QUICK NOTES: Apparently, spell check had some fun with my computer. My spelling
sucks anyway; I guess I need to stop depending on Word huh? Sorry to everyone that had
to put up with my little inconsistencies from part 1. I was having a little too much fun
thinking about what would happen next season. Guess I got a little carried away. Forgive
me?

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not even the computer I'm writing this on.



Revenge Reborn Pt. 2: Simple Truths.


Cordelia had been scared before. Like the time her and Buffy were held captive
and almost fed to some green monster thing back in high school, or when the Mayor had
turned into a huge snake at the high school graduation. But in spite of all the horrible
things she had seen and had fallen victim to, she couldn't remember ever being more
scared than she was right now.
Maybe it was because he looked so young, or the fact that he claimed to be Ms.
Calendar's son. Or it was the gun that he had pointed directly at her face. Yeah, it was
probably the gun.
"Put down the gun." Angel said in a quite voice, reaching out his hand towards the young
man. All Cordelia saw was the young man's smile before he aimed the gun away from
her and fired at Angel's leg. Instantly, the gun was pointed at her again.
Angel faltered to the floor, grabbing hold of Wesley's desk to keep him from
falling to the ground.
"Anybody else want to play hero?" The young man said, raising his eyebrows. "Try me."
Angel steadied himself against the desk, wincing from the pain. He took a good
hard look at the young man who stood across from him. Angel could tell that he was
Jenny's son, they looked almost exactly alike.
"Your not going to kill me, are you?" Angel asked. He could see it in the young man's
eyes. He wasn't through yet. This wasn't going to be as simple as a stake trough the
heart, or a simple decapitation.
"Maybe not yet, but eventually."
"What's your name?" Angel asked. The young man's eyes narrowed.
"Why do you care?"
"I just do. I knew your mother, she was a goo.."
"DON'T SAY A DAMN WORD ABOUT HER!" His face turned bright red. "You don't
have the right. You killed her. And don't think I don't know why. She was going to turn
you back." Angel shuddered. He was right. Jenny was trying to help him, and instead,
Angel killed her.
"You don't understand." Cordelia whispered. "That wasn't Angel, he would never harm a
person."
"Wow." The young man said, taking a step back, out of the office. "It must have been her
lucky day then huh?" Angel staggered towards his attacker.
"It doesn't have to be like this." Angel said. The young man stared at him.
"Did you kill her?"
"Yes."
"See?" The young man said, backing out of the office, and starting for the door, "The
truth is so simple now isn't it?"

*****

Cordelia finished wrapping the bandage around Angel's leg and stood up.
"There, are you going to be okay?" She asked.
"Yeah, I'll be good, just let me walk it off." Angel stood and walked around the lobby of
the hotel of a minute to show her that he was really okay. And then as soon as she turned
away, he fell back onto the couch in pain. As he sat wincing, Gunn came and stood
beside him.
"Are you sure we shouldn't be out looking for this dude? I mean, for all we know, he
could just be waiting for you to go to sleep to kill you. Or he could be out shooting up
other people."
"No, he wouldn't do either. This is about honor and revenge to him. He wont kill me
unless I put up a fight."
"So then don't put up a fight!" Cordelia called out over the counter where she worked at
her desk. Angel let a small smile escape his lips.
"Okay," Angel finally said. "You go ahead and check with your sources, I'll head over to
Caritas and see what the Host has to say."
"Is there anything I could do?" Wesley said, walking from around the counter.
"See if you can get a hold of the Giles, get any information he might have."
"Okay, be careful then, he might be following you Angel. I don't think that I have to
remind you he is extremely dangerous."


*****
Angel sat at one of the few empty tables at Caritas that evening and waited as the
Host talked to one of the patrons who had just done a rather appalling rendition of
"Smooth Criminal". A minute or two later the host wandered over to where Angel was
sitting and sat across from him.
"I guess your wondering about Nicholas. Let's just say that, yes he was here, and no I
didn't help him." Angel straightened up.
"Nicholas? That's his name?"
"Don't tell me you didn't even know that much."
"So?" Angel leaned in towards the host expectantly.
"So? So, what? There's not a whole lot to tell here that you don't already know, Angel
cakes. So deal. Your going to have to face it, you know."
"I don't want to fight him."
"I'm not talking about Nicholas, although you'll have to do that too. I'm talking about the
demon. This is it, where you find out exactly what you're made of."
"So I have to fight him?"
"Is that all you're concerned about?"
"Yes. I don't want to see anyone get hurt." The Host gave Angel an exasperated look.
"Forget about the fight for TWO seconds. I'm trying to help you here lad, and your not
making it easy."
"Okay, I'm listening. What is this all about?"
"You. This is it Angel, and I think that you know that. This is when you have to face the
consequences of your actions. Nicholas doesn't want to kill you, but he will because he
feels that he has to. He's just another lost soul."
"So your saying I should help him?" The Host just sat silently. Then got up and walked
away.


TO BE CONTINUED…