Chapter Seven
Jade had slept for the rest of the journey, leaving Lindsey occupied with emotions and thoughts as he held her body close to his. He wondered over and over again how it had come to this and whether he would ever find his place in the world, whether he would ever stop running.
The picture of being at peace was bright and real in his head and his fantasies took on twists and turns that he had never envisioned before. Of being a father, watching his children play in a huge garden as he and his wife cooked together in their large open plan kitchen. Content laughter ringing from both outside and in the large house.
As he imagined it, his wife turned to kiss him and Jade's eyes met his. Lindsey shook his head, this couldn't and wouldn't be. He was helping her to escape an immortal curse, how could he even entertain the notion that there would be a happy ending? She could not die as far as he knew so in reality, even if they did spend their lives together, it would not involve growing old with one another.
He saw the lights of the city open up before him and a tremor of nervous anticipation shuddered through him. He would have to drive to the Hyperion hotel as quickly as possible and hope to God that he wouldn't be seen or recognised, even though he knew it was not implausible for Wolfram and Hart to have employed a surveillance team to keep an eye on the comings and goings of Angel Investigations. Christ, he had suggested that enough in his time there.
"Jade," he whispered and shook her gently," Jade we're nearly there."
"Huh?" she stretched her body, brushing against him, and Lindsey bit back the shiver of lust that filled his body,"What did you say?"
"LA," he said, staring out of the windscreen as he drove through the streets of the dreaded city, where he knew what lurked in its dark recesses,"We're here."
"Oh!" Jade straightened and Lindsey was disappointed at the space she had created between them," Wow!"
"Not wow," Lindsey muttered," Its got a dark underbelly this city."
"What city doesn't,"Jade replied, gazing out of the window at the passing buildings. Lindsey knew she was right and that he had just created this place as hell on earth but he still wasn't sure she knew what to expect of the people here. He coughed slightly as he realised that she probably knew a damn sight more than him and here he was imagining her as some naive little girl.
"We should reach the Hyperion any moment," he said and she nodded nervously. Lindsey saw it approaching and an involuntary sigh of relief escaped his lips which made Jade look at him curiously. Pulling up outside, he took her hand in his and faced her." Now, let me do the talking okay? He might not be so pleased to see me at first."
"What?" Jade frowned," I thought he was going to help us?"
"He will...but he'll act a little reluctantly before he accepts us."
"Lindsey..."Jade said and he caught the warning tone in her voice.
"Come on, it will all be okay," he said with a smile he did not feel, then jumped out of his truck and raced around to the other side so that he could help her down.
They walked up to the courtyard, Jade trailing behind slightly then Lindsey took a deep breath and entered the hotel, beckoning for her to follow him. Cordelia was at the desk of course, something that didn't surprise Lindsey. She belonged to something, was part of a team and a part of Angel Investigations and he felt jealousy bite at his soul.
"Oh..." she said as she noticed Lindsey standing awkwardly in the doorway. He had expected her to react rather more strongly than she did and her apparent ease at his reappearance threw him slightly," Angel!"
"Yeah?" Angel walked out of a doorway, reading a file of some sort and not looking up from it. Lindsey didn't make any move to announce himself, more than willing for Cordelia to do that for him.
"Someone here to see you," she said, nodding her head in Lindsey's direction and Angel's gaze snapped up to meet his.
"Lindsey," he said calmly and placed the file onto Cordelia's desk on top of some other papers which caused her to tut and move them huffily," Come in."
"I've brought someone with me," Lindsey said as he started to walk down the steps into the foyer. He looked behind him to check on Jade and the look of wide-eyed horror on her face startled him," Jade?"
"Oh my god," she said," You tricked me!"
"Tricked? What?" Lindsey stumbled over his words as he tried to imagine what had horrified Jade so much.
"Angelus! You brought me to Angelus you son of a bitch! Is this some master plan of Lavuc's to teach me a lesson about trying to escape? Employ some pretty boy to act as my saviour and get him to deliver me into the hands of this evil bastard?" she was shaking her head vehemently and Lindsey could tell that she was trying hard to keep the tears from falling.
"No..no...Jade!" he watched as she turned quickly and flew back out of the door then he turned to Angel in desperation and threw his hands wide," Help me!"
"That was Flora McKenzie," Angel said slowly, shock numbing his body. He remembered her from the time when Lavuc had struck up a partnership with him and Darla. How could she still be alive and as beautiful as the day he had first saw her, had first set his sights on turning her?
"Yeah, it is!" Lindsey yelled," And obviously she remembers you too...or the old you anyway. I need your help! Now!"
Angel suddenly started running to the doorway with Lindsey in quick pursuit then stopped just outside the door when he saw Jade sitting beside the empty fountain, shadowed by the foliage slightly.
"I'm too tired," she said, looking up at them both, her cheeks damp and tear-stained," Just kill me okay?"
"I'm not who you think Flora...not anymore," Angel said, slowly approaching her.
"Neither am I," Jade replied solemnly, staring at her hands as they rested on her knees," Flora died centuries ago, I'm Jade now."
"Okay that's perfect, we can reacquaint ourselves," Angel said gently as he took a seat beside her, aware that Lindsey was watching from the doorway," Hi Jade, I'm Angel."
"Angel?" Jade said, staring at him sideways with a frown creasing her features.
"Damn gypsies," Angel joked and knew that she would know what he was alluding to. She laughed and her body loosened slightly with relief.
"Lindsey seems to think you can help me," Jade said nervously, as though expecting Angel to laugh at the very idea.
"Lindsey is right, I'll help all I can,"Angel replied then stood up so that Lindsey would be able to take the seat beside her. Then as he watched Jade rest his head on his ex-nemesis's shoulder he walked back to the door,"I just hope it will be enough" he whispered to himself, allowing them blissful ignorance to his fear.
Chapter Eight
"I'll need to get a couple of beds made,"Angel said to Cordelia as he walked past her desk and she looked up at him curiously.
"Who is she?" She asked," Not many people live long enough to remember the old you...unless she's a vampire...she's not another vampire is she?"
"No, she isn't a vampire,"Angel replied, just as confused as how she could have lived so long,"No demon scent."
Cordelia set down the papers she had been trawling through and stared at him for a while. Angel felt the strength of her gaze and squirmed slightly under it, knowing that she saw his fear and discomfort.
"Who's Lavuc then?" she asked and folded her hands on top of the desk, leaning forward slightly.
"A wizard...no, more a warlock....very powerful and evil,"Angel paused remembering how he and Darla had been forced to flee from him when they had tried to double cross him and failed. Or more accurately when Angelus had attempted to turn Flora and had been caught in the act.
He remembered Lavuc's rage as he flown at him. Of feeling the searing heat from his hands as he had tightened his hand's around Angelus's throat, burning his skin under them. He remembered that, for the first time since he had become a vampire, he had been sure that he would die.
Darla had startled him, slamming a plank of wood across his head and then grabbing Angelus's hand and leading the choking and cursing vampire out of the door of the mansion into the night. He remembered her anger and jealousy as she realised what had enraged Lavuc so and of her words.
"Steal what you may Angelus, but only a fool would try to take the one thing he obsesses over. You are a fool if you think we can defeat him."
Her words rang in his head again and then he jumped as he heard the door open behind him. Cordelia was smiling at Jade, though he knew that she was unsure about her, and Jade and Lindsey were both looking at him.
"I was wondering..."Lindsey began.
"I'm just gonna make a couple of beds for you both," Angel replied, pre-empting Lindsey's question and he felt glad that they both relaxed at his words. For all that Lindsey had been and done before, Angel knew that he had to accept some responsibility for that and he was determined to help him now. This could act as both their redemptions he realised. If they succeeded that was.
***
Gunn and Wesley were in high spirits when they returned. Whooping and congratulating each other on their victory over a slime demon they had insisted that they could handle and Angel felt the sharp sting of jealousy over their friendship again.
He really had lost a lot after his crisis and even though he was slowly building bridges over the gaps that he had caused, he knew that it would never be exactly the same. It was like what had happened with Buffy when he had returned from hell. Everything looked the same on the outside, and the love had still been as strong but the trust? That had never returned fully.
He paused on the stairway as pain ripped through his heart. Oh God, Buffy. He didn't think he would ever be able to stop his heart from aching at his loss, he had only been able to ignore it before because he knew that she was out there, waiting, loving him. Now she was dead, gone. He gripped the bannister and toppled forward slightly as his tears fell.
"Buffy, Buffy," he murmured and then felt a hand touch his back, his mind suddenly soaring as the impossible idea that she was at this moment behind him, looking at him with concern and love, filled his head. He whirled round and his heart fell.
"Are you okay?" Jade asked gently and sat down on the step beside him. He knew that they were just out of sight of the others and he was glad they could not see the state he was in.
"I'm..." he couldn't get the words out and just stared at her. His eyes pleading for her to make the pain stop. Jade touched his face kindly and said nothing,"There was this girl, a slayer, we loved each other..."
"A Vampire and a slayer?" Jade said and then smiled," Romeo and Juliet huh?"
"Sort of..." Angel remembered the reaction of everyone when they had found out about their romance, of Xander just filled with hate and of Spike and the others being disgusted at their sire's behaviour," She died a month ago."
The tears fell again and Jade allowed him to lean his head on her shoulder. She didn't say anything, didn't try to ease his pain with empty sentiments and for this he was thankful. She must understand, he thought, if anyone could it would be her.
"I'd better make the beds," he said finally, gulping back his sorrow and standing up.
"I'll help," Jade replied and they both carried on walking up the stairs in a comfortable, mutual silence.
Chapter Nine
Lavuc could feel his fury building as he searched Chicago for sign of Jade and it was a couple of hours before it occurred to him that she would know by now that she needed to put some distance between them. He could sense where she was as long as she was still in close proximity to him, he was a fool to think she would not have realised this after all the time she had been with him.
He paced the floor of the great room of his mansion angrily. His servants watching him fearfully as he swept backward and forwards past them. He grabbed one of them angrily, pulling him so close to him that the boy could feel the heat of his breath on his skin.
"Who let her leave?" he demanded and the servant cowered in his grip," Why didn't anyone follow her?"
"We did Master," the boy's voice quivered as he tried to avoid Lavuc's gaze and Lavuc dropped him to the floor angrily.
"Haven't we learned by now that as soon as you see where she is, you tell me!" he yelled at the whole room. They all pulled back from him incase he should take his rage out on them.
Lavuc turned from them all and flopped into his chair, suddenly filled with self-doubt and wondering if, after all this time, Jade had finally succeeded in escaping.
He closed his eyes and as he bitterly imagined the face of her saviour he realised that he knew him. He leaned forward in his chair, not concerned with the way everyone else in the room was nervously holding their breath incase the slightest sound should force him to snap.
"Lindsey McDonald," he said with a smile," My oh my, has the boy had a change of heart?"
He clicked his fingers for one of his minions to approach him and when they scurried forward he testily ordered that they bring him the telephone straight away. If anyone knew where Lindsey was it would be Nathan Reed.
***
Angel was trying his best to be a good host but his earlier breakdown was still laying heavy on his soul and his mood. He watched in silence as Lindsey and Jade ate Chinese takeaway and he saw the way the both looked at each other and he also noticed that they were both trying hard to hide their emotions. He recognised it as he and Buffy had struggled with the same thing, trying to fight against over-whelming odds and emotions and failing miserably every time.
He wanted to tell Lindsey that love could conquer all but did not feel comfortable enough giving him advice on any aspect of his personal life. It was too soon to act like friends and it was better if he kept his distance for a while longer.
It was Jade who eventually spoke to him, her face full of concern. It seemed that Lindsey had only just noticed his silence and he looked at Angel worriedly. Probably wondering if Wolfram and Hart were getting to him the way they had when he was at the controls, Angel mused.
"Would you like to talk?" Jade asked him and Angel noticed jealousy flash across Lindsey's face. Had he always been jealous of him? Is that why he did some of the things he had? Angel rubbed his temples hard and rested his elbows on his knees.
"No...not yet," Angel replied, not looking up," I'm just trying to think what we can do to free you from Lavuc...I think I need to know more..."
"Anything you want to know, just ask," Jade replied and then added with a small smile," You know as well as I do that if we were to start at the beginning then it would take an eternity to get to the point."
Angel looked at her then and laughed slightly. She had such kind eyes, he thought, so full of insight and knowledge, compassion and pain. He wondered if his eyes looked like that to others and if the depth was something that came from the passing of time. He sighed and leant back in his chair.
"I don't even know where to begin..." he straightened suddenly and looked hard at Lindsey,"...are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"It couldn't hurt to give it a try," Lindsey replied, nodding.
"What? What are you thinking?" Jade asked, looking from Angel to Lindsey and back again.
"You can hold a tune right?" Lindsey smiled.
***
"I didn't know she could sing like that," Lindsey said as he watched Jade light up the stage. She was singing Blue Moon and her voice soared, every demon and human in the audience watching her in awe induced silence.
"She's 483 years old Lindsey, had a long time to practice," the Host replied, then, glancing at Angel, added," Of course that rule doesn't apply to all."
"Hey..." Angel began, his tone one of hurt indignation.
"Ssssh," the Host held one finger up to his lips and turned back to the stage," Well, what can I tell you except that if this gal wasn't immortal I would have said she was a reincarnation of Ella herself..."
"Ella who?" Angel asked, still pouting from the earlier slight.
"Fitzgerald!" The Host, frowned at him," Get with the programme Angel sweetie."
"What do you see?" Lindsey interrupted their banter.
" I see a lot of pain, she has been through a lot," The Host said then smiled," And oooh, I see luuurve...if I wasn't anagogic I would swear I was some hokey fortune teller."
"Love?" Lindsey scrambled desperately over that word, pleading silently for the Host to add his name to that insight.
"Well, she is on the right path anyway," The Host didn't seem to hear Lindsey's question as he turned to Angel," You can help her...the only thing that I can see about how is that she is the thing that will defeat him..."
"How?" Angel asked with a frown.
"Like I said, I don't get much more than that...the love vibes are too strong," he said as he winked at Lindsey, causing his heart to jump," But she knows that he is on his way here now."
"Now?" Angel prodded.
"Like yesterday," The Host said ominously then drifted off to chat with the patrons of his club, patting Lindsey on the shoulder as he passed by him.
Chapter Ten
Nathan Reed surveyed the boardroom with disdain. God they were a bunch of pathetic excuses for evil. Perhaps Holland had been right in his nurturing of Lindsey, of his manipulation of his emotions and in offering the boy the world. At least Lindsey exuded power and need and hunger for respect, these sad offerings just passed their time snivelling and sucking up.
He sighed and rolled his eyes as one of the new batch of recently graduated law students stumbled and stammered his way through a case report and as he mis-pronounced yet another of the legislations Nathan slammed his hand down onto the table hard as he leapt from his seat.
"Enough!" he yelled and the lawyer, and Nathan thought the title was in its loosest form when it came to that one, dropped into his seat, face ashen with fear and shock," I've heard enough! If you cant be bothered to learn the words then we have no more use for you."
He nodded his head to Harvey, the security guard who stood ominously in the doorway, like a vulture ready to swoop onto some decaying remains, and he stepped forward quietly and took his position behind the boy. Nathan saw Lilah turn her head away from the scene and wondered for an instant why he had allowed Lindsey to just resign.
Harvey's hands had swiftly hooked some wire around the throat of the terrified victim and had tightened it until the boy's tongue protruded from his mouth, his face purple and swollen from lack of oxygen. Then he let go and the lifeless body toppled forward onto the scattered papers littering the table.
"Far less mess," he said as way of explanation, even though he knew that each of the eight lawyers were currently too caught up in their own fears to even hear him," Oh I cant be bothered...get out all of you. I expect you to all arrive here for the next meeting at 9am sharp tomorrow, do I make myself clear?"
He heard a few mumbled "yes sir"s and then he was alone in the room. He sat back down in his seat and turned it to look out of the window at the city skyline, intent on gathering his thoughts.
"Sir?" he heard Lilah's voice as she tapped gently on the door and he spun his chair round to look at her.
"Yes?"
"I was wondering..." she trailed off and Nathan noticed the fear dancing behind her eyes.
"Well spit it out," he snapped, too involved in his own worries to even entertain her nervous ramblings. He saw her straighten her back as though preparing herself for his onslaught.
"I was wondering if you had heard anything about Lindsey?"
The girl was astute and like a pit-bull when it came to the McDonald boy, Nathan mused, and he began to wonder if her interest was purely business. There had been rumours when they had first started to work together that Lilah had a little crush on her colleague but Nathan had ignored them, dismissing them as office tittle tattle. Now he wasn't so sure.
"Indeed," he replied simply, dangling the bait for his employee to scramble for.
"Oh?" she paused and then turned to leave but as she reached the door, just as Nathan expected, she turned back to him.
"You found where he is?" she asked, trying to keep any emotions from her voice.
"He is here Lilah," Nathan replied, spinning his chair back to the window," I don't know for how much longer though."
The surveillance team had reported Lindsey's reappearance as soon as they had spied him stepping from his decrepit truck, a vehicle he had refused to part with no matter how many times it had been suggested to him. It had annoyed Nathan that Lindsey should have allowed himself to be seen by them, surely the boy would have known that they were watching Angel Investigations. It no longer mattered though as Nathan had been startled to receive a phone call from his most prestigious client enquiring as to his whereabouts.
It amused Nathan somewhat to imagine Lindsey aligning himself with Lavuc's prize possession. He had to give him credit, he always seemed to find trouble.
Chapter Eleven
Lindsey was completely unnerved by how edgy Angel had become after what The Host had told him and he watched as Angel scurried, uncharacteristically, around the office, lugging piles of books from the shelves that were situated inside one of the rooms.
He attempted to concentrate on one of the tomes that Angel had handed him but kept being distracted by the sighs of frustration that the vampire kept releasing. He folded his arms, leaned backwards in his chair and eyed him carefully. It took a few moments for Angel to feel his stare and he looked up guiltily.
"What?" he asked quietly, not wanting to attract Jade's attention as she sat in the corner hastily scribbling down everything she knew about Lavuc on a pad of paper.
"Want to tell me what's wrong?" Lindsey's tone was just as hushed and he leant forward again.
"Just all of this...and some other things...it doesn't matter," Angel replied, returning his gaze to the brown tinged pages he had been reading.
"Are we in trouble?" Lindsey asked a question he already knew the answer to, but he wanted to hear Angel confirm his fears so that he could tackle the problem with full awareness.
"Only a lot," Angel mumbled, then threw the book onto the table, causing Jade to jump and drop her pad. She stared at them both but said nothing as she watched Angel stand and storm over to the telephone.
"Lindsey?" she mouthed as Angel picked up the receiver and started dialling. Lindsey just shrugged and was beginning to say something when Angel's voice broke the silence.
"Wesley?" he said, his tone conveying his anger at his inability to handle something alone," Yeah, I know what time it is...can you come into the office?"
He paused and Jade walked over to Lindsey so that they could talk without disturbing his conversation.
"Yes please and contact Gunn too while you're at it....I don't know....I just think it would be safer if we had all hands on deck," he trailed off and hunched forward slightly, the pressure of the task at hand and his grief over the last month causing his body to sag underneath the weight of it all.
"He's suffering," Jade said to Lindsey and explained herself when Lindsey frowned at her words," He lost someone he loved recently, I don't think he's coping....I don't know how he can expect himself to."
"Someone?" Lindsey asked and Jade sighed.
"I've no doubt Wolfram and Hart know everything about Angel's past Lindsey so you will know who I mean when I say Buffy right?"
Lindsey fell silent as he remembered the various files that they had on the Slayer, on the love affair between her and Angel, of how his curse had been lifted for a few months causing his alter-ego to return and bestow misery and torture on everyone in Sunnydale, of how Angel had returned from hell restored to his good self....Wolfram and Hart had never been able to discover how that transition had occurred.
Angel had loved the girl so much that he had realised that it would be better if he put some distance between them, had been so unselfish in his adoration for her that he had seen that he would destroy her emotionally if he stayed. Lindsey couldn't comprehend the depth of feeling that they must have gone through, had always been so needy for affection that he would cling on for dear life to any scrap of feeling.
Angel had lost her now? It took a few moments for Lindsey to even speak, his mind and heart filled with sympathy for the person he had hated so vehemently for so long. How was he even able to function?
"Oh god," Lindsey murmured.
"I think we need to take some of the pressure off him," Jade whispered and Lindsey nodded, understanding now why Angel seemed so distant and distracted. They couldn't be helping by landing on his doorstep so suddenly and Lindsey felt a stab of guilt at once again adding to Angel's troubles. Jade took a book from the pile and opened it.
"I think I've got as much down as I can about Lavuc," she said as she skimmed the text," Lets see how we can kill him yeah?"
"Yeah," Lindsey nodded, unable to take his eyes from the figure who was now supporting himself on the reception desk, wondering how he could help and make up for some of the things he had put him through.
***
Cordelia flopped into a chair and rubbed her eyes sleepily. Even though she had worked with Angel for over two years now, the late night calls did not get any easier. She glanced at her watch and sighed. 3:45 am....jeez!
Wesley and Angel were both bent over a large dusty old book that Wesley had rummaged frantically for while asking why Angel hadn't told him that the case involved Lavuc until now. She noticed the way Angel wore an expression of a guilty school boy and automatically felt sorry for him, he had been trying so hard to rebuild the respect he had lost and after the news about Buffy...
Cordelia felt the tears spring to her eyes and gulped them back. It didn't matter if she and Buffy had acted as though they didn't understand or like each other, Cordelia still had so much respect for the slayer, even more so since she had inherited Doyle's visions and responsibility. She wondered whether the pain would stop, whether they would ever get over losing a friend, but she doubted it, the grief of losing Doyle still just as fresh as the day it had happened. And now Buffy, she didn't even want to imagine the agony Angel was feeling.
Lindsey sat down beside her and Cordelia looked at him curiously. She was just beginning to trust him after all he had put her and her friends through but she had to admit that she was warming to him now especially as she watched him almost fall over himself to help Angel.
"Tough going isn't it?" he said and Cordelia smiled.
"Oh god yeah," she replied," Have you even slept yet?"
"Not yet," Lindsey said and tried to ignore the fatigue which was at that moment flooding his being," Lots to do...he seems scared."
Cordelia stared at Angel as he sighed and rolled his head back and for the first time she noticed it too, realising that even when she had tried to press him on information about Lavuc he had not partaken in anything other than what he was and the fact he was evil, which in her book was a given. Suddenly she fell back on the sofa, her body arching as a vision tore through her skull, almost falling off her seat. She screamed as the pain and images fought for a premium position in her head and then she started to come to, realising that Lindsey was holding her to him.
"He's coming," she said and Angel covered his face in his hands," I saw some lawyers too."
Lindsey looked at her in shock.
"He wont try and get Jade himself..." Cordelia added, pleading inwardly for the pain to subside," They will..."
"No they wont," Lindsey said and looked at Jade, suddenly sure that he would die before he allowed anyone to hurt her ever again.
Chapter Twelve
The sun was fully risen by the time everyone finally admitted that they could work no more. Lindsey hadn't felt exhaustion like that since he had worked for Wolfram and Hart, when he used to spend days mulling over case files in an attempt to stay one step ahead of his colleagues. The little sleep he did get then used to be disturbed with nightmares created by his conscience and he had grown used to the dull sensation of listlessness that the fatigue had brought with it. Since moving to Chicago some of that pressure had been lifted, and while his dreams were still uneasy routes through his past mistakes, they at least allowed him to recuperate sufficiently.
Now, although his vision was blurred and his body ached from the amount of time he had been awake, he still felt more alive than he ever had before. He was fighting for something worthwhile and this brought with it a sense of adrenaline that he embraced fully.
Wesley removed his spectacles and rubbed his eyes then glanced back up at everyone.
"I think we should all get some rest," he said," We cannot try to fight someone like Lavuc when we are exhausted...he'll win for sure that way."
Lindsey looked over at Jade and noticed that she had fallen asleep on the sofa beside Angel, her legs pulled up onto the velvet upholstery. Angel was quietly turning pages and Lindsey noticed that he kept glancing at Jade with a strange look on his face. He suddenly realised that he didn't know how they both knew each other, that he had been too full of panic at her fleeing and then relief at her still being there that it had completely slipped his mind.
"I'll take her up to her room," he announced, standing up suddenly and Angel seemed to flinch at the sound of his voice. Lindsey walked over and lifted the sleeping girl into his arms, knowing that he was probably acting like a jealous partner but unable to stand seeing another woman falling for the charms of the dark and mysterious vampire. He'd already lost someone to him already.
He pushed open the door to her room with his foot and then laid her gently down onto the bed, his eyes slowly trailing over her face and body, struggling to contain his emotions and fighting against the urge to kiss her as she slept. Perhaps Darla was right, he never really took what he wanted, always weighed up the options, got dragged down with self-doubt and then left the way open for someone to steel what he had wanted most.
He sat down on the bed and covered his face with his hands. He wondered if it had been a mistake to return to LA, to the ghosts that haunted him there and whether he would have been happier just running away for the rest of his life. Certainly nothing good had come from returning as yet, Angel and his crew seemed as lost and afraid as he and Jade and Lindsey felt as though they were all just drifting and wasting time....he knew for a fact that Wolfram and Hart would at this moment be holding meeting after meeting to obtain their objective.
He moved from the bed to an easy chair in the corner and closed his eyes, not expecting sleep to be able to take his busy and confused mind to the dark realms of his dreams but then he saw Darla and Drusilla standing outside the Hyperion with Jade struggling wildly in their grip. He saw Darla mocking both him and Angel as they stood helplessly in the doorway and then of her gleaming fangs puncturing Jade's smooth neck as her yellow eyes stared at them both.
"At last I have taken her from you Angel," Darla hissed and Lindsey saw the pain flash across Angel's face," At last I have rid the world of that damn cheerleader."
Lindsey's eyes snapped open and he noticed that the room was once again growing dark. How long had he been sleeping for? He glanced over at the bed and when he saw that it was empty the memory of his dream spurred him from his seat and down the stairway, terror at the thought of it happening pumping through his veins. He slowed as he saw Jade sitting at the reception desk with Cordelia, both hunched over some papers and whispering like school girls.
"You like him then?" she heard Cordelia ask and he moved backwards into the shadows so that he could eavesdrop in safety," Have you kissed him yet?"
"Not yet..." Jade paused,"...its been rather a while Cordelia."
"How long?" Cordelia had balanced her elbows on the table and had rested her chin on top of her hands," I mean, long as in a couple of years or long as in centuries?"
"The last time I was kissed, and it wasn't a loving kiss by any means," Jade said, her eyes dark with the memory," Was by Angelus...about 230 years ago now."
"Angelus!" Cordelia shrieked.
"Lindsey," Angel said as he stepped out of the doorway behind him, making Lindsey jump guiltily," Why are you lurking in the shadows?"
Lindsey was at a loss for words and he saw the same mischievous glimmer dancing behind Angel's dark brown eyes. He had known why he was hiding like that and hadn't been able to resist the opportunity to embarrass him again. He glared at the vampire and cursed him inwardly then shamefully looked at the two girls as they both stared at him.
"What were you screaming Angelus about Cordelia?" Angel asked as he walked past them towards the main doors of the hotel.
"You never did tell us how you knew Jade," Cordelia teased and leaned forward so that she could see the look on Angel's face clearly. Angel paused and looked at Jade and then Cordelia.
"It's the past Cordy," he said darkly," It doesn't matter. I'm sure Jade agrees."
"Absolutely," Jade nodded and then looked over at Lindsey," All that matters is the future."
Wesley walked out of his office and slammed a book down onto the desk angrily.
"Nothing!" he yelled," Absolutely buggering sod all. Okay, I think this is going to have to be a covert operation into Wolfram and Hart..."
"Oh no..." Cordelia interrupted,"...no coverts...no operations and definitely NO Wolfram and Harts."
"There's a lot that we need to know about them Cordelia," Wesley raged, hating the way she always tried to overrule his decisions," Not only is there this whole Lavuc thing but there is also what we discovered in Pylea..."
"Pylea?" Lindsey said," As in other dimension?"
"See we have our inside man..." Cordelia said, her eyes bright with panic at the memory of her vision.
"He knows less than we do about the case in hand Cordelia..."
"Can I interrupt?"
Everyone in the room whirled around at the sound of the voice that came from the doorway and Lindsey blinked twice in disbelief then stepped forward.
"What do you want Lilah?" he snapped.
Chapter Thirteen
"Well now you know that we know that you're back Lindsey," Lilah said, continuing her path into the foyer of the Hyperion and seeming calm even though Angel had stepped forward threateningly to stop her from entering. She looked around at her surroundings then locked eyes with Angel," Very nice, shame about the patronage."
"Well we have standards to maintain and you don't meet our criteria," Angel growled and felt the familiar bubble of rage build in his chest as she laughed at his comment. What was with these damn lawyers?
"I'm not here for trouble," Lilah said and then frowned as Lindsey erupted in a burst of mocking laughter," I'm here to warn him to get out of town," she added gazing at her ex-colleague.
"I'm not going anywhere," Lindsey replied, taking a seat defiantly and Angel saw a panicked expression flash across Lilah's face.
"Why does he have to leave?" Angel asked, walking past Lilah so that he could hold the door open for her imminent exit from his home.
"They know he's back...and Nathan seemed convinced that he wouldn't be around for much longer..."
"So you thought you would gain plus points and make sure he wasn't?" Cordelia snapped.
"No..." Lilah looked at Lindsey, begging him to explain what she meant, knowing that the others would not believe a word that came from her lips.
"When Nathan says something like that..."Lindsey reluctantly began,"...he means there is a death planned."
"A hit?" Angel asked.
"Possibly," Lilah nodded then turned back to Lindsey," I never did get to thank you for saving my life...and this is what I am trying to do as a favour in return. You didn't really think they would just let you walk did you?"
Lindsey shook his head and looked at the floor. He had known deep inside that this day would come, that at some point Wolfram and Hart would seek his head on a stick, but the knowing didn't make the hearing any easier.
"We'll leave," Jade said from the desk and Lindsey looked up at her," I wont have you dying for me Lindsey."
"You can leave now," Angel said to Lilah gruffly and watched her walk out of the hotel, noticing the way she kept glancing back to look at Lindsey, then he turned and walked down the steps again," Nobody is going anywhere."
"He'll die!" Jade shouted and Angel flinched at the sound of her raised voice, her passion for Lindsey suddenly throwing him off base," Now I am going to go and pack our bags and then we will be going..."
"To do what?" Angel yelled back, not quite believing how stubborn and unreasonable Jade was suddenly being," To run for the rest of your life...no, not yours, it doesn't really matter to you as you have an eternity to find a safe place. Lindsey's time is limited compared to yours...and the years will fly past Jade...that's the choice."
"What's the choice?" Jade challenged him to continue, stung by the reality of his words.
"To have Lindsey keep running, to ensure that he never knows security or safety or contentment," he paused," Or to stay here and fight these bastards and at least have a chance of winning."
"You know as well as I...."
"We'll discuss this in private," Angel snapped and stalked past Jade angrily. She sniffed and then straightened her back before following him, leaving Cordelia, Lindsey and Wesley to stare at each other in shock.
"I don't get a say in this it seems," Lindsey muttered and then raised his voice so the others could hear him," Anybody know what just happened there?"
***
"You are being unreasonable," Angel said, attempting to keep his voice low so that the others would not hear what they were about to say," Lavuc will keep hunting you no matter where you go Jade...and Lindsey doesn't have a chance..."
"Neither do we Angel," Jade interrupted," So the choice I have made is to keep on the move, to somehow convince Lindsey to let go at some point and then make sure that I don't put anybody else at risk."
"How noble Jade," Angel said sarcastically," You cant protect the world from someone like him. He will kill and torture whether or not you are there. We have to find a way to stop him..."
"I wont watch Lindsey die the way I did with Paul," Jade said bluntly, shaking her head as the tears threatened to fall from her eyes," I see what happened every day, every waking minute and I will not watch someone else die for me."
"If I had turned you..." Angel began, remembering the way Jade had seemed all too willing to succumb to his dark embrace,"...you wouldn't have seen it anymore?"
"Or if I had it wouldn't have mattered," Jade nodded her confirmation," I played Angelus and he played me and for one brief moment I thought I had won...but he almost killed you then and he will try to do the same again."
"There isn't a happy ending anywhere here Jade," Angel said softly," but this is what we do here, put our lives on the line to help people...I wont allow you to leave."
Chapter Fourteen
Lindsey considered barging through the door and demanding that both Angel and Jade tell him what the hell was so important that they had to go elsewhere to discuss it but he realised that this was something the old him would have done and that it was unlikely to please Jade if he did so. Instead he tapped once and waited.
"Come in," Angel called in a subdued voice.
"I have one thing to say," Lindsey said as he walked through the door," and that is, if we don't have all the facts then we cant be prepared and that is putting us in danger."
"Sit down," Angel said, not looking at him and Jade averted her gaze too, unnerving Lindsey further, the beat of his heart thudding louder in his ears," We owe it to you to tell you how we know each other I guess."
He waited for a few unbearably long minutes, not aware that he was holding his breath until he released it shakily as Jade started speaking.
"I guess you know a lot about Angelus right?" she asked, finally looking at Lindsey," Well I'm probably not something you knew about...Angelus almost turned me in 1769, I practically begged him to..." she trailed off,"...Lavuc discovered us just as Angelus began to drain me and nearly killed him..."
"Nearly killed Angelus?" Lindsey interrupted," but Angelus was practically unkillable, the scourge of the earth, the most notorious vampire that..."
"What we are trying to tell you Lindsey is that we are up against an unbelievable force, the full extent of his power is not known but is definitely something to be reckoned with," Angel paused making sure that his words were sinking in then continued," Its quite possible that we will fail in this mission and that one or more may die..."
"You're giving me the option of getting out," Lindsey said, maintaining eye contact with Jade," Not something I'm going to do."
"I think you should have all the facts first," Angel started again.
"No, I don't need them, they wont change my mind..." Lindsey began, shaking his head firmly.
"He will automatically target the person who he feels is going to take Jade from him and will do everything he can to kill you."
"That was the facts?" Lindsey laughed," Listen, I'm used to being in danger, kinda a habit of mine, this is nothing new."
"He'll prey on your weaknesses Lindsey,"Jade said softly, placing her hand on his arm as she did so," He'll use anything he can against you....we just thought you should know that he can sense what your Achilles heal is."
Lindsey was quiet for a moment as he tried to imagine exactly which of his weaknesses would be used against him, he had so many...his family, Darla, his need to belong and be needed by someone, anyone....he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.
"Tell me the story," he whispered.
"The story?" Angel sounded confused and Lindsey opened his eyes again and stared straight at him.
"Of Angelus and Flora," he intentionally used their old names, not willing to imagine them together as they were now. Angel wasnt who he was then, neither was Jade and Lindsey had fallen so deeply for her, despite his continual self-denial to the fact, that it tore him apart to think of her with anybody but him. The tension was so thick that Lindsey imagined he was actually breathing it into himself but he said no more as he waited for either of them to continue.
"Okay," Angel eventually started," As you know it was 1769......"
****
1769 - New Hampshire, England.
Angelus felt the excitement building in his chest as the carriage bounced over cobbled streets, the sound of the black mare's hooves click clacking through the night. He was eager for action and had mentioned this relentlessly to his companion, his sire, Darla.
"Angelus," she said sweetly, though the underlying tone was hard with warning," Excitement and action will come with time, I have a little surprise in store."
"Surprise?" Angelus probed further. He didnt think he would ever tire of the life they were living together, the power and control they exerted over the weak mortals that littered the world like vermin. Yes that was it...they were the cats and all others were mice for them to tease, taunt, play with and then kill. Oh he would never get enough of the way that felt.
"Wait and see sweetheart," Darla replied," Although if you are hungry then I suggest we stop somewhere before we arrive as we are not going for dinner."
"Driver!" Angelus yelled through the small window through which he could see the man's back and the way he jumped in fear as he heard his passenger's bellow," Pull over here!"
" Aye sir," came the muffled replied and Angelus felt the carriage shudder to a stop then leapt out into the moon bathed night. He looked around at his surroundings and saw a girl walking across the street towards a tavern.
She was dainty and graceful, not one for inhabiting places full of drunken louts and murderers and Angelus was momentarily captivated by her beauty. He pondered stalking her, finding out all there was to know about this strange woman but then dismissed it as he recalled Darla's plans. He didnt have time for a chase, just enough for a delicious kill. He slowly approached her so as not to frighten her in any way.
"Excuse me," he said, his tone soft so as to inspire trust," I was just wondering what a young lady is doing out after dark in such a dangerous neighbourhood."
She turned to him then, her blonde curls folding beautifully around her face, drawing Angelus' attention to her hazel eyes which almost looked amber under the candle lamps. The pain in them startled him and he stepped back slightly, stunned by her reply.
"Looking to die."
Chapter Fifteen
Angelus was momentarily at a loss of how to continue but then a cold smile spread across his face and he took the girl's arm with his hand, his grip tight incase she should decide to struggle at the last minute.
"Perhaps I can help," he said with a cruel laugh and then his face changed, his eyes a fierce yellow under the grotesque furrow's of his vampire brow. His teeth seemed to sparkle in the lamplight as he lunged towards her, not concerned by the way she offered her neck to him, he wasnt about to question her motives, if she wanted to die so badly then he was glad to take the opportunity.
"Angelus!" he heard Darla yell from the carriage door and he turned his face to look at her, angry at the interruption," Step away!"
"What?" he still held the girl by her arm, pinning her to his chest and he heard her moan in dismay, making him wonder whether she was as upset by Darla as he," She wants this and with me being a gentleman I am only carrying out her wishes."
"Gentleman?" Darla cocked her head to one side and then laughed," Flora, would you say he was a gentleman?"
Angelus dropped the girl and she landed on the cobbled streets with a bump, crying out in pain and then covering her face with her hands as she sobbed pitifully.
"Oh for goodness sake, get up and stop snivelling," Darla snapped, approaching the girl and pulling her to her feet," I'm not about to ask what you are doing out without an escort but I think we should take you home."
"No, please no," Flora mumbled and Darla tutted and dragged her towards the carriage.
"Now get in or I will let my boy hurt you," Darla noticed the hope that danced in the girl's eyes and shook her head slowly," No Flora, not kill you, just hurt...he is so good at that, arent you love?"
"I'm hungry," Angelus replied petulantly and Darla sighed loudly before seizing the driver by his neck, twisting it like a birds then threw him at Angelus's feet," I suppose he'll do."
"Yes love, and then you will have to drive. It would be rather unseemly for a lady to do that," Darla said as she pushed Flora into the carriage and then climbed in after her, leaning close to her new companion as she did so and hissing in her ear," He's my boy and I will not allow you to harm him. If I think for one second..."
"You'll do what?" Flora snapped, filled with hate towards the blonde woman who seemed to control everything and everyone around her," Kill me? Do it, please."
"Its rather pathetic to beg to die," Darla said and turned to watch Angelus drain the life from the burlesque coach driver, captivated by the way the blood shimmered as it dripped down his chin," You'll never get the boys that way."
*****
The mansion stood at the top of the hill overlooking the entire village and the windows were lit up with the flickering light from the crystal chandeliers filled with candles. Flora stared up at it with the same fear and foreboding that she always felt when she saw its looming form, the dark recesses invisible to the human eye but all to clear to her, she knew what existed there.
"Beautiful isnt it?" Darla called to Angelus as he steered the horse through the wrought iron gates and up the driveway towards it.
"Why are we here?" Flora heard him ask and she shivered as she imagined the possibilities of their visit. Lavuc loved to form partnerships to serve whatever business he was embarking in at the time but none ever lasted and Flora considered telling that to Darla but knew that she would simply laugh and dismiss her protestations.
"This will be our new home for a while darling," Darla replied and looked at Flora, attempting to gauge her reaction," Lavuc is expecting us, I cant imagine why the lady of the house forgot about our arrival."
Angelus pulled the horse's reins until it stopped at the foot of the steps leading to the heavy mahogany doors. He jumped off his seat, his boots crunching on the gravel and then opened the door and took Darla's hand, helping her down gracefully. Flora tried to push herself back against the seat, dreading the moment she entered the place she was forced to call home but really viewed as a prison.
"My lady," Angelus said, his eyes daring her to resist him and Flora saw the defiance and hunger that lay in that gaze realising that Angelus was not one to be told what to do and wondering if she tempted him long enough that he may decide to taste her anyway. She took his hand and allowed him to lift her out of the carriage and brushed her head against his as he placed her on the ground. She heard his low, almost inaudible, growl and decided in that instant that the monster in gentleman's clothes would be her killer and her saviour.
Chapter Sixteen
Lavuc was sitting in a high backed chair, facing the roaring fire when Flora entered, closely followed by Darla and Angelus. He didnt turn to see who had walked in but Flora noticed that his hands had tightened their grip on the armrests.
"Where have you been?" he asked her, his voice heavy with the anger he felt.
"I went for a walk," Flora replied and nervously took a seat, then picked up her needlework and started to sew, her hands shaking uncontrollably as she threaded the twine through the holes.
"Alone?" she felt his eyes on her but did not raise her head to meet them. She bit her lip and continued to move the needle in and out of the material.
"She was on her way back here when we offered her a lift," Darla said and smiled sweetly as Lavuc raised himself from his chair and turned to look at her," Its been a long time Lavuc."
"You're late," Lauc said testily then stalked past her, indicating with a wave of his hand that she should follow. Angelus straightened himself and started walking after them only to be met with the steely gaze of the warlock," Not you. I will send for you when you are needed."
Angelus was about to protest, despite the way Darla looked at him, her eyes demanding that he tow the line and act respectfully towards the old man, when he realised that he was about to be left alone with the girl. He nodded once, hoping that he had managed to disguise his joy with a frown and watched as the door was pulled closed behind Lavuc and Darla. He turned slowly and watched the trembling girl as she sewed, her eyes focussing obsessively on what she was doing.
"Alone at last," he said and smiled as she raised her head, her beautiful eyes shining under the canopy of eyelashes," Now what shall we do with our time? Talk? Play? Dance?"
"What would you like to do?" Although her voice was quiet it was unwavering, as though she knew what he planned to do and did not fear it.
"I'd like to know why you want to die. Sob stories always do it for me," Angelus mocked her, not really interested in her reasons but feeling that any information he gained could be used to his advantage.
"My life is a farce, I want to die, there is no other reason," she replied. She held is gaze and Angelus felt a strange sense of respect for the woman he planned to kill. She could be fun, he thought, if he decided to grant her immortality by his side.
"Maybe you would like to see the world, instead of being trapped inside this place? Maybe you would like to see and feel the way I do, do the things I love?"
"Maybe," her reply was simple and Angelus took this as acceptance and invitation, leaning forward and grabbing her by her arm, twisting is roughly as he dragged her to her feet. Yes he would turn her, he would sire her, but first he wanted some fun, he wanted to taste her fear.
He pulled her hair so that her neck was exposed to him and ran his teeth across the jugular, feeling the blood pumping within it as her heartbeat increased. His nails were digging into the skin on her arm and he felt the blood trickling underneath his fingertips. Still she did not struggle or even cry out. He moved his hand from her hair and ran it over her face, exploring the contours of her cheek and jaw, feeling the way her eyelashes delicately fluttered over his fingers as he moved them up to smooth the hair from her brow.
"I will never be afraid to die," she whispered," No matter how long you make me wait. Just do it for Godssake."
"God would never want this. You are turning your back on God," he murmured in her ear and at the moment he felt her gasp at the realisation that he was about to damn her, her plunged his teeth into her neck.
He had never tasted blood like hers, so pure and sweet, and he was sure he would be intoxicated by it. He continued to gulp it down, holding her body close to his as she cried out at the pain, knowing that soon enough she would succumb to the darkness, ready to either die or be reborn. God was nothing compared to him, he had more power than God.
"Noooo!" Angelus heard the roar behind him and reluctantly raised his head from the ivory skin he had buried his face into. He saw Lavuc racing towards him and before he could step back he was being thrown through the air, his body slamming into the wall and sliding to the floor.
He looked up at the furious figure looming over him and laughed. Did this old man really think he could hurt someone like him? He continued laughing as Lavuc grabbed the collar of his waistcoat and pulled him to his feet, the emerald gaze meeting Angelus' gold, each bright and intense with emotions. Angelus saw Flora's body on the floor and was suddenly extremely annoyed at the missed chance. He had really wanted to make her his childe and now this imbecile had ruined it and left her to die on the floor.
"You...you..." Lavuc spat and Angelus glared at him.
"Me...me...what? Say what you have to say old man, before I kill you."
"Kill me?" Lavuc suddenly threw his head back and released a loud guffaw of laughter," You are out of your league Vampire. Nothing can defeat me."
"I'm sure I can try," Angelus replied and then gasped as Lavuc grabbed hold of his throat and heat began to sear the skin under the warlock's fingers. He struggled under the grasp, his eyes bulging with rage and fear, and his feet pedalled at the air beneath him.
"She is mine. She will always be mine and nobody, not you or anyone else, will ever take her from me. You pitiful idiot with your grandiose opinion of your power. You are as dispensible and fragile as any human. In fact you are inferior to them for you cannot even feel the sun on your skin, or the warmth of fire, see how you struggle at the sensation of heat on your skin," Lavuc paused and smiled, his thin lips turning upwards into a sneer," And wood...of all things...can reduce you to ashes. Pathetic."
Angelus saw Lavuc reaching for the stake which protruded from within the folds of the black cloack that was draped over his shoulders and he upped his attempts to escape from the fierce grip which held him in the air. He was going to die. The realisation hit him at an amazing speed and he started to close his eyes in resignation when he felt the stone floor beneath him.
He opened his eyes and saw the cloaked form on the floor beside him then felt a hand grab his and pull him out to the carriage as he coughed and choked his way into the night, cursing the warlock and his failed attempts as he did so.
No matter, he decided as Darla stomped and screamed in a fit of jealously, he would get another chance. Of that he was sure. He would have revenge of Lavuc and claim Flora as his reward.
****
"Now you know," Angel said and placed his hands on top of the desk, he avoided looking at Jade, the shared memory of their encounter still unbelievably fresh and the emotions still high from that time over 200 years ago.
"She made a lasting impression then?" Lindsey said, his eyes sad at the thought of the pain and misery Flora must have been subjected to through her life if she wished to die so badly.
"She had no fear of me, I had never met a human who was like that," Angel replied and then corrected himself with a shake of his head, " I mean she had no fear of Angelus."
"Do you still want to die?" Lindsey asked Jade and did not look at her incase the answer lay in her eyes. He wanted her to say that since she had met him her desire for life had been renewed, or that she no longer wanted to die straight away.
"Eventually," she said and Lindsey sighed," Not now, I want to make sure that Lavuc can no longer hurt people and there are many things I would like to see and do that he always prevented me from doing before."
"Like what?" Lindsey said and this time he met her gaze.
"I want to see a musical, not the opera's he would always escort me to, something beautiful and sad and funny...."
"I'll see what I can do," Lindsey smiled and stood up, glancing at Angel as he walked towards the door," Thank-you for telling me."
"You're welcome?" Angel replied and then smiled as both he and Lindsey realised how awkward they had felt being polite," Now get the hell out of my office."
Chapter Seventeen.
Darla sat and stared out of the window, the folds of darkness covering the interior of the motel she had booked into a few months ago. She hated it there, she despised the smell of damp that clung to her nostrils and the feeling of being trapped and defeated that grew with each passing day.
The desire for revenge was eating her from the inside out and her eyes searched the horizon of the city as though she could see the Hyperion from where she stood. Oh she would bring him down, if it meant she had to kill the only thing she had ever wanted then she would do it.
She turned as she heard a sharp tap at her door and then walked slowly towards it. Never before had she been afraid but since she had been unfortunate enough to deal with Wolfram and Hart she wasnt as sure of her power as before.
She pulled open the door and stepped back, the expression on her face unchanging, then whirled around and returned to her position by the window, leaving the door open for her guest to enter.
"Mmm the smell of despair," Drusilla said in a sing song voice as she stepped into her Grand-sire's quarters," It clings to my nose like the aroma of roses."
"It smells nothing like roses," Darla snapped then turned her head to look at the frail but deadly vampire who was twirling around the room," Where the hell have you been?"
"On vacation," Drusilla replied, stopping her dance and pouting at a memory she was not sharing," I travelled some and tasted the local cuisine."
"And Spike?" Darla asked. Her plan had been to gather the family together again, she would bring back Angelus and Dru was supposed to have found Spike.
"He's gone,"Dru huffily dropped onto the bed and stared up at Darla pitifully," He smelled of her so long ago and then he became her lap dog. It filled my body with disgust to see him like that."
"Who's lap dog?" Darla was quickly becoming tired with Dru's ramblings and riddles and was beginning to wish that she had never come back.
"The slayer's," Dru hissed and Darla's eyes widened with surprise and hate. That little blonde cheerleader had sunk her claws into yet another of her family? Drusilla stood and whirled around again.
"His heart hurts now," she laughed," So full of pain and misery that it screams into the night. She is gone, she sleeps with the worms. They crawl over her, eat her skin."
"Buffy?" Darla felt the name heavy on her tongue.
"Gone gone gone," Drusilla sang and Darla laughed. Her boy must be hurting now too, he would be weak and easy to take out. He would regret ever making her feel the way he had, he would regret making her feel like a whore again.
****
Lindsey smiled as Jade walked down the stairs, dressed in one of the gowns Cordelia had been saving for "a premier or something". The gold of the dress caught the lights and accentuated the sparkle in her eyes, causing Lindsey's breath to catch in his throat.
"Do you think its too much?" Jade asked, looking down at her clothes self-consciously.
"God no, you look amazing," Lindsey replied and then noticed that the room was quiet. He turned to see that all eyes were resting on Jade and Gunn and Wesley shifted shamefully as Lindsey glared at them.
"Wow!" Cordelia exclaimed as she emerged from the office," You look so good in that!"
She hurried to Jade's side and turned her round so that she could see how the dress fitted and then stepped back and smiled. Lindsey watched as she rushed to a desk drawer and retrieved a silk pashmina and draped it over Jade's arms.
"Perfect," she said," Now all we need is for Lindsey to wear a suit..."
"I don't know," Lindsey began to protest, he hadnt worn a suit since he quit his job and he hated the memory of his employment. He cast his eyes down at his shirt and trousers and grudgingly admitted to himself that Cordelia had a point, he didnt look worthy to escort such a beautiful woman anywhere.
"You don't know?" Cordelia scoffed," You know you look good suited up so save the modesty for someone who doesnt know you. Now you have a few hours to go out and buy something to wear," Lindsey nodded and sighed as Cordelia began shooing him towards the door," Go on then! Get!"
Lindsey stepped out into the courtyard and looked up at the dark sky. He hated when night came so quickly, so early, leaving the city to the mercy of the creatures that thrived in darkness for so much longer than normal. He pulled his coat tighter around him and started to walk towards his truck.
"Lindsey, what a surprise," he heard the sweet voice say from behind him and turned quickly to look at her," We must take this opportunity to catch up."
"Darla," he whispered as he felt a hand cover his mouth and drag him into the shadows. He had known this day would come but had expected to feel differently when it did, now all he was feeling was panic and rage. How dare she, how dare she, how dare she?