"As you wish my Lord." She bowed toward him keeping her eyes downcast.
"This one's no fun, she's too submissive. I bet the blonde would have stood up to him." Spike mutter sulkily to himself as he flopped into Angel's chair.
"Spike get out! Out of my chair, out of my office, out of my life!" Angel roared. Things were getting out of hand today and he wasn't dealing with it well.
"Okay, now jump up and down and shake your fists at me. You're acting like a four-year-old? Have some dignity at least Angel and your scaring your new pet. Don't worry luv, 'is barks worse than 'is bite these days. You really are a bloody wanker sometimes Angel."
Angel turned to look at the girl who stood by his side shaking, visibly terrified by his outburst.
"Can this day get any worse?" He asked the ceiling, throwing his hands up in the air. Only then did he notice he still held the gold chain, too late to stop Ariane from being pulled off her feet to land in an untidy heap on the floor.
"Nice one Angel, I didn't know she could fly." Spike laughed slapping his non-existent thigh.
"Oh hell." Again Angel crouched at the girls side. He dropped the chain and gently touched her back. He heard her hiss at his touch and drew his hand away quickly. It came away wet and he looked to see bright blood coating it.
"Spike, tell Harmony to get a doctor up here."
"What?"
"Now please, Spike. Don't ask questions for once." Spike finally took action after seeing the blood soaked through the girls clothing. He disappeared and Angel could hear him yelling at Harmony not to complain just to do her damned job.
"What the hell do I do know?" He thought to himself. He wanted to make her more comfortable, but he didn't know where to touch her. Both times he had laid a hand on her he seemed to hurt her.
"My welfare is not your concern Master." She whispered, attempting to rise. Angel held out his hand, which she grasped tightly with her own.
"You're bleeding." He commented, not knowing what else to say.
"It is nothing. Please do not trouble yourself with me Si .. Master."
"Can you sit?" He asked.
"I .."
"Doc's here!" Spike said appearing through the door, just before it burst open and Harmony strode in with the doctor in tow. "Out Harmony!" Angel said pointing back toward her office.
"I just ."
"Well "just", in your own office." He pushed her toward the door and closed it firmly behind her.
"I'm going to have to examine you." The doctor stated looking at Ariane quizzically.
"We'll give you some privacy, won't we Spike." Angel gestured toward the door wishing, not for the first time that Spike had a body.
"But!"
"Spike?"
"Fine!" With that they both left leaving Ariane and the doctor alone. After about fifteen minutes of pacing in Harmony's office the door opened and the doctor emerged.
"How is she?" Angel asked concerned.
"I managed to stop the bleeding and dress the wounds but she has been very badly beaten. I tried to make her understand she should go to a hospital but she refused."
"Wait a minute, wounds, as in more than one?"
"That's generally what a plural is Angel!"
"Shut up Spike."
"Yes there were several open wounds on her back. If I was asked I'd say they were made by some kind of whip. I would suggest she should be taken home at once. She requires rest."
"Uh, that's fine doctor thanks for your help." Angel muttered absently as he opened the door to his office. "Harmony ask Lorne to come up."
He scanned the room as he entered, expecting to see the girl on the sofa. He was disturbed to see her on her knees again, frantically scrubbing at the floor with the edge of her dress.
"What are you doing?" He asked astonished.
"I am sorry, I spilled blood on your floor covering Master."
"You don't have to do that. Leave it, I'll have someone deal with it later. Please stop." He emphasised the last word, making it sound like an order.
She stopped immediately rising to her feet still clutching the dress in her restless fingers. Angel could see the deep blue bruises covering both her shapely legs.
"We need to talk. Please sit down." He said indicating the sofa. She took no notice and shrank to her knees on the floor.
"You really should use a chair." He commented dryly.
"It is not permitted. To sit with you would imply equality. My position is an affirmation of my servitude."
"I didn't - I'll save this discussion for another time." He sighed rubbing his temple with an index finger. "I want to know who gave you those bruises, and why."
"My welfare is not .."
"My concern. Yes you said that already. Why don't you just humour me and tell me anyway." Angel sat forward on the sofa, resting his elbows on his knees looking directly at his small guest.
"It was a punishment." Came the short reply.
"Punishment for what?"
"Returning from my second offering."
"I don't understand." He muttered shaking his head as the telephone rang.
"Oh." She offered no further explanation
He strode to his desk, snatching up the receiver. "Show him in." He told Harmony.
"You're not exactly a mine of information are you." Angel huffed. "What's an 'offering'." The door opened and Lorne entered swirling an olive in a vodka martini. Angel motioned for him to take a seat, which he did without comment.
"What you witnessed today was an offering. Lord Meenotuk or members of his council take three from the gathering who are offered to dignitaries as a token."
"Let me get this straight. You were beaten because you were not picked on your second offering?"
"That is the custom." She answered simply.
"How many times are you 'offered'?"
"Three times."
"What would have happened if I hadn't chosen you today?"
"I would have been put to death."
"You mean that low life son of a .. He would have killed you? Just because you ." In his rage Angel couldn't finish the sentence. "You wanted me to take Morven, you told me so."
"No Sir, you wanted Morven. I simply agreed with you." She stated.
"Why didn't you change my mind? You read it easily enough, I saw you laughing when I was thinking about what I wanted to do to Spike."
"It is wrong to alter the thoughts of another. No matter what the circumstances."
"Even when your life is at stake?"
"No matter what the circumstances." She repeated.
"Lorne this is Ariane, she's a kind of new employee." Angel looked at his friend for some assistance. "I thought maybe you could read her, see what your take on this mess is."
"Okay sweetie, hit me with your best shot." Lorne looked at the girl, who looked back bemused.
"I should have explained. Ariane this is Lorne he's an Anagogic Demon. If you sing to him he can put you on your path."
"Sing? I do not sing, Morven was .."
"Listen, I've heard enough about Morven, I chose you, now sing so Lorne can read you." Angel rubbed the back of his neck in exasperation, "Please." He added, knowing how irritated he sounded.
"Honey don't sweat the song, just sing anything." Lorne smiled trying to soothe the friction in the room.
"May I try something else Lord Lorne?" Ariane reached out gently and took Lorne's hand in both of hers. She closed her eyes slowly. Angel watched as Lorne followed suit. Within seconds his eyes sprung open and he looked directly at Angel shaking his head.
"This one's no fun, she's too submissive. I bet the blonde would have stood up to him." Spike mutter sulkily to himself as he flopped into Angel's chair.
"Spike get out! Out of my chair, out of my office, out of my life!" Angel roared. Things were getting out of hand today and he wasn't dealing with it well.
"Okay, now jump up and down and shake your fists at me. You're acting like a four-year-old? Have some dignity at least Angel and your scaring your new pet. Don't worry luv, 'is barks worse than 'is bite these days. You really are a bloody wanker sometimes Angel."
Angel turned to look at the girl who stood by his side shaking, visibly terrified by his outburst.
"Can this day get any worse?" He asked the ceiling, throwing his hands up in the air. Only then did he notice he still held the gold chain, too late to stop Ariane from being pulled off her feet to land in an untidy heap on the floor.
"Nice one Angel, I didn't know she could fly." Spike laughed slapping his non-existent thigh.
"Oh hell." Again Angel crouched at the girls side. He dropped the chain and gently touched her back. He heard her hiss at his touch and drew his hand away quickly. It came away wet and he looked to see bright blood coating it.
"Spike, tell Harmony to get a doctor up here."
"What?"
"Now please, Spike. Don't ask questions for once." Spike finally took action after seeing the blood soaked through the girls clothing. He disappeared and Angel could hear him yelling at Harmony not to complain just to do her damned job.
"What the hell do I do know?" He thought to himself. He wanted to make her more comfortable, but he didn't know where to touch her. Both times he had laid a hand on her he seemed to hurt her.
"My welfare is not your concern Master." She whispered, attempting to rise. Angel held out his hand, which she grasped tightly with her own.
"You're bleeding." He commented, not knowing what else to say.
"It is nothing. Please do not trouble yourself with me Si .. Master."
"Can you sit?" He asked.
"I .."
"Doc's here!" Spike said appearing through the door, just before it burst open and Harmony strode in with the doctor in tow. "Out Harmony!" Angel said pointing back toward her office.
"I just ."
"Well "just", in your own office." He pushed her toward the door and closed it firmly behind her.
"I'm going to have to examine you." The doctor stated looking at Ariane quizzically.
"We'll give you some privacy, won't we Spike." Angel gestured toward the door wishing, not for the first time that Spike had a body.
"But!"
"Spike?"
"Fine!" With that they both left leaving Ariane and the doctor alone. After about fifteen minutes of pacing in Harmony's office the door opened and the doctor emerged.
"How is she?" Angel asked concerned.
"I managed to stop the bleeding and dress the wounds but she has been very badly beaten. I tried to make her understand she should go to a hospital but she refused."
"Wait a minute, wounds, as in more than one?"
"That's generally what a plural is Angel!"
"Shut up Spike."
"Yes there were several open wounds on her back. If I was asked I'd say they were made by some kind of whip. I would suggest she should be taken home at once. She requires rest."
"Uh, that's fine doctor thanks for your help." Angel muttered absently as he opened the door to his office. "Harmony ask Lorne to come up."
He scanned the room as he entered, expecting to see the girl on the sofa. He was disturbed to see her on her knees again, frantically scrubbing at the floor with the edge of her dress.
"What are you doing?" He asked astonished.
"I am sorry, I spilled blood on your floor covering Master."
"You don't have to do that. Leave it, I'll have someone deal with it later. Please stop." He emphasised the last word, making it sound like an order.
She stopped immediately rising to her feet still clutching the dress in her restless fingers. Angel could see the deep blue bruises covering both her shapely legs.
"We need to talk. Please sit down." He said indicating the sofa. She took no notice and shrank to her knees on the floor.
"You really should use a chair." He commented dryly.
"It is not permitted. To sit with you would imply equality. My position is an affirmation of my servitude."
"I didn't - I'll save this discussion for another time." He sighed rubbing his temple with an index finger. "I want to know who gave you those bruises, and why."
"My welfare is not .."
"My concern. Yes you said that already. Why don't you just humour me and tell me anyway." Angel sat forward on the sofa, resting his elbows on his knees looking directly at his small guest.
"It was a punishment." Came the short reply.
"Punishment for what?"
"Returning from my second offering."
"I don't understand." He muttered shaking his head as the telephone rang.
"Oh." She offered no further explanation
He strode to his desk, snatching up the receiver. "Show him in." He told Harmony.
"You're not exactly a mine of information are you." Angel huffed. "What's an 'offering'." The door opened and Lorne entered swirling an olive in a vodka martini. Angel motioned for him to take a seat, which he did without comment.
"What you witnessed today was an offering. Lord Meenotuk or members of his council take three from the gathering who are offered to dignitaries as a token."
"Let me get this straight. You were beaten because you were not picked on your second offering?"
"That is the custom." She answered simply.
"How many times are you 'offered'?"
"Three times."
"What would have happened if I hadn't chosen you today?"
"I would have been put to death."
"You mean that low life son of a .. He would have killed you? Just because you ." In his rage Angel couldn't finish the sentence. "You wanted me to take Morven, you told me so."
"No Sir, you wanted Morven. I simply agreed with you." She stated.
"Why didn't you change my mind? You read it easily enough, I saw you laughing when I was thinking about what I wanted to do to Spike."
"It is wrong to alter the thoughts of another. No matter what the circumstances."
"Even when your life is at stake?"
"No matter what the circumstances." She repeated.
"Lorne this is Ariane, she's a kind of new employee." Angel looked at his friend for some assistance. "I thought maybe you could read her, see what your take on this mess is."
"Okay sweetie, hit me with your best shot." Lorne looked at the girl, who looked back bemused.
"I should have explained. Ariane this is Lorne he's an Anagogic Demon. If you sing to him he can put you on your path."
"Sing? I do not sing, Morven was .."
"Listen, I've heard enough about Morven, I chose you, now sing so Lorne can read you." Angel rubbed the back of his neck in exasperation, "Please." He added, knowing how irritated he sounded.
"Honey don't sweat the song, just sing anything." Lorne smiled trying to soothe the friction in the room.
"May I try something else Lord Lorne?" Ariane reached out gently and took Lorne's hand in both of hers. She closed her eyes slowly. Angel watched as Lorne followed suit. Within seconds his eyes sprung open and he looked directly at Angel shaking his head.