Chapter Seven
Night had come again already - time was passing all to quickly. Susan enjoyed the fresh air as they drove down the street toward her old residence. It didn't take long for them to travel from middle class to the poorer part of the town. Bill boards and marquees flashed sign of "Girls' Girls' Girls," adult shops, pawnbrokers, alcohol and although not advertised - drugs.
"There's a building that should be destroyed," Susan remarked as they passed an old abandoned house. Abandoned except for the junkies hanging around the front steps. "Lots of drug deals done there."
Soon they arrived at the Sally Ann. Susan felt the glad times - lots of laughs and joy here. She may have been beyond poor but she felt good there. Life had a purpose.
"Would you like me to go in with you?" Angel asked as he stopped the car at the front door.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt. It is going to be hard to see these people when I left last week without an explanation."
They walked in together. Angel was a step behind, but there to offer his support.
"Hi, Mr. Francis. Where is Sonny?"
"Well, Hi to you too. Wasn't feelin' well so he went up to his room. Where have you been? By the look of those marks on your face that guy you were sweet on wasn't so nice to you. Should have listened to me. Knew that he was no good."
"Ya, I should have listened to you, didn't know what I was getting into. Hey, this is Angel ... Angel this is Mr. Francis." The two men shook hands.
"Angel, that's a name you don't hear very often."
"Mr. Francis, tell Angel that story about that ghost in England. Mr. Francis actually got a ghost to leave in Durham County by telling her that he would find her love that she searched for..."
"That was in Northumberland."
"Its a really neat story."
"Go see Sonny already, let me tell the story!"
Susy gave Angel a quick smile. "I won't be long." She ran up the carpeted stairs, which she couldn't have crawled up this morning.
It took a minute for Sonny to get to the door after Susy knocked. "Susy Q! How are you doin'?" Sonny reached to give her a hug, but she stepped back.
"Sorry Sonny, that jerk I was with did a number on me and I'm kind of sore."
"Damn ... hope you dumped him!"
"Like a hot potato."
"Sonny, remember that package I asked you to hold for me. Do you still have it?"
"You bet I do. Let me get it," Sonny said reaching to the back of the closet, and then presenting her with a towel wrapped package.
"Thanks Sonny. You've sure done a lot for me these last four years. I'm sorry I can't stay. It seems like I may have to move on for now. Tell everybody I love them."
"Past catching up with you, Susy?"
She gave a slight smile and shrugged.
"Thanks Sonny, I owe you."
"You don't owe me nothing, Susy. Just keep out of trouble." She brushed his cheek with her fingers and even though it burned it was worth it.
"You've been like a dad to me ... Bye."
After the door closed Susy opened the bundle and found the .22 caliber handgun, complete with two shells, she had wrapped a couple of years ago and had asked Sonny to hide for her. She had taken it away from a young fellow and really didn't expect to have the need to use it, but had kept it just in case. Wrapping it up she went down to the kitchen by a set of back stairs. There she found a couple of birthday cake candles and a book of matches. Then next-door in the storage room she grabbed a bag of rags and a half empty bottle of turpentine. Thinking that it was all she needed, she wrapped everything in the rags and put it in a grocery bag.
"I got a few of my things," Susy stated as she returned to the front desk. "So does Angel pass your acceptance test?"
"Now, this is the guy you should have met in the first place!" Mr. Francis smiled and winked at them. "Take care of yourselves, kids."
After getting back into the convertible Susan slid in close beside Angel saying, "If we are going to do this maybe we should get to know each other a little better."
Angel put his arm around her as he drove. To any old movie buff they could have come out of a seventies romance story. As he pulled into the parking lot at the Chinese restaurant he said, "There's one thing I should tell you about being a vampire. When we go to someone's home we have to be invited in or we can't enter. We only have to be invited once and it is kind of the same when we make love ... we have to be invited."
"Where have I heard this before?" Susan remarked, "Actually it sounds like anything immortal has to be invited ... God, ... you, ... Sol!"
"I thought we should do it now so that if Sol takes over I don't have to get his permission. I don't think he will give it too readily."
"Well then, I give you permission to enter my body. Boy, two guys in one week, I'm going to get a reputation." Susan gave Angel a quick kiss. "I guess we should make it at least a little appealing." But the truth to the matter was that they both found each other creating an attraction.
Angel leaned toward her and gently placed his lips over hers then said, "That sounds like a good idea."
They took the food back to the office and home. Both Wesley and Cordy were nowhere to be found. Susan knew how much they didn't approve of Angel wanting to help, but right now none of them had much say in the matter. They went into the kitchen and Susan set out two plates for the food. She helped herself but noticed that Angel did not. "You should at least have some of your "Power drink" because you are going to need your strength, too."
"You are a very understanding person," he said putting his hand on her cheek, "but I'll wait a little while."
Susan ate her supper. They were both very quiet - not dreading the plan, but not looking forward to it. She tidied up the dishes then said, "I'm getting very tired, so I guess this is it. Give me about ten minutes, okay?" Susan placed her hand on the back of his neck and pulled him toward her so she could very hungrily place her mouth over his, and was returned the passion. "Mr. Francis was right, I wish I had met you first. Maybe we couldn't have been a complete couple, but I know we would have been good together." Following a light peck to his cheek she turned to go upstairs.
As Angel turned to the fridge he was thinking that maybe he could do this in human form.
Susan quickly went up the stairs, but instead of getting changed she grabbed the grocery bag of supplies and left a folded paper on the bed. She quietly went back down and straight out the front door, which she left open, so it wouldn't make a sound.
Angel had his nourishment before turning to go up to the second floor of the old hotel. It certainly gave him strength but he regretted the fact that he could not digest solid food well. He was puzzled when he found the door open and stepped outside to make sure no one was there. Finding nothing he went back inside locking the door behind him.
He hesitated, wondering just what would be the proper way to do this. It wasn't going to be like being with a lover or even a one-night stand, although that was somewhat closer. He finally decided on going into his room and putting on the velour robe. This was certainly going to have to be scripted as they went along.
There was a door joining the two rooms on which Angel placed a light knock. He waited a moment then entered Susan's room. He expected to see her on the bed but instead found the note, which read: "I can't risk this for you. Thanks for all your help. Remember what I told you. Love, Susan."
Angel was shocked. He remembered what Susan had said about dieing and burning her own body, although he knew that was not what the note meant. He also knew that he would have to work quickly. Susan would leave him little time before committing suicide; something she believed would condemn her own soul. He had to think about where she would do this. There must have been a clue. It couldn't be very far away as her energy was diminishing. As he was redressing Angel suddenly remembered the drug house. What had Susan said about it? That it should be destroyed. He should have picked up on this sooner, but she had been a good actor by making him believe that she agreed with his plan. He rushed out the door to his car. There was no way that he would let Susy die.
The first thing Susan did when she arrived at the abandoned house was check through the rooms to make sure that it was empty. What a dump it was. Rooms were furnished with old broken articles that had been retrieved from nearby dumpsters. Most rooms had a least one old smelly mattress for junkies to crash on.
She found two couples in the two-story house and was able to get them out by saying that the house was on fire. The two girls knew Susan already and they trusted her and left without question. She told them that she would follow after checking the basement and it was there that she quickly set up her plan.
Angel saw the people standing around the outside of the old house as he arrived. He asked one of the girls what was going on to which she replied, "Susy Q said there was a fire. I don't see any smoke but she hasn't come out yet."
On his way to the door Angel answered back, "I'll find her."
It wasn't hard to discover where Susan was. The smell of turpentine was very strong and was coming from the basement. He was in such a hurry and wanting to be prepared he turned vampire. It was possible that he could be too late or instead of Susan he might find Solcapprodee.
As Angel quickly pushed against the old door, it flew off of its hinges with great force and hit the wall. Wearing the red gown, Susan was sitting in the centre of a ring of rags soaked in turpentine. Before her was the lit birthday candle sitting in tissue paper. The gun fell out of her hand when the door flew open. Angel had to work quickly before she finished her task or the tissue paper caught on fire and the whole room would be engulfed in flames. As he picked Susan up by the shoulders he purposefully stepped on the candle extinguishing the flame.
When she saw the vampire's face Susan was shocked at what a change had come over him. She knew what was coming next and just closed her eyes and allowed it to happen. To herself, she said a quick prayer, "Lord, don't let Angel loose his soul for helping me." Susan could smell his cologne and with that resigned herself to him.
In a fluid motion Angel laid Susy down on the old mattress and entered her body. Instantly, almost as if he was dreaming, he found himself in what appeared to be a misshapen opaque red balloon. The walls and the floor were mattress soft and the void was filled with a clear, water like substance about the consistency of jelly not completely set. If Angel were human and alive he certainly would not survive this, as he would have had to inhale the fluid. Not far from him stood Solcapprodee. He was almost completely dissolved into the red soft wall. The only thing showing was his face and hands. Angel realized that time really had almost run out. The fight would really be no fight at all. All Angel had to do was repeat the incantation.
"Eed orp pac los"
Solcapprodee's eyes came open and a look of pain completely covered his face. His fingers tightened into claw like shapes and slowly the form of the demon turned into black ash and was absorbed into the red wall.
Instantly Angel realized that he had no idea how to leave this prison. There was no exit to be found. In his mind he thought, "God, help me!" He really had no idea where the thought had come from, except that he knew that right now he was actually inside of Susan's body.
Suddenly those soft walls seemed to give way and Angel fell with them into the darkness. He opened his eyes and found he was once again in the dark musty room. Susan was frantically trying to push him away from her. Even in her weakness her struggle was that of desperation.
Angel lay back on the mattress with his eyes closed. The exorcism was actually very exhausting. Coming back to reality he realized that Susan was doubled over in pain beside him. The familiar smell of blood alerted him and as he sat up he realized that the mattress was saturated. Angel quickly straightened himself, removed his trench coat and wrapped it around her. He picked her up and ran out to the car as Susan moaned. During all the time and injuries inflicted on her, never had she uttered more than a slight sound. Angel was very alarmed and knew without a doubt this was serious.
The four people he had seen earlier slept on the stoop of the house as he sped away, taking Susan to the only man he knew would understand and could help.
When they arrived at Chu Whan's shop a hint of the sun was starting to show in the east. Angel noticed lights on inside and knew the old Chinese man of medicine would be already working. He carried Susan from the car. The sound of pain had stopped. Her eyes were open slightly and she appeared conscious but unable to more. Without a word Chu Whan directed them into a small back room hidden by an old blanket hung as a curtain.
"You succeeded!" the old man grinned, "A lot of souls can rest peacefully now."
"She's bleeding very badly and had a lot of pain." After all she had already been through Angel was very concerned for Susan's life.
Chu Whan touched her forehead but she weakly pulled away as a red burn marked her skin. "Aww, he has left her an ill blessing. We best get something ready for her." Angel stayed with Susan as the medicine man went about making the solution. In only a few minutes he came back with a weak green tea to which he had added a mysterious powder. "This should help. Good for woman problems." Angel helped her drink from the cup with no handle.
"Why can medicines never taste good?" Susan asked weakly. "It worked Angel. Are you okay?"
"Of course I'm okay. Now we just have to get you better."
"The sun will rise soon, Angel, best take her home so she can rest quiet. Too many people coming and going here for rest. Let Susan lie in a warm bath containing this powder." Chu Whan handed Angel a small package. "Drink this special green tea every two hours. She will be alright, but she needs to be kept warm and get lots of rest."
Angel thanked the wise man and carried Susan back to the car. They arrived back at the hotel shortly after it broke day.