Chapter 43

Angel's Apartment in Los Angeles

Lila brought two cups of coffee with her from the kitchen and she sat one down in front of her mother and the other she sat beside her on the night table. Staring across at the woman who gave birth to her, Lilah had a million questions for her, but for the first time in her life, she was unable to speak.

Marisella took a sip of the coffee and broke the silence, "You seem nervous. There's no reason to be. I wish you knew how happy finding you and Fred has made me. It's changed my whole outlook on life on this planet of yours."

"You've made me happy to. I just don't know where to begin." Lilah laughed, "I'm not usually like this. I'm always in control and now…I just feel so different around you. I want to know everything about where you came from and so much more, but I want Fred here with me when you tell us."

"Yes, that's a good idea." Marisella agreed as she shifted in her seat, "Why don't you tell me about you. I want to know all about your life. Both you and Fred have so much to share with me and each other. Tell me how you ended up working for this company that Fred seems to despise."

"Oh Fred is partly right. Wolfram & Hart is not exactly a legit law firm, but the pay is good and they actually let me do things and treated me as an equal right from the start. That's rare in this day and age. Wolfram & Hart doesn't care if you are man, woman, demon, vamp or alien for that matter, they only care about one thing, the bottom line. I get things done at my job." Lilah said proudly. After a brief pause, she looked back at her mother, "Lately I've been wondering if it's worth it and now that I've found you and Fred and my association with Angel, well, I'm not so sure I'll be going back or if they'd take me back.

"It's ironic, if not intriguing, that the two of you worked for so long on opposites and now you might actually get to work together. That must make you feel good. You do want to work with your sister don't you?" Marisella asked, hoping strongly that Lilah would agree.

"I guess." Lilah nodded, not wanting to disappoint her mother, "I want to get to know her first. I'm not sure we share the same way of thinking. She's very idealistic from what I've seen and I might be a bit too jaded to work with the good guys, but I don't think I could work against her either. She's so damn sweet it's almost sickening." Lilah said with a big eye roll, "But, I mean that in a good way." She added as she smiled at her mother.

"Who was that girl Fred ran up the stairs with?"

"I'm not sure how Fred knows her. I've seen her at some company parties. She's the daughter of a wealthy lawyer who works for the firm. She was very ambitious from what I remember. She was willing to do anything to get ahead, but she disappeared for the last year and I think it's clear it had something to do with Fred. I just don't know what it is." Lilah said as she looked up towards the stairs.

Eve paced back in forth in front of Fred for a good five minutes before Fred stood up and stopped her, "That's enough. You need to tell me what's going on here."

"I want to, but it's going to hurt you so much."

"What is? Just tell me."

Looking into Fred's sweet face only made things harder for Eve, "Okay, I need to say how sorry I am for everything I did and everything I'm about to tell you. I'm not the same person as I was back then. I was young and stupid and I didn't realize how lucky I was to have you in my life. If I could turn back time, I'd never do what I did. Not for anything. I promise you that."

"Eve, you are talking in circles." Fred said, wondering what was going through Eve's head, "What did you do?"

"Fine, I need to do this. You better sit down." Eve said and then waited for Fred to sit back down on the bed, "Okay, the night I disappeared and the night you had the memory loss were no a coincidence. Oh god, this is so hard. You look so sweet and innocent right now, it's just how I remember you. I'm so stupid."

"Eve, you are trying my patience." Fred said, her voice raising slightly, her smile fading each second Eve avoided the truth, "I'm not going to be very sweet if you do not tell me what's going on."

"Well, it isn't pretty." Eve said, trying to build of the courage to say what she needed to say, "I'm not sure if you know this, but my dad works for Wolfram & Hart. He's very good friends with Holland Manners. Holland asked me to do something for him and he promised it would not hurt you in any way, but he said there was something special about you and he wanted to do some tests on you to see what it was. I helped him get access to you after our night together. That's why you are missing the time. Whatever they did must've have been erased from your memory."

"You did what?" Fred asked, getting up off the bed and looked back at Eve, "I keep hoping you are going to tell me this is all a joke and you are kidding, but I can see you aren't. I don't even know what to say. Why would you do this to me? Why? I don't even know what they did, but obviously it wasn't good. God knows the kinds of things they could've done though. And you helped them after we spent that wonderful night together? After we made love for hours and hours. After I told you I loved you?"

Eve felt her heart drop as she saw the look of disappointment in Fred's eyes, "I'm sorry. Everything was already in place before our night began. I had no idea we would have such an amazing night. It was impossible to stop once I'd agreed to it. I know it's no excuse and I feel so horrible for what I put you through, but I know that's not enough."

"You're damn right it's not enough." Fred yelled, "So tell me Eve, what was the price for selling me out?"

"I didn't do it for the money."

"Oh, so you didn't get paid?" Fred questioned, not sure what to believe, "If it wasn't for the money, then please, tell me what was for?"

"I told you I was young and stupid and I wanted to get my head in the door at Wolfram & Hart. I wanted to make Holland notice me. I thought it was what I wanted, but I was so wrong. I just wanted some attention, but you have to know that as soon as this all happened, I couldn't live with myself." Eve said, pleading for Fred to understand, "I couldn't stand to see you again. I didn't run to Wolfram & Hart and join them, I ran away. I tried to start over. I wanted to make a life where you would be proud of me. I was on the right track when Kate found me."

"I can't believe you would do something like this to a friend." Fred said as she sat in disbelief at what she was hearing, "What did Wolfram & Hart to do me? You must know if they found anything out."

"No, I don't know. I told you, I left after this happened. The next day I got in my car and just kept driving." Eve explained as she tried to move closer to Fred, "If you want, I can try and find out why they were so interested in you."

"Oh, I think you've helped enough. Besides, I think I know what they were looking for, only question I have is whether they've found anything or not." Fred replied while pulling away from Eve.

"I know you're mad and I can't blame you, but I'm hoping that in time you'll find it in your heart to give me a second chance." Eve continued to try and get close to Fred, "I can promise you I've changed, but I need to be able to show you and I can't do that if you shut me out completely."

Fred felt the sincerity in Eve's voice and even felt a part of her wanting to just forgive her and forget everything that had happened, but the rest of her was too upset to give in, "Right now I don't even want to look at you. Okay, so if that's all you came here for you can leave."

Eve thought about pleading her case further, but the look on Fred's face along with the wide open bedroom door made her think twice. She did however manage to brush up along side of her as she walked towards the door and as Fred turned her head away, she leaned up, kissed her on the cheek and whispered, "I still love you. Don't give up on me." And then ran down the stairs.

Running past Lilah and Marisella in a flash, Eve ran into the kitchen and put her arms around Kate, "I need to go. Fred doesn't want to see me right now and I need to be away from her until she is."

Kate couldn't pry Eve's hands from her waist, so she gave in to her request, "Okay, I have to talk to Lilah and then we can go head back to Sunnydale."

Fred rushed down the stairs moments later and ran up to Marisella, "I want to go back to Sunnydale. Now."

Marisella wasn't sure what to make of Fred's sudden mood switch, "But we just got here. What about your sister? Don't you want to spend some time with her?"

"I do, but I can't be here right now. I can't talk to her because she works for the company that did this to me." Fred said calmly, but when she didn't get a reaction quick enough, she became much more insistent, "Please, I'll come back another time, I promise."

"Okay, just try and calm down sweetheart." Marisella said softly as she held Fred's hand and turned to Lilah, "Well, I think it's best we go now. We can come back in the blink of an eye, so once Fred has calmed down, we will be back. I really do need to talk to the two of you together very soon."

"I understand." Lilah said, but didn't really mean, "I hope everything is okay Fred. I'm not sure what Eve said that got her so upset, but I hope you know I was not part of anything Wolfram & Hart might have done to you, but I'm going to find out who did and why."

"I'm not mad at you Lilah, but I just need to go back home for now. I'll call you later." Fred said abruptly and then managed a smile for Lilah, "I'm really happy we found each other. I know we'll have more time to talk soon."

"Good, I look forward to it." Lilah said with a smile as she gave her sister a warm hug.

Marisella savored the sight of her two daughters embracing and new at that moment that everything was going to work out just the way it was meant to. After a quick goodbye between Marisella and Lilah, Marisella held onto Fred's hand and within seconds a portal was opened and the two women jumped through it and disappeared from sight.

Kate sat Eve down in a chair and walked into the living room to find Lilah and was surprised to see her standing alone, "Hi, I thought I'd be interrupting your reunion."
"Fred needed to get back home so they just left a couple seconds ago." Lilah said, looking over at the empty seat, "Is everything okay with Eve? It seems like her and Fred had some kind of falling out."

Kate laughed, "She wants to leave as well. Must be something in the air. Anyway, I really wanted to spend some time with you, but it seems I'll be on the move very soon. Maybe we can have dinner when I get back. I shouldn't be more than a day or two."

"That sounds good. I could use a night out." Lilah sighed as she took a step towards Kate, "As much as I'd like to keep things light here, I have to ask if you know anything about why Fred is so upset? What exactly did Eve do that involved Wolfram & Hart?"

"Lilah, I can't discuss that right now. I have to report back to Buffy and give her the information first. You know that." Kate said shaking her head, but turned back to Lilah, "But, I will say that it's very likely that Buffy, Fred and many others already know what Wolfram & Hart wanted with Fred. Not that I'm saying anything you don't know, but if you think about this a bit and think about who was just here and the connection you and

Fred have to her, perhaps the reason will be quite clear."

After processing what Kate just told her, Lilah's eyes lit up, "You mean they knew Fred was related to Marisella? I need to find out what kind of tests they did on her and if any of them could have serious consequences. I don't trust Wolfram & Hart and if there is a way they could use Fred in the future, they'd take it. Thanks for reminder."

"Glad to help." Kate said with a smile just as Eve walked into the room.

"Is it okay if we get going?" Eve asked Kate and then turned to Lilah, "Hi Lilah. Does Fred know you work for Wolfram & Hart?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but I don't work for them anymore." Lilah snapped, not thrilled with Eve's accusatory tone.

Eve took a step back, puzzled by Lilah's rather angry reaction and by her response, "Oh, I thought you did. Anyway, if you see Fred, tell her I'm sorry and that I'll do whatever it takes to make this up to her."

Kate stepped in and guided Eve to the door, "Well, I guess it's time to go, but I promise to look you up when I get back to LA. I want you to know that I'm so happy you have Gwen back in your life and now a sister and a mother, it's quite a special day for you."

"Yes it is and yet here I am, all alone again." Lilah laughed, "I sure hope this is just the exception and not the rule with my newfound family."

"I'm sure it's not. Once everyone gets used to everyone, I bet you end up together all the time."

"Thanks for saying that." Lilah said as she walked Kate to the door, "I almost miss Angel so you know things must be bad."

"I hate to leave you alone like this, but I'll give you a call tonight and we can talk if you want." Kate said as she tried to gauge Lilah's interest.

Lilah smiled and gently touched her arm, "I'd like that whether I was alone or not."

"Good, you can expect a call from me later on tonight." Kate said as Eve stood impatiently tapping her foot and looking at her watch.

"Well, I better let you go. I'm sure Gwen will be back soon and I'll spend a lot of time trying to get through to her. You have a safe trip." Lilah said as she waved goodbye and watched Kate walk slowly away, her hips swaying sexily from side to side in her tight fitting jeans.

Kate turned to wave back at Lilah and was happy to see her eyes following her so closely. She slid in the back of the limo and ordered the driver back to the airport and she sat back, closed her eyes and thought of all the things she'd like to be doing with Lilah at this very moment.

End of Chapter 43