Wesley sniggered from the corner as he replaced the weapons.
"Do you have something to add Wes?"
"No, I think Ariane has this one covered pretty well on her own." He smiled taking a seat at the side of Angel's desk to view the scene.
"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" Angel enquired his tone frosty.
"No, I'm fine right here thanks." Wes smiled benignly at Angel, not willing to take him up on his not so subtle offer.
"Fine." Angel returned his attention to Ariane. He could hear her heart hammering in her chest belying the outward show of calm. This bold act of was obviously costing her dearly. "What's made you become so assertive?" He asked calming himself and returning to his seat. Her sudden change in character was interesting to say the least.
"Something Lorne told me and some things I've learned since my offering."
"Lorne told you to take me on? That I doubt."
"Lorne advised me my fate is in my own hands."
"That's true, but it doesn't explain why you've come on all feisty."
"You do not appreciate the weak-willed."
"Excuse me?"
"Do you wish an explanation? If you regard my behaviour as grossly insubordinate I would rather accept my punishment without enraging you further."
"An explanation will do for now." Angel's hand rose to his forehead in exasperation, he could not understand her constant references to punishment he looked to Wesley for guidance. Wesley could only shrug in response. Did she think he was anything like that monster who brought her here?
"I have examined my behaviour since my arrival and though I have attempted to do all that you ask of me with out question, it seems I do not please you. I noticed the people who surround you are all skilled and competent and all are willing to challenge your view when they do not agree with it, you appear to respect them for this. The only conclusion I could draw therefore was that you found my very passivity irritating."
"I don't follow?" He stated shaking his head, brown eyes burning into cool blue.
"She means she's done letting you treat her like dirt." Spike appeared standing beside Ariane, almost as though protecting her. "Good on ya luv. Give 'im hell."
"I don't imagine your presence is going to help Spike." Wesley spoke up quietly.
"I didn't ask for your opinion watcher."
"I was merely." Wesley attempted to explain, but was cut short by a sly taunt from Angel.
He tore his gaze from Ariane, the act taking more effort than he expected. "So, what's your interest in her Spike? Looking for a replacement for someone?" Angel knew instantly he'd hit a nerve. He stood and walked around to the front of his desk closing the distance between them.
"She may look like the bit, but she's got more too her than that. If you'd look beyond the bloody visions you'd see it too. Then again that would be too much to ask from the great and mighty Angel. You're far too busy brooding about all the crap in your so called life." Spike was seething, it was taking all his concentration to keep from trying to throttle the arrogant bastards neck. Only the realisation that the attempt would play right into Angel's hands halted him.
"Do you honestly think I give a damn about your opinion? Maybe when you get over that chip on your nonexistent shoulder I'll pay more attention." Angel replied dismissively, crossing his arms across his broad chest.
"You've had centuries to get over your shit, I guess that means there's time for me yet."
"Would you rather I left you two to your childish bickering?" Ariane pondered innocently a blush rising in each cheek at her graceless impudence. She remained standing in the middle of the office as master and spectre traded insults.
"It's not childish." Spike defended.
"She's right Spike it's juvenile." Angel sighed and shook his head looking toward his feet and smirking slightly. Ariane's reaction to his outburst earlier had been surprising, on the other occasions she had shied before him. Yet another surprise from this girl, these were mounting up pretty rapidly.
"Don't pretend you're above a little name calling yourself Angel. Where do you think I learned it all."
"Oh here we go again. Let's all sing-along-a-Spike with his smash hit Angel ruined my life." Angel's head rose and he shot a withering glare at Spike.
"Well it's better than Barry Mannilow." Spike shot back.
"Okay enough." Wesley sounded like an irritated parent, "Angel apologise to Ariane."
"For what?"
"Don't argue with me, just do it."
"I'm sorry." Angel dropped his head again and huffed like a spoilt child.
"This is over, I don't want to hear another thing about it, do you hear me?" Wesley asked the room.
"Yes." All three spoke together.
Wesley addressed them all in turn. "Okay, it's been a long day. Angel, goodnight. Ariane I shall take you home. Spike eh, go to where ever it is you go when you're not here. I'll see you in the morning Angel, early?"
"Whatever." Angel stated gruffly as Wesley turned to escort Ariane to the door.
"I am truly sorry if I hurt you Angel, that was not my intention." Ariane spoke quietly her brow furrowed with concern, before following Wesley.
Angel simply shook his head and watched her leave.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ariane was silent on the journey to Lorne's apartment. Wesley did his best to make polite conversation until she turned to him with a disarming smile.
"You have a question." Her statement clear.
"I have many questions." Wesley replied amused but not surprised by her knowledge.
"Ask what you will, I will answer honestly."
"When you spoke to Angel before we left you said you were sorry if you 'hurt' him. What made you think he was hurt?"
"There is much pain in him."
"Yes. I know." Her reply made Wesley smile.
"May I ask a question of you?" She asked dismissing the smile for the moment.
"Certainly."
"Why does Angel shut himself away? He has people around him who care deeply for his well being, but he struggles to keep them out of his heart."
"Angel doesn't want anyone else to be hurt helping him seek redemption."
"For the acts of the one he calls Angelus?" She questioned.
"Yes." Wesley decided further explanation would only confuse matters. For Ariane no further explanation was necessary. They did not speak again until they reached Lorne's apartment, both immersed in there own thoughts.
Wesley escorted her to the apartment and left quickly declining Lorne's offer of coffee.
Lorne was still deep in organization mode for the party, the arrangements for which were going surprisingly well. "We've got the caterers, the entertainment, the decorators and, why so glum sparky?" He asked when he finally stopped counting off his fingers and looked at Ariane.
"I was disrespectful to Angel." She sat heavily on the overstuffed sofa, her shoulders sagging, the experiment had not gone according to plan.
"Why don't you change out of those clothes, go have a shower. I'll make you some tea and me something else and you can tell me all about it?" She nodded her assent and made her way to her room.
After showering and pulling on one of Lorne's silk pyjama tops she returned to the lounge where a steaming cup sat on the low coffee table waiting for her. Lorne sat stretched out on a damask chaise sipping contentedly on a cosmopolitan.
"Feel better?" he asked, she nodded smiling weakly. "Good now give me the details. What happened with Angel?" He turned toward her, his body language confirming his deep interest.
She took a seat on the floor leaning her back against the sofa and lifting the cup from the table. She gave him a swift summary of the nights events, leaving nothing out. Lorne smiled and nodded.
"It took a lot of guts to face up to him like that, and you were right to do it." Lorne raised his glass toward her in salute, she raised her cup to him smiling and sipped at the still steaming liquid.
"He finds my presence confusing." She commented
"Hit the nail on the head again cupcake. I can't understand why, but you seem to put him on edge."
"He is grateful for the direction my visions provide, but he would prefer they came from another source."
"You mean Cordelia?"
"Yes."
"That's a tough one baby doll. We all wish Cordy was back, but none of us felt the way Angel did about her."
"He loves her." She spoke the words simply, so simply they were irrefutable.
"Cut to the chase why don't you." Lorne smiled again. Ariane's honesty was at times as infuriating as it was refreshing. Everyone else tip toed around the fact of Angel's feelings for Cordy. Most opting to ignore them, in an effort to spare Angel. Ariane simply stated them as fact. He sighed deeply reminiscing about the way things used to be.
She spoke up, pulling him from his nostalgia, "I must ask you something. Wesley was comparing me with a thing I do not know, could you tell me what is a Yoda?"
"Oh honey, we really need to get you some serious education."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Her next week both at work and at home was filled by Lorne pushing as much information at her as she could cope with. Newspapers, magazines, movies, music, chat shows, soap opera's and anything else he could think of.
She absorbed the information quickly, it almost seemed this was just what she had been waiting for. Her personality shaped and developed rapidly, she became more relaxed in her manner.
Lorne also did his best to keep her out of Angel's way. She would only see him when a vision made it unavoidable. Which seemed to happen on a surprisingly regular basis. It was unusual for her to go more than two days without at least one disturbing image of a gruesome event.
Though even that had improved with her education. She no longer had to show him what she saw, she had gathered enough information to be able to verbally direct him to the trouble spots.
Angel began to notice the fact that Ariane was rarely in his presence. Though he said little about it, he was disturbed by the fact that everyone else was talking about her.
"I can't stay late tonight, I'm going shopping with Ariane." Fred announced one late afternoon.
"Shopping? For what?" Angel asked
"Do girls need a reason to go shopping, anyway it's nothing special." She replied, shooting a glance at Lorne who was trying to appear disinterested.
"Is there something going on I should know about?" He enquired, getting the feeling he was completely out of the loop.
"Like what?" Lorne did his best to sound sincere.
"If I knew that I wouldn't have to ask. Even Spike's looking smugger than usual if that's possible, like he knows something I don't."
"Angel I'm sure there are lots of things Spike knows that you don't." Angel frowned at this but Fred continued undaunted, "Are you sure that's a good basis for your argument?" She commented attempting to change the subject.
"No but it doesn't change the fact that I feel out of touch."
"Try being a ghost some time, that's what being really out of touch is." Spike appeared almost as though he knew they had been talking about him.
"Poof, princess, demon." Spike addressed each in turn. "What's the big story today?" He smiled at Lorne, knowing exactly what the story was today.
With the party less than twenty four hours away the last minute details were the only things Lorne could think about. He had been called to Angel's office just as he had been about to make the final arrangements for the table decorations. This was a distraction he didn't need, especially as it seemed Angel just felt at a loose end and needed a chat.
"Sorry to break up this fascinating get-together Angel but if you don't need me I've got a million things to do." Lorne stood smiling and walking toward the door.
"Where's Ariane today, I thought maybe she would have been with you?" Actually that had been the only reason he had called the demon in the first place.
"She's gone out with Gunn."
"Gunn?"
"Yeah, he had some pre-trial meeting and asked if she could give him a hand." Lorne lied. Gunn had taken Ariane out to a movie.
"Hmm."
"Did you want her for something specific?"
"No, not really, just thought.." He shrugged and let the sentence trail off unfinished.
"Seems you're asking about her for lots of 'not really specific reasons' lately."
"Is that a problem?"
"You tell me? Angel I really have to be getting back to it, so much to do, only one me to do it and all that." With that Lorne left, leaving Angel staring after him in confusion.
"I'm definitely missing something." He stated after Lorne's departure.
"I've been saying that for years." Spike's dry wit never missing an opportunity for a jibe at his nemesis.
"What are you doing here Spike?" Angel sighed.
"Not sure. I've decided I'm kind of like a good fairy, popping up where I'm most needed." He replied matter-of-factly, taking the seat Lorne had vacated.
"You've got the fairy bit right, I wouldn't trust myself to comment on the rest."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lilja: Point taken, I did kind of spring that one on you. Hope the above helped with the explanation
Tariq: I can neither confirm nor deny.
MysticWolf1: As always, thank you.
"Do you have something to add Wes?"
"No, I think Ariane has this one covered pretty well on her own." He smiled taking a seat at the side of Angel's desk to view the scene.
"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" Angel enquired his tone frosty.
"No, I'm fine right here thanks." Wes smiled benignly at Angel, not willing to take him up on his not so subtle offer.
"Fine." Angel returned his attention to Ariane. He could hear her heart hammering in her chest belying the outward show of calm. This bold act of was obviously costing her dearly. "What's made you become so assertive?" He asked calming himself and returning to his seat. Her sudden change in character was interesting to say the least.
"Something Lorne told me and some things I've learned since my offering."
"Lorne told you to take me on? That I doubt."
"Lorne advised me my fate is in my own hands."
"That's true, but it doesn't explain why you've come on all feisty."
"You do not appreciate the weak-willed."
"Excuse me?"
"Do you wish an explanation? If you regard my behaviour as grossly insubordinate I would rather accept my punishment without enraging you further."
"An explanation will do for now." Angel's hand rose to his forehead in exasperation, he could not understand her constant references to punishment he looked to Wesley for guidance. Wesley could only shrug in response. Did she think he was anything like that monster who brought her here?
"I have examined my behaviour since my arrival and though I have attempted to do all that you ask of me with out question, it seems I do not please you. I noticed the people who surround you are all skilled and competent and all are willing to challenge your view when they do not agree with it, you appear to respect them for this. The only conclusion I could draw therefore was that you found my very passivity irritating."
"I don't follow?" He stated shaking his head, brown eyes burning into cool blue.
"She means she's done letting you treat her like dirt." Spike appeared standing beside Ariane, almost as though protecting her. "Good on ya luv. Give 'im hell."
"I don't imagine your presence is going to help Spike." Wesley spoke up quietly.
"I didn't ask for your opinion watcher."
"I was merely." Wesley attempted to explain, but was cut short by a sly taunt from Angel.
He tore his gaze from Ariane, the act taking more effort than he expected. "So, what's your interest in her Spike? Looking for a replacement for someone?" Angel knew instantly he'd hit a nerve. He stood and walked around to the front of his desk closing the distance between them.
"She may look like the bit, but she's got more too her than that. If you'd look beyond the bloody visions you'd see it too. Then again that would be too much to ask from the great and mighty Angel. You're far too busy brooding about all the crap in your so called life." Spike was seething, it was taking all his concentration to keep from trying to throttle the arrogant bastards neck. Only the realisation that the attempt would play right into Angel's hands halted him.
"Do you honestly think I give a damn about your opinion? Maybe when you get over that chip on your nonexistent shoulder I'll pay more attention." Angel replied dismissively, crossing his arms across his broad chest.
"You've had centuries to get over your shit, I guess that means there's time for me yet."
"Would you rather I left you two to your childish bickering?" Ariane pondered innocently a blush rising in each cheek at her graceless impudence. She remained standing in the middle of the office as master and spectre traded insults.
"It's not childish." Spike defended.
"She's right Spike it's juvenile." Angel sighed and shook his head looking toward his feet and smirking slightly. Ariane's reaction to his outburst earlier had been surprising, on the other occasions she had shied before him. Yet another surprise from this girl, these were mounting up pretty rapidly.
"Don't pretend you're above a little name calling yourself Angel. Where do you think I learned it all."
"Oh here we go again. Let's all sing-along-a-Spike with his smash hit Angel ruined my life." Angel's head rose and he shot a withering glare at Spike.
"Well it's better than Barry Mannilow." Spike shot back.
"Okay enough." Wesley sounded like an irritated parent, "Angel apologise to Ariane."
"For what?"
"Don't argue with me, just do it."
"I'm sorry." Angel dropped his head again and huffed like a spoilt child.
"This is over, I don't want to hear another thing about it, do you hear me?" Wesley asked the room.
"Yes." All three spoke together.
Wesley addressed them all in turn. "Okay, it's been a long day. Angel, goodnight. Ariane I shall take you home. Spike eh, go to where ever it is you go when you're not here. I'll see you in the morning Angel, early?"
"Whatever." Angel stated gruffly as Wesley turned to escort Ariane to the door.
"I am truly sorry if I hurt you Angel, that was not my intention." Ariane spoke quietly her brow furrowed with concern, before following Wesley.
Angel simply shook his head and watched her leave.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ariane was silent on the journey to Lorne's apartment. Wesley did his best to make polite conversation until she turned to him with a disarming smile.
"You have a question." Her statement clear.
"I have many questions." Wesley replied amused but not surprised by her knowledge.
"Ask what you will, I will answer honestly."
"When you spoke to Angel before we left you said you were sorry if you 'hurt' him. What made you think he was hurt?"
"There is much pain in him."
"Yes. I know." Her reply made Wesley smile.
"May I ask a question of you?" She asked dismissing the smile for the moment.
"Certainly."
"Why does Angel shut himself away? He has people around him who care deeply for his well being, but he struggles to keep them out of his heart."
"Angel doesn't want anyone else to be hurt helping him seek redemption."
"For the acts of the one he calls Angelus?" She questioned.
"Yes." Wesley decided further explanation would only confuse matters. For Ariane no further explanation was necessary. They did not speak again until they reached Lorne's apartment, both immersed in there own thoughts.
Wesley escorted her to the apartment and left quickly declining Lorne's offer of coffee.
Lorne was still deep in organization mode for the party, the arrangements for which were going surprisingly well. "We've got the caterers, the entertainment, the decorators and, why so glum sparky?" He asked when he finally stopped counting off his fingers and looked at Ariane.
"I was disrespectful to Angel." She sat heavily on the overstuffed sofa, her shoulders sagging, the experiment had not gone according to plan.
"Why don't you change out of those clothes, go have a shower. I'll make you some tea and me something else and you can tell me all about it?" She nodded her assent and made her way to her room.
After showering and pulling on one of Lorne's silk pyjama tops she returned to the lounge where a steaming cup sat on the low coffee table waiting for her. Lorne sat stretched out on a damask chaise sipping contentedly on a cosmopolitan.
"Feel better?" he asked, she nodded smiling weakly. "Good now give me the details. What happened with Angel?" He turned toward her, his body language confirming his deep interest.
She took a seat on the floor leaning her back against the sofa and lifting the cup from the table. She gave him a swift summary of the nights events, leaving nothing out. Lorne smiled and nodded.
"It took a lot of guts to face up to him like that, and you were right to do it." Lorne raised his glass toward her in salute, she raised her cup to him smiling and sipped at the still steaming liquid.
"He finds my presence confusing." She commented
"Hit the nail on the head again cupcake. I can't understand why, but you seem to put him on edge."
"He is grateful for the direction my visions provide, but he would prefer they came from another source."
"You mean Cordelia?"
"Yes."
"That's a tough one baby doll. We all wish Cordy was back, but none of us felt the way Angel did about her."
"He loves her." She spoke the words simply, so simply they were irrefutable.
"Cut to the chase why don't you." Lorne smiled again. Ariane's honesty was at times as infuriating as it was refreshing. Everyone else tip toed around the fact of Angel's feelings for Cordy. Most opting to ignore them, in an effort to spare Angel. Ariane simply stated them as fact. He sighed deeply reminiscing about the way things used to be.
She spoke up, pulling him from his nostalgia, "I must ask you something. Wesley was comparing me with a thing I do not know, could you tell me what is a Yoda?"
"Oh honey, we really need to get you some serious education."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Her next week both at work and at home was filled by Lorne pushing as much information at her as she could cope with. Newspapers, magazines, movies, music, chat shows, soap opera's and anything else he could think of.
She absorbed the information quickly, it almost seemed this was just what she had been waiting for. Her personality shaped and developed rapidly, she became more relaxed in her manner.
Lorne also did his best to keep her out of Angel's way. She would only see him when a vision made it unavoidable. Which seemed to happen on a surprisingly regular basis. It was unusual for her to go more than two days without at least one disturbing image of a gruesome event.
Though even that had improved with her education. She no longer had to show him what she saw, she had gathered enough information to be able to verbally direct him to the trouble spots.
Angel began to notice the fact that Ariane was rarely in his presence. Though he said little about it, he was disturbed by the fact that everyone else was talking about her.
"I can't stay late tonight, I'm going shopping with Ariane." Fred announced one late afternoon.
"Shopping? For what?" Angel asked
"Do girls need a reason to go shopping, anyway it's nothing special." She replied, shooting a glance at Lorne who was trying to appear disinterested.
"Is there something going on I should know about?" He enquired, getting the feeling he was completely out of the loop.
"Like what?" Lorne did his best to sound sincere.
"If I knew that I wouldn't have to ask. Even Spike's looking smugger than usual if that's possible, like he knows something I don't."
"Angel I'm sure there are lots of things Spike knows that you don't." Angel frowned at this but Fred continued undaunted, "Are you sure that's a good basis for your argument?" She commented attempting to change the subject.
"No but it doesn't change the fact that I feel out of touch."
"Try being a ghost some time, that's what being really out of touch is." Spike appeared almost as though he knew they had been talking about him.
"Poof, princess, demon." Spike addressed each in turn. "What's the big story today?" He smiled at Lorne, knowing exactly what the story was today.
With the party less than twenty four hours away the last minute details were the only things Lorne could think about. He had been called to Angel's office just as he had been about to make the final arrangements for the table decorations. This was a distraction he didn't need, especially as it seemed Angel just felt at a loose end and needed a chat.
"Sorry to break up this fascinating get-together Angel but if you don't need me I've got a million things to do." Lorne stood smiling and walking toward the door.
"Where's Ariane today, I thought maybe she would have been with you?" Actually that had been the only reason he had called the demon in the first place.
"She's gone out with Gunn."
"Gunn?"
"Yeah, he had some pre-trial meeting and asked if she could give him a hand." Lorne lied. Gunn had taken Ariane out to a movie.
"Hmm."
"Did you want her for something specific?"
"No, not really, just thought.." He shrugged and let the sentence trail off unfinished.
"Seems you're asking about her for lots of 'not really specific reasons' lately."
"Is that a problem?"
"You tell me? Angel I really have to be getting back to it, so much to do, only one me to do it and all that." With that Lorne left, leaving Angel staring after him in confusion.
"I'm definitely missing something." He stated after Lorne's departure.
"I've been saying that for years." Spike's dry wit never missing an opportunity for a jibe at his nemesis.
"What are you doing here Spike?" Angel sighed.
"Not sure. I've decided I'm kind of like a good fairy, popping up where I'm most needed." He replied matter-of-factly, taking the seat Lorne had vacated.
"You've got the fairy bit right, I wouldn't trust myself to comment on the rest."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lilja: Point taken, I did kind of spring that one on you. Hope the above helped with the explanation
Tariq: I can neither confirm nor deny.
MysticWolf1: As always, thank you.