Cordelia sat in the wheelchair looking frail and tired, but awake and
alive. Angel's heart leapt; he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Wait
a minute, am I dreaming this?" He thought, he quickly prodded himself in
the ribs, grimacing and smiling at the same time. This was no dream.
"Just can't leave you alone for a second can I?" Cordy's eyes were as bright as ever and flashed him a what have you been up to look. "You join an evil law firm, throw a party and get shot by a demon. That's pretty good going even for you."
"The gun wielding demon was exactly part of the plan. It's really good to see you Cordy." His voice was thick with emotion as he climbed off of the bed and kneeled beside her. He hugged her as tightly as he dared.
"How much weirder can this day get?" Gunn asked pushing his way into the room and looking bewilderedly at Cordelia "Are you the real thing or did someone hitch a ride like last time?" He sat heavily on the vacant bed, rubbing his hands over his exhausted looking face.
"Lay off her Gunn." Angel snarled turning on the other man just as Lorne flew into the room looking frantic.
"How is she?" He looked directly at Gunn ignoring the rest of the room.
"I'm not deaf Lorne and I'm fine thanks for asking." Cordy looked up at him shocked, she couldn't remember ever seeing him looking scruffy before. His suit was blood stained and crumpled, his tie was undone and hanging like a dead snake around his neck.
"I thought everyone had forgotten about the kid that saved Angel's life, you know with the whole Cordy coming back from the dead thing." Gunn looked around the room at each of them. "Ariane's out of surgery, they got all the bullets out, but she's critical. If she survives the next twenty- four hours she'll have a good chance of recovery, but they said that's pretty unlikely."
"Hello, could someone tell me what the hell is going on? And I wasn't dead Gunn but your concern is touching." Cordy showed she hadn't changed one bit as she shot Gunn a glower that could freeze hell.
He huffed loudly, he wasn't mad he was too worn out. Too much had happened in the space of a few hours and his brain was having trouble keeping up. "Look Cordy I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get at you. I'm glad your back and all, I just.." He halted wondering how to phrase what he was feeling. "It's like someone gave us a glimpse of something wonderful, pure, honest and sincere, and when it's taken away it leaves a void in you." Gunn was surprised by his own words, for once he thought, he'd actually said exactly what he meant.
"She was exceptional." Wesley nodded making the statement before he realised he'd used past tense.
"She's not dead." Angel caught the reference at once. "What do you mean recovery's unlikely?" Angel asked, directing the question at Gunn.
"It took three surgeons over six hours to remove four bullets and plug up six holes in a girl roughly the size of a twelve year old, Angel. What exactly do you think I mean? They think Ariane's going to die, is that plain enough for you?"
"What?" No one had noticed Spike appear in the room. His knees buckled and he fell back through the wall.
"Shit, don't tell me nobody thought to tell him?" Angel looked around the room and everyone shook their heads. "Jesus. Spike?" Angel yelled hoping wherever he was Spike could hear him.
He needn't have worried Spike came hurtling out of the wall straight at him, Angel reflexively side stepped forgetting for an instant Spikes incorporeality. Spike swung a punch at Angel's head the force of which threw him across the room until he was standing inside the bed.
"Where the hell were you, you bloody arse bandit? Ponceing about with your friggin pals when you should have been protecting her." Spike launched himself at Angel again, this time the man stood his ground and let Spike pass right through him and go skidding across the floor on his back.
"Are you done?" He asked, his voice displaying more composure than he felt.
"Piss off." Spike spat back.
"Do you honestly believe I would have let her get hurt if there was a damn thing I could have done to stop it? You're more screwed up than I thought."
"If you care so much, why the hell is she alone while you're all here?" Angel didn't have an answer so he looked to Gunn for help.
"They wouldn't let me see her, well its not like I could tell them I was her brother Angel." He offered as a defence as Angel looked at him disapprovingly.
"This is stupid, we're arguing when we're all on the same side." Wes interrupted Angel and Gunn before they could start again.
"Not him, he got what he wanted, the prodigal cheerleader's back. Forgive me if I don't join in your pissing celebration people. No offence but Ariane was one of the few people around here who treated me like a real person. Like she actually gave a damn about me." Spike had had enough he stormed through the door and out into the corridor totally ignoring the terrified scream from a passing nurse.
"Okay I've missed a few episodes somebody want to fill me in? Who's Ariane? Was that Spike? Is he dead?" Cordelia looked around the room for anyone willing to answer.
"It's a long story princess, what say I shout you a latte and we give these guy's some space?" Lorne took hold of the wheelchair and backed out of the room closely followed by Fred.
"I want to see Lindsey, now." Angel stated as the door latched turning his full attention to Wesley.
"I'm not sure that's a good idea." Wes looked back at Angel, he was in no condition to deal with this, but was there really any point in trying to apply logic here. He shook his head when Angel refused to drop his gaze. "Fine." Wesley made a call and then he and Angel headed for Angel's office.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harmony's office was empty as he walked through; he looked at her desk and remembered the night he had watched Ari working there, a candid moment with all her usual reserve cast aside. He choked back the emotion that flooded him; he had to be focused when he met with Lindsey. He went directly to the washroom, leaving Wesley to make himself comfortable.
He ran ice cold water into the sink and splashed his face several times to shock away the last remnants of fatigue. He wanted to take a shower but there was no time so he refilled the sink and washed quickly, taking a clean shirt from a hanger and pulling it on carefully. He began buttoning it as he walked back to his office.
The man sat with his head in his hands facing the huge desk. Angel took his seat and coughed to attract Lindsey's attention. He lifted his head slowly giving Angel time to view the damage Gunn had inflicted. His right eye was swollen shut, the skin purple and shiny, a long cut in his eyebrow still weeping blood. His bottom lip was raw and cut, he held an ice filled towel to it grimacing. Angel felt and instant of jealousy that he was not responsible for the broken visage that faced him.
"Nice office." Lindsey commented dryly.
"Isn't it." Angel replied sitting back in his chair with his elbow on the armrest and his chin resting on his fist.
"I used to dream of sitting where you are Angel."
"You don't say. Looks like you picked the wrong side."
"You sure about that?"
"I didn't bring you here to talk about us Lindsey. Much as I may hate to admit it, I need the information you have. All I want to know is if you're going to tell me what I need to hear or if I have to beat the living shit out of you to get it. Believe me, I really hope you go for the latter 'cause I feel like making someone pay for what happened here this morning."
"Sorry to disappoint you Angel, but I have no intention of withholding any information. Strange as you may find it, I'd like to find who is responsible for this. Don't get me wrong I'm not exactly cut up about someone trying to dust you, I just don't like the idea of not being a willing participant. I have nothing to hide Angel, I've done nothing wrong."
"The security tape tells a different story. You drove your car through a window into the lobby of this building, you pulled out a gun and then you shot an employee of this firm. You'll forgive me if I don't give much a rats ass about how things look for you."
"I was possessed."
"That's your story, think you can make it stand up in a court of Law, Councillor? "
"I'm pleased to see we can keep things civilised." Wes tried to defuse the situation just enough to enable them to at least attempt to answer some questions.
"How are you feeling?" Wesley enquired politely.
"Dirty, used," Lindsey began listing exactly what he was going through before Angel interrupted him.
"No change there." He muttered just loudly enough for everyone to hear.
"You've had sometime to gather your thoughts Lindsey, is there any information about your clients you can remember that may help us discover the identity of the party responsible?" Wesley cut in hoping to keep their conversation as short as possible.
"This is technically covered by the client confidentiality clause ." Angel shifted position in his seat eyeing Lindsay, daring him to try something. "But I think under the circumstances we could over look that." Lindsey looked nervously toward Wesley.
"Yes I think that would be wise." He nodded trying to keep a snigger out of his voice. "According to your diary you had three meetings that morning. The first being a Mrs Wagner, do you remember her?"
"Yeah, she was looking for someone to handle her divorce. Same old story husband screwing his secretary. If she had mystic capabilities I'm sure she would have better people to use them on than me." Lindsey looked to Wesley to continue.
"Mr Johnstone?"
"Big black guy, he wanted me to sue his neighbour for running over his dog. He cried like a baby, showed me pictures of the mutt and everything."
"You get all the high profile cases huh?" Angel grinned like a cat that got the cream, the canary and pretty much anything else it wanted.
"Screw you." Lindsey replied casually.
"Father McBride?" Wesley continued without giving the men time to resume their verbal sparring.
"He was a Catholic priest, why the hell would a priest want to kill Angel? Then again even a Saint couldn't be blamed for that."
"Wait a minute, Father Thomas McBride?" Angel asked, scanning his desk and pushing bits of paper around.
"The list doesn't give a Christian name." Wes looked to Angel who was still frantically searching his desk for something. "Angel?"
"He was here, two maybe three weeks ago, something about homeless kids going missing. I told him to go to the police. Here it is." He pulled a thin brown folder from the bottom of a large pile of similar folders.
"He didn't say anything about homeless kids to me." Lindsey looked puzzled. "He was talking about zoning laws and some out of state businessman trying to push through a.."
"Did he mention any names?" Angel interrupted.
"Probably, I don't remember. It would be in my notes."
"Could you get them here?" Angel looked at the man squarely.
"I would have to have a damn good reason to ask for client files, Angel."
"How about if you don't get them I'll rip your head off, that good enough?"
"It's not me you have to convince, I have superiors Angel; I need to assure them I'm not using the information for anything nefarious. Not all lawyers are morally bankrupt."
"What is it, some exclusive club for ex-Wolfram & Hart employees?"
"Not just ex." Lindsey spat back.
Wesley shook his head and huffed loudly. "Lindsey come with me you can use my office to make your call. Angel call the hospital and check on Ariane." Wesley couldn't get Lindsey out of Angel's office quickly enough.
"He's still got the same sunny disposition I see." Lindsey commented jerking his head in the direction of Angel's office.
"Tread carefully Lindsey, the girl you shot was very special to all of us, or had you forgotten about your part in this."
"Like I told Angel, I was possessed."
"Yes and I'm trying very hard to keep that in mind." Wesley countered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Why didn't you just kill the lying prick?" Spike appeared the instant Wesley and Lindsey left, perching on the seat Lindsey had just vacated.
"I'm not sure he's lying." Angel stood and took up his favourite position by the window looking down on the world.
"Does it matter? He's the one who shot her, isn't that enough?"
"So you think killing him will help her?" Angel raised his eyebrows as he turned toward Spike.
"No, but it'd make me feel better." Spike dropped his head and ran his hands over his short blonde hair. "Did you call the hospital?" He asked without looking up.
"I was just about to."
"Go on then, no point putting it off." Angel nodded knowing Spike was right, but thinking every minute he waited he could go on believing everything was okay. Maybe if he waited long enough she would come walking through the door with that sweet smile of hers and tell him it was all a big joke.
"Angel, make the call." Spike's voice pulled him out of his daydream; he reached out to pick up the phone and noticed his hand was shaking.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If I thought I was worried about Chapter Eleven I'm even more worried about this one. Some of you didn't seem to like Ch 11 and I'm sorry about that (Gidgetgirl in particular). I hope this one was an improvement, if not I may just throw in the towel. I realise that's defeatist but hey, let me know what you think anyway.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Celtic Cat: I did say "Upon Such Sacrifices" was my inspiration.
Lilja(): "Ari" - Chapter 3, during Angel's description of the Kruplar Demon Slaying. I figured he just got carried away and then it just stuck. (It started as a typing error on my part)
Tariq: Thanks for your support.
Beboppin Betty: Welcome to my madness.
MysticWolf1: I'm so happy you are still reading.
Gidgetgirl: I'm glad you liked the wooden bullet.
Imzadi: More Lindsey (Corrected the spelling, did you notice?) I can't say how much more of him you'll see, I'm having problems with the characterisation.
"Just can't leave you alone for a second can I?" Cordy's eyes were as bright as ever and flashed him a what have you been up to look. "You join an evil law firm, throw a party and get shot by a demon. That's pretty good going even for you."
"The gun wielding demon was exactly part of the plan. It's really good to see you Cordy." His voice was thick with emotion as he climbed off of the bed and kneeled beside her. He hugged her as tightly as he dared.
"How much weirder can this day get?" Gunn asked pushing his way into the room and looking bewilderedly at Cordelia "Are you the real thing or did someone hitch a ride like last time?" He sat heavily on the vacant bed, rubbing his hands over his exhausted looking face.
"Lay off her Gunn." Angel snarled turning on the other man just as Lorne flew into the room looking frantic.
"How is she?" He looked directly at Gunn ignoring the rest of the room.
"I'm not deaf Lorne and I'm fine thanks for asking." Cordy looked up at him shocked, she couldn't remember ever seeing him looking scruffy before. His suit was blood stained and crumpled, his tie was undone and hanging like a dead snake around his neck.
"I thought everyone had forgotten about the kid that saved Angel's life, you know with the whole Cordy coming back from the dead thing." Gunn looked around the room at each of them. "Ariane's out of surgery, they got all the bullets out, but she's critical. If she survives the next twenty- four hours she'll have a good chance of recovery, but they said that's pretty unlikely."
"Hello, could someone tell me what the hell is going on? And I wasn't dead Gunn but your concern is touching." Cordy showed she hadn't changed one bit as she shot Gunn a glower that could freeze hell.
He huffed loudly, he wasn't mad he was too worn out. Too much had happened in the space of a few hours and his brain was having trouble keeping up. "Look Cordy I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get at you. I'm glad your back and all, I just.." He halted wondering how to phrase what he was feeling. "It's like someone gave us a glimpse of something wonderful, pure, honest and sincere, and when it's taken away it leaves a void in you." Gunn was surprised by his own words, for once he thought, he'd actually said exactly what he meant.
"She was exceptional." Wesley nodded making the statement before he realised he'd used past tense.
"She's not dead." Angel caught the reference at once. "What do you mean recovery's unlikely?" Angel asked, directing the question at Gunn.
"It took three surgeons over six hours to remove four bullets and plug up six holes in a girl roughly the size of a twelve year old, Angel. What exactly do you think I mean? They think Ariane's going to die, is that plain enough for you?"
"What?" No one had noticed Spike appear in the room. His knees buckled and he fell back through the wall.
"Shit, don't tell me nobody thought to tell him?" Angel looked around the room and everyone shook their heads. "Jesus. Spike?" Angel yelled hoping wherever he was Spike could hear him.
He needn't have worried Spike came hurtling out of the wall straight at him, Angel reflexively side stepped forgetting for an instant Spikes incorporeality. Spike swung a punch at Angel's head the force of which threw him across the room until he was standing inside the bed.
"Where the hell were you, you bloody arse bandit? Ponceing about with your friggin pals when you should have been protecting her." Spike launched himself at Angel again, this time the man stood his ground and let Spike pass right through him and go skidding across the floor on his back.
"Are you done?" He asked, his voice displaying more composure than he felt.
"Piss off." Spike spat back.
"Do you honestly believe I would have let her get hurt if there was a damn thing I could have done to stop it? You're more screwed up than I thought."
"If you care so much, why the hell is she alone while you're all here?" Angel didn't have an answer so he looked to Gunn for help.
"They wouldn't let me see her, well its not like I could tell them I was her brother Angel." He offered as a defence as Angel looked at him disapprovingly.
"This is stupid, we're arguing when we're all on the same side." Wes interrupted Angel and Gunn before they could start again.
"Not him, he got what he wanted, the prodigal cheerleader's back. Forgive me if I don't join in your pissing celebration people. No offence but Ariane was one of the few people around here who treated me like a real person. Like she actually gave a damn about me." Spike had had enough he stormed through the door and out into the corridor totally ignoring the terrified scream from a passing nurse.
"Okay I've missed a few episodes somebody want to fill me in? Who's Ariane? Was that Spike? Is he dead?" Cordelia looked around the room for anyone willing to answer.
"It's a long story princess, what say I shout you a latte and we give these guy's some space?" Lorne took hold of the wheelchair and backed out of the room closely followed by Fred.
"I want to see Lindsey, now." Angel stated as the door latched turning his full attention to Wesley.
"I'm not sure that's a good idea." Wes looked back at Angel, he was in no condition to deal with this, but was there really any point in trying to apply logic here. He shook his head when Angel refused to drop his gaze. "Fine." Wesley made a call and then he and Angel headed for Angel's office.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harmony's office was empty as he walked through; he looked at her desk and remembered the night he had watched Ari working there, a candid moment with all her usual reserve cast aside. He choked back the emotion that flooded him; he had to be focused when he met with Lindsey. He went directly to the washroom, leaving Wesley to make himself comfortable.
He ran ice cold water into the sink and splashed his face several times to shock away the last remnants of fatigue. He wanted to take a shower but there was no time so he refilled the sink and washed quickly, taking a clean shirt from a hanger and pulling it on carefully. He began buttoning it as he walked back to his office.
The man sat with his head in his hands facing the huge desk. Angel took his seat and coughed to attract Lindsey's attention. He lifted his head slowly giving Angel time to view the damage Gunn had inflicted. His right eye was swollen shut, the skin purple and shiny, a long cut in his eyebrow still weeping blood. His bottom lip was raw and cut, he held an ice filled towel to it grimacing. Angel felt and instant of jealousy that he was not responsible for the broken visage that faced him.
"Nice office." Lindsey commented dryly.
"Isn't it." Angel replied sitting back in his chair with his elbow on the armrest and his chin resting on his fist.
"I used to dream of sitting where you are Angel."
"You don't say. Looks like you picked the wrong side."
"You sure about that?"
"I didn't bring you here to talk about us Lindsey. Much as I may hate to admit it, I need the information you have. All I want to know is if you're going to tell me what I need to hear or if I have to beat the living shit out of you to get it. Believe me, I really hope you go for the latter 'cause I feel like making someone pay for what happened here this morning."
"Sorry to disappoint you Angel, but I have no intention of withholding any information. Strange as you may find it, I'd like to find who is responsible for this. Don't get me wrong I'm not exactly cut up about someone trying to dust you, I just don't like the idea of not being a willing participant. I have nothing to hide Angel, I've done nothing wrong."
"The security tape tells a different story. You drove your car through a window into the lobby of this building, you pulled out a gun and then you shot an employee of this firm. You'll forgive me if I don't give much a rats ass about how things look for you."
"I was possessed."
"That's your story, think you can make it stand up in a court of Law, Councillor? "
"I'm pleased to see we can keep things civilised." Wes tried to defuse the situation just enough to enable them to at least attempt to answer some questions.
"How are you feeling?" Wesley enquired politely.
"Dirty, used," Lindsey began listing exactly what he was going through before Angel interrupted him.
"No change there." He muttered just loudly enough for everyone to hear.
"You've had sometime to gather your thoughts Lindsey, is there any information about your clients you can remember that may help us discover the identity of the party responsible?" Wesley cut in hoping to keep their conversation as short as possible.
"This is technically covered by the client confidentiality clause ." Angel shifted position in his seat eyeing Lindsay, daring him to try something. "But I think under the circumstances we could over look that." Lindsey looked nervously toward Wesley.
"Yes I think that would be wise." He nodded trying to keep a snigger out of his voice. "According to your diary you had three meetings that morning. The first being a Mrs Wagner, do you remember her?"
"Yeah, she was looking for someone to handle her divorce. Same old story husband screwing his secretary. If she had mystic capabilities I'm sure she would have better people to use them on than me." Lindsey looked to Wesley to continue.
"Mr Johnstone?"
"Big black guy, he wanted me to sue his neighbour for running over his dog. He cried like a baby, showed me pictures of the mutt and everything."
"You get all the high profile cases huh?" Angel grinned like a cat that got the cream, the canary and pretty much anything else it wanted.
"Screw you." Lindsey replied casually.
"Father McBride?" Wesley continued without giving the men time to resume their verbal sparring.
"He was a Catholic priest, why the hell would a priest want to kill Angel? Then again even a Saint couldn't be blamed for that."
"Wait a minute, Father Thomas McBride?" Angel asked, scanning his desk and pushing bits of paper around.
"The list doesn't give a Christian name." Wes looked to Angel who was still frantically searching his desk for something. "Angel?"
"He was here, two maybe three weeks ago, something about homeless kids going missing. I told him to go to the police. Here it is." He pulled a thin brown folder from the bottom of a large pile of similar folders.
"He didn't say anything about homeless kids to me." Lindsey looked puzzled. "He was talking about zoning laws and some out of state businessman trying to push through a.."
"Did he mention any names?" Angel interrupted.
"Probably, I don't remember. It would be in my notes."
"Could you get them here?" Angel looked at the man squarely.
"I would have to have a damn good reason to ask for client files, Angel."
"How about if you don't get them I'll rip your head off, that good enough?"
"It's not me you have to convince, I have superiors Angel; I need to assure them I'm not using the information for anything nefarious. Not all lawyers are morally bankrupt."
"What is it, some exclusive club for ex-Wolfram & Hart employees?"
"Not just ex." Lindsey spat back.
Wesley shook his head and huffed loudly. "Lindsey come with me you can use my office to make your call. Angel call the hospital and check on Ariane." Wesley couldn't get Lindsey out of Angel's office quickly enough.
"He's still got the same sunny disposition I see." Lindsey commented jerking his head in the direction of Angel's office.
"Tread carefully Lindsey, the girl you shot was very special to all of us, or had you forgotten about your part in this."
"Like I told Angel, I was possessed."
"Yes and I'm trying very hard to keep that in mind." Wesley countered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Why didn't you just kill the lying prick?" Spike appeared the instant Wesley and Lindsey left, perching on the seat Lindsey had just vacated.
"I'm not sure he's lying." Angel stood and took up his favourite position by the window looking down on the world.
"Does it matter? He's the one who shot her, isn't that enough?"
"So you think killing him will help her?" Angel raised his eyebrows as he turned toward Spike.
"No, but it'd make me feel better." Spike dropped his head and ran his hands over his short blonde hair. "Did you call the hospital?" He asked without looking up.
"I was just about to."
"Go on then, no point putting it off." Angel nodded knowing Spike was right, but thinking every minute he waited he could go on believing everything was okay. Maybe if he waited long enough she would come walking through the door with that sweet smile of hers and tell him it was all a big joke.
"Angel, make the call." Spike's voice pulled him out of his daydream; he reached out to pick up the phone and noticed his hand was shaking.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If I thought I was worried about Chapter Eleven I'm even more worried about this one. Some of you didn't seem to like Ch 11 and I'm sorry about that (Gidgetgirl in particular). I hope this one was an improvement, if not I may just throw in the towel. I realise that's defeatist but hey, let me know what you think anyway.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Celtic Cat: I did say "Upon Such Sacrifices" was my inspiration.
Lilja(): "Ari" - Chapter 3, during Angel's description of the Kruplar Demon Slaying. I figured he just got carried away and then it just stuck. (It started as a typing error on my part)
Tariq: Thanks for your support.
Beboppin Betty: Welcome to my madness.
MysticWolf1: I'm so happy you are still reading.
Gidgetgirl: I'm glad you liked the wooden bullet.
Imzadi: More Lindsey (Corrected the spelling, did you notice?) I can't say how much more of him you'll see, I'm having problems with the characterisation.