It was well after midnight and most of the guests had left, only the usual
suspects remaining.
Angel and Lorne were saying their goodbyes in the lobby when Ariane arrived. She stood for a moment and scanned the foyer, drinking in every nuance. The light was low, none of the bright overhead lights having been necessary the muted glow from the wall lights enough.
She saw Fred and Wesley hiding behind a large ficus by the bank of elevators. They were giggling together and kissing, whispering excitedly then kissing some more. Her heart leapt at the sight of them together, so happy. There was no pride that her little push had given them exactly what they needed, exactly when they needed it. She was only grateful she could see them this way.
Her eyes scanned further and noticed Gunn was by the door talking to a red headed girl named Zoë, from the finance department. She seemed to have a strange affection for touching his head but Gunn didn't seem to mind.
Harmony had left almost fifteen minutes before with two gentlemen from the security division, one on each arm.
When Ariane asked her why she was with both she said, "Why limit my options, anyway they wear out too quickly." She gave one of her trade mark shrugs and skipped off, her blonde hair reflecting the light like hazy morning sunlight.
Spike was the only one she couldn't see, but then he was at the top of the stairs watching her watching them. Spike, now there was an enigma. A wilfully ensouled vampire, who had graciously given his life for the sake of others. A man given to heights of great passion and lows of complete wretchedness. His childlike need for the respect and friendship of others was almost overwhelming. She smiled to herself before turning toward him.
"There is something on your mind?" She eyed him, curious about the way he had been acting all evening.
"Can't you read it?" He sulked, he took on her favourite pose, hands deep in pockets head lowered but looking up sideways, with those playful blue pools of mischief.
"I could, but I would prefer you told me. I believe my gift could be an intrusion upon a friendship and I would dearly love to call you a friend." She stood close to him possibly too close, he had to force himself not to step away.
"Friend, Christ. I'm reduced to being a friend. Let me tell you if I was, if things were, I would. Shit." Spike threw his hands in the air and turned from her. He continued to mutter to himself, then slumped unceremoniously to sit on the stairs.
"Spike. Please do not be angry." She spoke gently, not wishing to see him like this, not now. She took a seat beside him, careful this time not to sit too close.
"I'm not angry, I'm just bloody frustrated. You have no idea what this is like. Before, when I had a body, if I fancied a bird I'd take her, no question. Now I can't even put my arm around someone." As if for emphasis he attempted to put his hand on Ari's shoulder. "See." His voice rose an octave.
She smirked slightly, wrinkling her nose. It made her look very young. When she saw storm clouds rise on the planes of Spikes face she sobered immediately.
"You miss the physical contact of another being." She nodded her understanding and looked at him sympathetically, biting her bottom lip. "Perhaps if I.." She leaned into Spikes presence and closed her eyes concentrating all her efforts into one solitary thought.
Spike watched as a soft flush flowed through her aura rising from her feet, then he felt her hands resting on his shoulders pulling him toward her slightly. She kissed his cheek lightly, soft lips brushing his cold, pale skin. Seconds later it was over but a tingling sensation lingered on his cheek. He touched it astonished.
"I, I felt that. You kissed me. That was friggin awesome, how the hell did you?" He couldn't finish.
She looked up at him, a slow blush rising to her cheeks. "It was what you wanted?"
"Well it's a damn good start luv." He stated straightening his shoulders taking on his usual cockier than thou stance. This was the way she wanted to remember him.
"You are a good man Spike." She looked at him, wishing she could do more.
"I wouldn't let Angel hear you say that, or anyone else for that matter. You'll ruin my shocking reputation." He grinned down at her, the look suited him.
"Why do you insist on playing the troublesome, reluctant, ally?" She was stalling, putting off the inevitable but she wanted to understand him.
"I'm not playing anything. If you're talking about me and the head poof over there, then we have a long and glorious tradition of rubbing each other up the wrong way. He's way too wrapped up in himself, and his feelings. He needs me to give him a good kick up the arse every now and then, just to keep it interesting. If I wasn't here to piss him off he'd have gone of his trolley ages ago." Spike vented and Ari listened. "That a good enough reason for you luv?"
"Yes thank you, I am thoroughly educated in your function here. I must go now, there is something I must do. It has been a pleasure Spike." She rose from his side and Spike felt a tide of loneliness sweep over him.
"You make it sound like a one off. I plan on making this a regular thing, if you're willing that is." He knew how he sounded, like a hopeless ex- boyfriend pleading for a second chance.
"I am willing, but I may not always be available." Something in her eyes told him to let it go.
"Well, we can talk more tomorrow?" He had to give it one last try.
"Perhaps." Spike shook his head as she turned away, something about the way she spoke made him think of goodbyes. He decided he couldn't bear to watch her leave so he disappeared instead.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She walked toward Angel and Lorne knowing she would have to be careful, time was short.
"There she is." Angel slurred slightly. "Did I tell you, you looked beautiful tonight?" He asked putting his arm around her. He pulled her into him and squeezed her tightly, stooping slightly to rest his head on top of her own.
"Yes, you told me, but thank you again." She mumbled into his shirt, he could feel her hot breath through the thin material.
"If you don't let her go, you're going to suffocate her Angel." Lorne's voice had lost much of its usual joviality.
"She's fine." He said without moving, something in the contact supremely comforting. Then he thought about it, "You're fine right?" He asked grasping her shoulders gently and pushing her away in order to look into her eyes.
"I am fine." She agreed. "You have over indulged yourself, you should go to bed."
"But it's lonely up there." He shook his head, she smiled benignly as she looked up at what seemed to be a very old little boy.
"You will survive." It was a flippant remark, but it seemed to have serious overtones at least to Lorne, who frowned deeply.
"I'm outta here, you guy's." Gunn yelled across the vast entrance as he opened the door, Zoë leaving with him.
Lorne and Angel both raised their hands to acknowledge him.
"We should be making tracks too sugarplum." Lorne looked to Ariane, who would not meet his gaze.
"Stay, we can take the party upstairs, Fred and Wes are.." Angel looked around for them but they had disappeared. "Fred and Wes were here." He shrugged it appeared they were the only ones left.
"Time to call it a night Angel ole buddy, I've had more than enough excitement.." Lorne was cut short by a strange explosion of light, all three turned and stared in disbelief.
"It's too soon." Ari thought, "Please the Gods I thought I had more time."
Two bright headlight beams were blazing into the building and getting closer, fast. Now Angel could hear the deep growl of an engine.
A car blasted through the huge plate glass entrance, tiny cubes of shattered safety glass flying in all directions. Reflexively Angel shielded Ariane with his body. His mind was a confusion of thoughts and reactions, plans and consequences. What the hell was going on? Who was in the car? What did they want? How could he stop them?
The car kept coming, it's wide tyres leaving black traces on the polished tile floor. It struck a concrete pillar and the hood crumpled, finally bringing the car to an ear shattering halt.
Lorne was struck on the side of the head by a piece of masonry and fell to the ground, seemingly unconscious.
"Find somewhere safe." Angel told Ari as he went to Lorne, crouching at the demons side, knowing by his heartbeat he wasn't dead. Angel barely heard the car door open.
"Vampire." The voice was cold, devoid of emotion, almost inhuman. Though the eyes were ablaze, huge, staring red orbs. Angel turned with out rising.
"Lindsey, when they say crash a party it's generally a figure of speech." He stood slowly, turning to face the man, fury held barely in check.
"Always the smart ass." The mans tone still unchanged, characterless. He was walking toward Angel unsteadily as though having to concentrate on each step.
"Is he drunk?" Angel wondered, dismissing the thought almost instantly, this didn't smell right.
"I always thought that was one of my more endearing qualities. Thanks for dressing for the occasion, I'm flattered." Angel noted with an absent minded calm that Lindsey's dirt smeared shirt was wrongly buttoned and his shoes seemed to be on the wrong feet.
"You always were a fool who talked when he should have acted." Lindsey looked around the almost empty lobby. "No friends to help you this time Angel? Losing your touch?"
"On the contrary demon, state your business or be gone." Ariane walked from behind Angel to stand in Lindsey's path. Her small frame held erect and defiant.
"Ari get out of here, I can handle this on my own." Angel hissed through gritted teeth. What the hell did she think she was doing and he knew the man was evil but he was no demon.
There was something seriously wrong here. Something more than the fact that Lindsey had parked his car in the lobby, or that he seemed to be suffering from some kind of weird eye condition. This was way too face to face for Lindsey, he'd want to play with Angel's mind first. He wasn't the all out frontal attack kind of guy.
"She's passionate, this young one of yours, if I had more time." Lindsey stumbled another step and corrected himself before he fell.
"Who are you?" Angel asked. Ariane's dream flashed across her memory and she banished it quickly before she could be distracted.
"In life he was known as Skip, he was an aide to the ones you call the powers that be." She informed Angel without taking her eyes from Lindsey. "He is using this host, this Lindsey. The body was chosen for the man's hatred of you, as a deception."
"Ari I'm not going to tell you again, get the hell away from here, find Wes." He ordered, but somehow he knew it was pointless. "What do you want Skip?" There was no doubt in Angel's mind of Ari's knowledge, she had proved herself too many times.
"To end my torment." His rage was overwhelming, he appeared to be weakening, every step taking more and more effort. Angel watched as the thing reached into his pocket and removed a gun. "Do you remember when we first met Angel? You fought me to free the boy, Billy, from the cage of fire. For my part in the failure of the apocalypse the powers sentenced me to the same fate. For as long as you exist, I am condemned to remain there." He raised the gun and aimed it at Angel's heart.
"Someone should have told you, you can't kill a vampire with a gun, numb nuts." Angel was trying to find a way to get to this guy without Ariane getting caught in the crossfire. Skip/Lindsey fell to one knee his arm drooping.
"You're arrogance will be your undoing." He yelled boldly, raising the gun with one last burst of hate filled energy.
Ariane closed the distance between herself and the demon. She had an advantage over Angel, she could sense the second the demon was going to pull the trigger. She felt an instant of pain as the first shot hit her left shoulder, the force spinning her around, facing Angel as he ran to her. She heard five more shots, feeling only tiny flares of fire in her back as they entered her. Then cold such cold as she had never known.
Angel held her, she felt his body shudder twice as two bullets passed through her and into him. She could no longer stand, Angel grunted and they fell together. She smiled almost imperceptibly at the sound of thwarted rage from the demon, again he had failed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wesley and Fred heard the crash from the lab, they heard the gunshots in the elevator. They arrived in the lobby just in time to see Angel and Ariane fall to the floor. Security people began swarming the floor seconds later.
Wesley caught sight of Gunn already climbing through the wreckage of the entrance, clambering over twisted metal, his feet gritting in the broken glass.
He was the first to reach Lindsey, who had fallen onto his side and was writhing and cursing in a voice that was not human. Taking no chances, he planted his feet firmly at either side of the struggling figure, grabbing him by his shirt and hauling his carcass off of the floor. He began raining blows on his face until his fist was cut and bleeding. Lorne looking dazed and confused rested a hand on his arm to halt him.
"I think he's out Rocky." He whispered, touching his own head gingerly to check if it was bleeding.
"Someone call for an ambulance." Wesley's voice was filled with panic. Gunn heard one of the security detail say it had already been done. "What the hell happened?" Gunn asked scanning the room, still clutching the unconscious body of Lindsey by the shirt. He let him drop back to the floor then kicked him once for good measure before walking away and leaving him to the black clad guards.
"It seems our uninvited guest went postal." Lorne suggested, moving with Gunn and trotting as fast as his scrambled brain would allow toward their fallen friends. "I only caught the car coming through the door, then half the building landed on me." He pointed to his head for emphasis.
Fred was frantically holding Wesley's shirt to Ariane's wounds, the younger woman's breathing was shallow and irregular. She sent up a silent prayer of gratitude when she heard the wail of sirens and could see flashing red and blue lights reflecting from what was left of the glass facade.
Angel was trying to rise, but he was weak, Wesley put a hand out to stop him. "Lie still Angel, everything's under control." He tried to sound convincing. "You there, we have to get him to the medical wing, Lorne go with them." Wes grabbed the nearest man who enlisted the help of another to lift Angel into the elevator. They couldn't be there when the authorities arrived, this was going to be hard enough to explain without the added problem of a vampire and a green demon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I'm sorry Sir, there's nothing I can give you for the pain." The Doctor informed Angel as he stood over his naked torso, prodding at the bullet wounds with a gloved finger.
"Just do it and get it over with." He hissed, wincing with each word. The bullets had entered just below his heart and he felt like the whole left side of his chest was on fire. "How's Ari can somebody at least find out what's going on downstairs? Why the hell wasn't somebody patrolling the reception area?" His mind was a fury of questions.
"Please keep still, I can't do this if you're going to move around." The Doctor warned him. Angel shot the man an icy stare and lay still as the Doctor dug the two slugs out of him. Sometime during the surgery he gratefully passed out.
It was dawn when he finally came round, trying to sit up he groaned at the pain in his still healing ribs. He looked down at the taped wounds.
"You'll be fine in a couple of days." Wesley's voice sounded tired and raw.
"How's Ariane?" He asked, rolling onto his side and pushing himself into a sitting position.
"Still in surgery the last time Gunn called. What happened Angel?" Wes looked at him for some kind of explanation.
"Lindsey drove his car through the door's, then he got out and started talking about, actually I don't remember what he was talking about. Ari called him a demon, she said he was Skip, but it was Lindsey I saw him." Wesley nodded his understanding and urged Angel to continue. "She wouldn't get out of the way. I told him he couldn't kill me with the gun but he shot anyway. She, she walked straight into his line of fire." His voice faltered. "Stupid, she got shot for nothing."
"Not for nothing. Not this time." Fred interrupted him, she closed the door gently behind her and took a seat beside Angel on the bed. "I analysed these bullets after the doctor removed them." She held out her palm to show Angel the two small pellets, they looked like coffee beans. "They're made from Lignum Vitae." Angel only stared back at her indicating he didn't recognise the term.
"It's the hardest wood known to man. The Germans tinkered with the notion of wooden bullets during the second world war in hopes of reducing ammunition costs." She explained.
"Wood? You mean?"
"I mean if Ari hadn't stood in the way Angel, you'd be dust."
"She knew." He exclaimed.
"It would certainly seem that way." Wesley agreed. "It also seemed she was right about Lindsey, I've been interrogating him. It would appear he returned to LA to start a new job. That part of his story has checked out. He remembers his first day and an interview with a prospective client, then nothing until Gunn almost beat him to death. I'm working on who the client was at the moment but he's pretty vague on details."
"I'll get it out of him." Angel slipped off of the edge of the bed trying to ignore the searing pain.
"He's confused Angel, there's a very good chance he's been possessed for the better part of a day. He's on the phone to his office now, they're going to e-mail his diary to us." Wesley pushed Angel back onto the bed.
"He's stalling."
"Lindsey is doing his best to help Angel, under the circumstances I think you could be a little patient. The best thing you can do is get some rest." Wesley stood to leave, turning before opening the door. "I'll let you know if there's any news."
Angel nodded his attention turning inward. He recalled the look on Ari's face as the bullets hit her. Her strange, beautiful, haunting eyes looking up to him, her lips curling in the slightest smile. He shook his head, was he romanticising the whole thing? Did he really see a smile?
"Try to sleep Angel." Fred's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"How bad was she Fred?" he was afraid of the reply but desperate for some hope.
"Don't torture yourself Angel. We'll know more when you wake up okay." Fred couldn't answer. She couldn't bring herself to tell him she was amazed Ariane had survived long enough to make it to the hospital. She gave him a weak smile and patted his hand before slipping from the bed and leaving him alone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Angel, Angel!" He woke with a start, grunting as a pain struck him again.
"I'm up, what is it? Is it Ari, is she okay?" It was Wes and he sounded excited.
"No, it's not Ari, there's been no news yet. It's something else, something amazing."
"Okay Wes, good news is something I could really use right now." Wesley beamed and held open the room door.
Fred entered with her back to him, pulling what looked to be a wheelchair. Angel's brow furrowed, Wes had said it wasn't Ari, so who the hell else would be...
"Cordy?"
Angel and Lorne were saying their goodbyes in the lobby when Ariane arrived. She stood for a moment and scanned the foyer, drinking in every nuance. The light was low, none of the bright overhead lights having been necessary the muted glow from the wall lights enough.
She saw Fred and Wesley hiding behind a large ficus by the bank of elevators. They were giggling together and kissing, whispering excitedly then kissing some more. Her heart leapt at the sight of them together, so happy. There was no pride that her little push had given them exactly what they needed, exactly when they needed it. She was only grateful she could see them this way.
Her eyes scanned further and noticed Gunn was by the door talking to a red headed girl named Zoë, from the finance department. She seemed to have a strange affection for touching his head but Gunn didn't seem to mind.
Harmony had left almost fifteen minutes before with two gentlemen from the security division, one on each arm.
When Ariane asked her why she was with both she said, "Why limit my options, anyway they wear out too quickly." She gave one of her trade mark shrugs and skipped off, her blonde hair reflecting the light like hazy morning sunlight.
Spike was the only one she couldn't see, but then he was at the top of the stairs watching her watching them. Spike, now there was an enigma. A wilfully ensouled vampire, who had graciously given his life for the sake of others. A man given to heights of great passion and lows of complete wretchedness. His childlike need for the respect and friendship of others was almost overwhelming. She smiled to herself before turning toward him.
"There is something on your mind?" She eyed him, curious about the way he had been acting all evening.
"Can't you read it?" He sulked, he took on her favourite pose, hands deep in pockets head lowered but looking up sideways, with those playful blue pools of mischief.
"I could, but I would prefer you told me. I believe my gift could be an intrusion upon a friendship and I would dearly love to call you a friend." She stood close to him possibly too close, he had to force himself not to step away.
"Friend, Christ. I'm reduced to being a friend. Let me tell you if I was, if things were, I would. Shit." Spike threw his hands in the air and turned from her. He continued to mutter to himself, then slumped unceremoniously to sit on the stairs.
"Spike. Please do not be angry." She spoke gently, not wishing to see him like this, not now. She took a seat beside him, careful this time not to sit too close.
"I'm not angry, I'm just bloody frustrated. You have no idea what this is like. Before, when I had a body, if I fancied a bird I'd take her, no question. Now I can't even put my arm around someone." As if for emphasis he attempted to put his hand on Ari's shoulder. "See." His voice rose an octave.
She smirked slightly, wrinkling her nose. It made her look very young. When she saw storm clouds rise on the planes of Spikes face she sobered immediately.
"You miss the physical contact of another being." She nodded her understanding and looked at him sympathetically, biting her bottom lip. "Perhaps if I.." She leaned into Spikes presence and closed her eyes concentrating all her efforts into one solitary thought.
Spike watched as a soft flush flowed through her aura rising from her feet, then he felt her hands resting on his shoulders pulling him toward her slightly. She kissed his cheek lightly, soft lips brushing his cold, pale skin. Seconds later it was over but a tingling sensation lingered on his cheek. He touched it astonished.
"I, I felt that. You kissed me. That was friggin awesome, how the hell did you?" He couldn't finish.
She looked up at him, a slow blush rising to her cheeks. "It was what you wanted?"
"Well it's a damn good start luv." He stated straightening his shoulders taking on his usual cockier than thou stance. This was the way she wanted to remember him.
"You are a good man Spike." She looked at him, wishing she could do more.
"I wouldn't let Angel hear you say that, or anyone else for that matter. You'll ruin my shocking reputation." He grinned down at her, the look suited him.
"Why do you insist on playing the troublesome, reluctant, ally?" She was stalling, putting off the inevitable but she wanted to understand him.
"I'm not playing anything. If you're talking about me and the head poof over there, then we have a long and glorious tradition of rubbing each other up the wrong way. He's way too wrapped up in himself, and his feelings. He needs me to give him a good kick up the arse every now and then, just to keep it interesting. If I wasn't here to piss him off he'd have gone of his trolley ages ago." Spike vented and Ari listened. "That a good enough reason for you luv?"
"Yes thank you, I am thoroughly educated in your function here. I must go now, there is something I must do. It has been a pleasure Spike." She rose from his side and Spike felt a tide of loneliness sweep over him.
"You make it sound like a one off. I plan on making this a regular thing, if you're willing that is." He knew how he sounded, like a hopeless ex- boyfriend pleading for a second chance.
"I am willing, but I may not always be available." Something in her eyes told him to let it go.
"Well, we can talk more tomorrow?" He had to give it one last try.
"Perhaps." Spike shook his head as she turned away, something about the way she spoke made him think of goodbyes. He decided he couldn't bear to watch her leave so he disappeared instead.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She walked toward Angel and Lorne knowing she would have to be careful, time was short.
"There she is." Angel slurred slightly. "Did I tell you, you looked beautiful tonight?" He asked putting his arm around her. He pulled her into him and squeezed her tightly, stooping slightly to rest his head on top of her own.
"Yes, you told me, but thank you again." She mumbled into his shirt, he could feel her hot breath through the thin material.
"If you don't let her go, you're going to suffocate her Angel." Lorne's voice had lost much of its usual joviality.
"She's fine." He said without moving, something in the contact supremely comforting. Then he thought about it, "You're fine right?" He asked grasping her shoulders gently and pushing her away in order to look into her eyes.
"I am fine." She agreed. "You have over indulged yourself, you should go to bed."
"But it's lonely up there." He shook his head, she smiled benignly as she looked up at what seemed to be a very old little boy.
"You will survive." It was a flippant remark, but it seemed to have serious overtones at least to Lorne, who frowned deeply.
"I'm outta here, you guy's." Gunn yelled across the vast entrance as he opened the door, Zoë leaving with him.
Lorne and Angel both raised their hands to acknowledge him.
"We should be making tracks too sugarplum." Lorne looked to Ariane, who would not meet his gaze.
"Stay, we can take the party upstairs, Fred and Wes are.." Angel looked around for them but they had disappeared. "Fred and Wes were here." He shrugged it appeared they were the only ones left.
"Time to call it a night Angel ole buddy, I've had more than enough excitement.." Lorne was cut short by a strange explosion of light, all three turned and stared in disbelief.
"It's too soon." Ari thought, "Please the Gods I thought I had more time."
Two bright headlight beams were blazing into the building and getting closer, fast. Now Angel could hear the deep growl of an engine.
A car blasted through the huge plate glass entrance, tiny cubes of shattered safety glass flying in all directions. Reflexively Angel shielded Ariane with his body. His mind was a confusion of thoughts and reactions, plans and consequences. What the hell was going on? Who was in the car? What did they want? How could he stop them?
The car kept coming, it's wide tyres leaving black traces on the polished tile floor. It struck a concrete pillar and the hood crumpled, finally bringing the car to an ear shattering halt.
Lorne was struck on the side of the head by a piece of masonry and fell to the ground, seemingly unconscious.
"Find somewhere safe." Angel told Ari as he went to Lorne, crouching at the demons side, knowing by his heartbeat he wasn't dead. Angel barely heard the car door open.
"Vampire." The voice was cold, devoid of emotion, almost inhuman. Though the eyes were ablaze, huge, staring red orbs. Angel turned with out rising.
"Lindsey, when they say crash a party it's generally a figure of speech." He stood slowly, turning to face the man, fury held barely in check.
"Always the smart ass." The mans tone still unchanged, characterless. He was walking toward Angel unsteadily as though having to concentrate on each step.
"Is he drunk?" Angel wondered, dismissing the thought almost instantly, this didn't smell right.
"I always thought that was one of my more endearing qualities. Thanks for dressing for the occasion, I'm flattered." Angel noted with an absent minded calm that Lindsey's dirt smeared shirt was wrongly buttoned and his shoes seemed to be on the wrong feet.
"You always were a fool who talked when he should have acted." Lindsey looked around the almost empty lobby. "No friends to help you this time Angel? Losing your touch?"
"On the contrary demon, state your business or be gone." Ariane walked from behind Angel to stand in Lindsey's path. Her small frame held erect and defiant.
"Ari get out of here, I can handle this on my own." Angel hissed through gritted teeth. What the hell did she think she was doing and he knew the man was evil but he was no demon.
There was something seriously wrong here. Something more than the fact that Lindsey had parked his car in the lobby, or that he seemed to be suffering from some kind of weird eye condition. This was way too face to face for Lindsey, he'd want to play with Angel's mind first. He wasn't the all out frontal attack kind of guy.
"She's passionate, this young one of yours, if I had more time." Lindsey stumbled another step and corrected himself before he fell.
"Who are you?" Angel asked. Ariane's dream flashed across her memory and she banished it quickly before she could be distracted.
"In life he was known as Skip, he was an aide to the ones you call the powers that be." She informed Angel without taking her eyes from Lindsey. "He is using this host, this Lindsey. The body was chosen for the man's hatred of you, as a deception."
"Ari I'm not going to tell you again, get the hell away from here, find Wes." He ordered, but somehow he knew it was pointless. "What do you want Skip?" There was no doubt in Angel's mind of Ari's knowledge, she had proved herself too many times.
"To end my torment." His rage was overwhelming, he appeared to be weakening, every step taking more and more effort. Angel watched as the thing reached into his pocket and removed a gun. "Do you remember when we first met Angel? You fought me to free the boy, Billy, from the cage of fire. For my part in the failure of the apocalypse the powers sentenced me to the same fate. For as long as you exist, I am condemned to remain there." He raised the gun and aimed it at Angel's heart.
"Someone should have told you, you can't kill a vampire with a gun, numb nuts." Angel was trying to find a way to get to this guy without Ariane getting caught in the crossfire. Skip/Lindsey fell to one knee his arm drooping.
"You're arrogance will be your undoing." He yelled boldly, raising the gun with one last burst of hate filled energy.
Ariane closed the distance between herself and the demon. She had an advantage over Angel, she could sense the second the demon was going to pull the trigger. She felt an instant of pain as the first shot hit her left shoulder, the force spinning her around, facing Angel as he ran to her. She heard five more shots, feeling only tiny flares of fire in her back as they entered her. Then cold such cold as she had never known.
Angel held her, she felt his body shudder twice as two bullets passed through her and into him. She could no longer stand, Angel grunted and they fell together. She smiled almost imperceptibly at the sound of thwarted rage from the demon, again he had failed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wesley and Fred heard the crash from the lab, they heard the gunshots in the elevator. They arrived in the lobby just in time to see Angel and Ariane fall to the floor. Security people began swarming the floor seconds later.
Wesley caught sight of Gunn already climbing through the wreckage of the entrance, clambering over twisted metal, his feet gritting in the broken glass.
He was the first to reach Lindsey, who had fallen onto his side and was writhing and cursing in a voice that was not human. Taking no chances, he planted his feet firmly at either side of the struggling figure, grabbing him by his shirt and hauling his carcass off of the floor. He began raining blows on his face until his fist was cut and bleeding. Lorne looking dazed and confused rested a hand on his arm to halt him.
"I think he's out Rocky." He whispered, touching his own head gingerly to check if it was bleeding.
"Someone call for an ambulance." Wesley's voice was filled with panic. Gunn heard one of the security detail say it had already been done. "What the hell happened?" Gunn asked scanning the room, still clutching the unconscious body of Lindsey by the shirt. He let him drop back to the floor then kicked him once for good measure before walking away and leaving him to the black clad guards.
"It seems our uninvited guest went postal." Lorne suggested, moving with Gunn and trotting as fast as his scrambled brain would allow toward their fallen friends. "I only caught the car coming through the door, then half the building landed on me." He pointed to his head for emphasis.
Fred was frantically holding Wesley's shirt to Ariane's wounds, the younger woman's breathing was shallow and irregular. She sent up a silent prayer of gratitude when she heard the wail of sirens and could see flashing red and blue lights reflecting from what was left of the glass facade.
Angel was trying to rise, but he was weak, Wesley put a hand out to stop him. "Lie still Angel, everything's under control." He tried to sound convincing. "You there, we have to get him to the medical wing, Lorne go with them." Wes grabbed the nearest man who enlisted the help of another to lift Angel into the elevator. They couldn't be there when the authorities arrived, this was going to be hard enough to explain without the added problem of a vampire and a green demon.
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"I'm sorry Sir, there's nothing I can give you for the pain." The Doctor informed Angel as he stood over his naked torso, prodding at the bullet wounds with a gloved finger.
"Just do it and get it over with." He hissed, wincing with each word. The bullets had entered just below his heart and he felt like the whole left side of his chest was on fire. "How's Ari can somebody at least find out what's going on downstairs? Why the hell wasn't somebody patrolling the reception area?" His mind was a fury of questions.
"Please keep still, I can't do this if you're going to move around." The Doctor warned him. Angel shot the man an icy stare and lay still as the Doctor dug the two slugs out of him. Sometime during the surgery he gratefully passed out.
It was dawn when he finally came round, trying to sit up he groaned at the pain in his still healing ribs. He looked down at the taped wounds.
"You'll be fine in a couple of days." Wesley's voice sounded tired and raw.
"How's Ariane?" He asked, rolling onto his side and pushing himself into a sitting position.
"Still in surgery the last time Gunn called. What happened Angel?" Wes looked at him for some kind of explanation.
"Lindsey drove his car through the door's, then he got out and started talking about, actually I don't remember what he was talking about. Ari called him a demon, she said he was Skip, but it was Lindsey I saw him." Wesley nodded his understanding and urged Angel to continue. "She wouldn't get out of the way. I told him he couldn't kill me with the gun but he shot anyway. She, she walked straight into his line of fire." His voice faltered. "Stupid, she got shot for nothing."
"Not for nothing. Not this time." Fred interrupted him, she closed the door gently behind her and took a seat beside Angel on the bed. "I analysed these bullets after the doctor removed them." She held out her palm to show Angel the two small pellets, they looked like coffee beans. "They're made from Lignum Vitae." Angel only stared back at her indicating he didn't recognise the term.
"It's the hardest wood known to man. The Germans tinkered with the notion of wooden bullets during the second world war in hopes of reducing ammunition costs." She explained.
"Wood? You mean?"
"I mean if Ari hadn't stood in the way Angel, you'd be dust."
"She knew." He exclaimed.
"It would certainly seem that way." Wesley agreed. "It also seemed she was right about Lindsey, I've been interrogating him. It would appear he returned to LA to start a new job. That part of his story has checked out. He remembers his first day and an interview with a prospective client, then nothing until Gunn almost beat him to death. I'm working on who the client was at the moment but he's pretty vague on details."
"I'll get it out of him." Angel slipped off of the edge of the bed trying to ignore the searing pain.
"He's confused Angel, there's a very good chance he's been possessed for the better part of a day. He's on the phone to his office now, they're going to e-mail his diary to us." Wesley pushed Angel back onto the bed.
"He's stalling."
"Lindsey is doing his best to help Angel, under the circumstances I think you could be a little patient. The best thing you can do is get some rest." Wesley stood to leave, turning before opening the door. "I'll let you know if there's any news."
Angel nodded his attention turning inward. He recalled the look on Ari's face as the bullets hit her. Her strange, beautiful, haunting eyes looking up to him, her lips curling in the slightest smile. He shook his head, was he romanticising the whole thing? Did he really see a smile?
"Try to sleep Angel." Fred's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"How bad was she Fred?" he was afraid of the reply but desperate for some hope.
"Don't torture yourself Angel. We'll know more when you wake up okay." Fred couldn't answer. She couldn't bring herself to tell him she was amazed Ariane had survived long enough to make it to the hospital. She gave him a weak smile and patted his hand before slipping from the bed and leaving him alone.
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"Angel, Angel!" He woke with a start, grunting as a pain struck him again.
"I'm up, what is it? Is it Ari, is she okay?" It was Wes and he sounded excited.
"No, it's not Ari, there's been no news yet. It's something else, something amazing."
"Okay Wes, good news is something I could really use right now." Wesley beamed and held open the room door.
Fred entered with her back to him, pulling what looked to be a wheelchair. Angel's brow furrowed, Wes had said it wasn't Ari, so who the hell else would be...
"Cordy?"