?' At least Angel was a snappy dresser - and Wesley could always be counted on to wear a suit. Naturally, she looked fabulous.

'So what kind of demons are we talking about here?' Angel wanted to know, unimpressed by the luxury of his surroundings. On second thoughts, maybe Doyle could stick around, he could be useful backup now it was time to come clean.

'It's - not exactly - a demon thing.' she admitted.

'Not exactly?' Wesley was bemused. 'Then what is it?'

'It's sort of a … husband and wife … breaking up … thing.'

'It's a divorce case', Doyle clarified.

'Divorce? That seems rather seedy!' the watcher protested.

'You're kidding?' Angel was incredulous.

'What's wrong with a divorce case?' Cordelia wanted to know.

'She's got a point, the man can pay.' The half demon was pleased to receive Cordelia's sweetest, brightest smile for backing her up, and didn't care at all about the disapproving, disappointed looks he was getting from his male colleagues.

'It's not what we do', his vampire boss pointed out, complaining.

'Maybe it's time we branched out, bud. We can't help the hopeless if we can't afford to keep the lights on.' Cordy positively beamed at him.

'Apparently his wife is a real witch - that's something', she offered. 'Come on, at least talk to him. Oh and we should probably pick up the tab. Nothing says success less like splitting the bill.'

'I didn't bring any money', the vampire told her.

Cordelia was exasperated. 'OK, Elvis. When you're a big star you can get away with not carrying any cash. Until then ... Looks like this will have to go on my credit card. Why am I the only one around here who's fiscally responsible? You're 200 years old, get an investment portfolio already! And you two..' she rounded on Wesley and Doyle 'You're, like, thirty. You should really be financially sound by now.'

'I'm nowhere near thirty!' Doyle cried.

'Jeez, it's a good job my next commercial is being filmed next week, so one of us can earn some real cash for a change, cover company expenses.' As she finished talking, she registered a sound - like a bolt leaving a crossbow. But that sound had no place inside the Four Seasons.

Angel suddenly spun around on the spot. He caught a flying stake in mid air and snapped it in two. Had he not turned it would have buried straight through his back and into his heart.

'That was so cool!'

Doyle didn't understand. A young woman, maybe Cordy's age, was stood just across the room from them, she was holding a crossbow over her shoulder. Clearly this was Angel's assailant. But the thing that really confused him was the way the vampire and Cordelia and Wesley were staring at her, like they couldn't believe their eyes. Like they had seen a ghost. Crossbow aside, she seemed like any other girl. He couldn't work out why she would cause so much dismay.

'This is gonna be fun.' crossbow girl said, 'see you later!' And she turned and ran through the hotel, remaining in the sunlight that flooded through the windows, until she had disappeared from view.

'My God', said Wesley, sounding horrified: 'Faith.'

'I thought she was in a coma', Angel said.

'Pretty lively coma', Cordelia commented.

'Uh ...guys?' Doyle raised a hand to ask his question, they turned and looked at him. 'Who's Faith?'