Chapter 2
"Look at that Christmas bonus. You're getting a big surprise in your stocking this year Angel." Cordelia stuck her paycheck in Angel's face. He ducked back at her scowl. "And it's coal."
"We didn't have the money. You don't have to give me a present. I'm sorry."
"Fine for you to say. You don't have to pay for food and heating." She rubbed her arms to remind herself of the chill leaking in through the doors of the hotel.
"He heats my room." Fred said in Angel's defense. Angel smiled at her vaguely. He had been fending off her attempts at a romantic relationship since he found out Buffy had returned, and then visited him.
"Give to the poor?" Cordelia held out her knit hat to Angel and the entering Wesley and Gunn.
"I have my own bills." Gunn said passing her by to flop down on the round couch.
"What did you find?" Angel asked anxiously. Gunn shrugged.
"The call was fake. There was no bogeyman in the basement." Wesley explained, slightly embarrassed.
"Did they at least pay you for your time?"
"This is the time of giving Cordelia."
"A big fat no. I get it. But they should give to the poor. And that's me." The door opened and a gust of wind whipped through the lobby. They looked up to see a blond man in his late 40's. His face was creased with worry.
"Are you Angel?"
"I'm Angel." Angel said. He looked the man over. He seemed familiar but angel couldn't place him. The man didn't smell demonic so Angel assumed he had seen him around or something.
"This is the place to go for help for the abnormal. Is it not?"
"No crime or case is to weird for us. How can we help?" Cordelia put on her client face and sauntered to the stairs. The man edged inside further to get away from the cold. He looked around nervously.
"What's the case?" Angel prodded.
"You won't think I'm strange will you?"
"Probably not."
"Things exist that people don't know don't they?"
"Yes. I would say you're correct." Angel didn't want to lay his cards on the table, even to comfort this man. "Is there something after you?"
"No." The man said, his eyes shifting around the lobby. "Can people become strange things?"
"Yes. It's rather common." Wesley spoke up. He and Angel exchanged looks.
"Want me to bring up the database?" Cordelia headed to her computer and started it up.
"You can tell us Mr."
"It's Hank." The name echoed in Angel's head but he somehow couldn't place it even though he knew he ought to. Angel motioned for the man to come away from the door and he pried himself away enough to sit on the couch. "I've been waking up late at night, and I've felt different. Even looked different. It's like I'm sleepwalking. But when I wake up in the morning I feel the same as usual. What do you think?"
"Do you have anything else to offer? Any specific changes?"
"Well I feel the need to eat strange things. Meat. I always feel taller and I can smell things. There's also a sense I have."
"Of what?"
"Of thing's I can't possibly know or control. I could tell that a certain car was coming down the street before it came. I just knew."
"I think I have something." Angel walked over to Cordelia. She pointed to the screen. He leaned down over her shoulder, it was an unconscious action that elicited a small sound from Fred. Angel couldn't help it. Him and Cordelia were, well they were who they were together and she held a small bit of comfort for him, a memory of happier times with Buffy.
"What is that?"
"A Zoolog demon. It's kind of like Doyle. It's hereditary but it doesn't show up until a person is older. It can be released earlier in life from certain triggers." Cordelia said in a hushed tone. She didn't want the man to overhear before they knew exactly what to say. "Not a bad looking demon as far as they go."
"Is it dangerous?"
"To humans? Not really. It's a pretty peaceful breed. They assimilated into our culture." She pressed a few more buttons. "Their powers include heightened intuition and ability for certain magics along with a keen sense of smell and powerful retractable claws."
"How does it work? Does he become the demon fully or does he change at will?" Angel looked up at the man sitting innocently on the couch. He felt for him. But he was more innocent than Liam had ever been. Liam wanted it. Wesley and Gunn were keeping the man occupied.
"It's more of a nighttime gig. Although if he tries hard he might be able to get it under control."
"Thanks Cordelia."
"Now how about that Christmas bonus?"
"We'll see."
"Look at that Christmas bonus. You're getting a big surprise in your stocking this year Angel." Cordelia stuck her paycheck in Angel's face. He ducked back at her scowl. "And it's coal."
"We didn't have the money. You don't have to give me a present. I'm sorry."
"Fine for you to say. You don't have to pay for food and heating." She rubbed her arms to remind herself of the chill leaking in through the doors of the hotel.
"He heats my room." Fred said in Angel's defense. Angel smiled at her vaguely. He had been fending off her attempts at a romantic relationship since he found out Buffy had returned, and then visited him.
"Give to the poor?" Cordelia held out her knit hat to Angel and the entering Wesley and Gunn.
"I have my own bills." Gunn said passing her by to flop down on the round couch.
"What did you find?" Angel asked anxiously. Gunn shrugged.
"The call was fake. There was no bogeyman in the basement." Wesley explained, slightly embarrassed.
"Did they at least pay you for your time?"
"This is the time of giving Cordelia."
"A big fat no. I get it. But they should give to the poor. And that's me." The door opened and a gust of wind whipped through the lobby. They looked up to see a blond man in his late 40's. His face was creased with worry.
"Are you Angel?"
"I'm Angel." Angel said. He looked the man over. He seemed familiar but angel couldn't place him. The man didn't smell demonic so Angel assumed he had seen him around or something.
"This is the place to go for help for the abnormal. Is it not?"
"No crime or case is to weird for us. How can we help?" Cordelia put on her client face and sauntered to the stairs. The man edged inside further to get away from the cold. He looked around nervously.
"What's the case?" Angel prodded.
"You won't think I'm strange will you?"
"Probably not."
"Things exist that people don't know don't they?"
"Yes. I would say you're correct." Angel didn't want to lay his cards on the table, even to comfort this man. "Is there something after you?"
"No." The man said, his eyes shifting around the lobby. "Can people become strange things?"
"Yes. It's rather common." Wesley spoke up. He and Angel exchanged looks.
"Want me to bring up the database?" Cordelia headed to her computer and started it up.
"You can tell us Mr."
"It's Hank." The name echoed in Angel's head but he somehow couldn't place it even though he knew he ought to. Angel motioned for the man to come away from the door and he pried himself away enough to sit on the couch. "I've been waking up late at night, and I've felt different. Even looked different. It's like I'm sleepwalking. But when I wake up in the morning I feel the same as usual. What do you think?"
"Do you have anything else to offer? Any specific changes?"
"Well I feel the need to eat strange things. Meat. I always feel taller and I can smell things. There's also a sense I have."
"Of what?"
"Of thing's I can't possibly know or control. I could tell that a certain car was coming down the street before it came. I just knew."
"I think I have something." Angel walked over to Cordelia. She pointed to the screen. He leaned down over her shoulder, it was an unconscious action that elicited a small sound from Fred. Angel couldn't help it. Him and Cordelia were, well they were who they were together and she held a small bit of comfort for him, a memory of happier times with Buffy.
"What is that?"
"A Zoolog demon. It's kind of like Doyle. It's hereditary but it doesn't show up until a person is older. It can be released earlier in life from certain triggers." Cordelia said in a hushed tone. She didn't want the man to overhear before they knew exactly what to say. "Not a bad looking demon as far as they go."
"Is it dangerous?"
"To humans? Not really. It's a pretty peaceful breed. They assimilated into our culture." She pressed a few more buttons. "Their powers include heightened intuition and ability for certain magics along with a keen sense of smell and powerful retractable claws."
"How does it work? Does he become the demon fully or does he change at will?" Angel looked up at the man sitting innocently on the couch. He felt for him. But he was more innocent than Liam had ever been. Liam wanted it. Wesley and Gunn were keeping the man occupied.
"It's more of a nighttime gig. Although if he tries hard he might be able to get it under control."
"Thanks Cordelia."
"Now how about that Christmas bonus?"
"We'll see."
