Letting the Bad in with the Good
Part 3
Wesley had searched almost every book he had in his library. He could find nothing more than what Lorne had told them. Angel called four times, saying he had picked up a tip and asked if Wesley was OK there. The Hyperion was deserted. No one came in and Wesley assured Angel he didn't have to check in.
He stumbled upon what the force does, but he already knew that thanks to Lorne. Wesley cursed himself every time one of his books turned up no answer. He had seen signs of this coming months ago, he should have kept looking. Every now and again, he gave himself a break. A lot has happened that made him throw his notes aside: Angel's child, promoting Angel Investigations, and Fred.
Wesley was skimming a book that was written in Latin when he came across words he recognized: "End of humanity." The rest he couldn't make out very well. He took out another text and began to translate. He hadn't even noticed that someone came in and walked right up to the front desk.
"Hello, Wesley." A female's voice said. Wesley didn't even have to look up to know who it was. "Angel is not here right now, Lilah." Wesley answered without even looking up. After a minute, he did look at her. She wasn't dressed in her normal lawyer attire, rather a skimpy little black dress with her hair swept up into a tight knot.
"Do you know where he went?" Lilah asked seductively as she leaned on to the front desk. Wesley swallowed hard. "Not really." He choked out. "OK, when's he coming back?" Wesley shook his head and looked away from her. Why was she here? Surely Wolfram & Hart had heard of this force by now. Was she trying to team up with Angel?
"Haven't you noticed that there is something big going on here, Lilah?" Wesley said as he leaned closer to her. She smiled wildly. For a flash, Wesley thought a look of complete pain came over her face, but when he blinked she was still smiling. Lilah reached her hand across the desk and rested it on Wesley's face. "Can't you give me anything to go on? I need to see Angel. I have to find him."
There was something about the way she stressed the word need. Wesley reached up and grabbed her hand, trying to break any physical contact between them. He felt that something wasn't right here. "I'm very sorry, Lilah, now if you'll excuse me." Wesley said as he went to let go of her hand. She tightened her grip. Wesley looked at her face. It was like the flash he saw before, but this time it wasn't going away.
Her grip kept getting tighter and tighter. "It doesn't matter anymore." Lilah said as her face emanated a bright, white light. Wesley squinted and watched the light travel through her body. It reached her arm and headed toward the hand that was holding Wesley. He gasped and tried to break free, but it was too late. The light traveled into him. The pain was unbearable, and Wesley gave up and slumped down into his chair as Lilah let go and collapsed on the floor.
***
The phone in the silent Hyperion began to ring. Lilah wasn't going to get it. She lay on the ground, drained of all her energy. Wesley opened his eyes suddenly and rubbed his temples. As he pushed himself up, he winced a little. He walked over to the phone and picked it up. "Angel Investigations." Wesley answered.
"Wesley, Angel. How are things?" Angel asked frantically into the phone. "Quiet, nothing's happened." Wesley said with a brief look over to the desk. He smiled as Angel said, "Look, I got word that this has hit Wolfram & Hart, if anyone shows up...Well, just get the hell away from them. OK?"
"Will do." Wesley answered in a singsong voice. He hung the phone up, went over to Lilah's body, and dragged her behind the front desk. He managed to shove her into one of his office closets. After that was done, Wesley walked over to the phone with a wild grin, like Lilah's, on his face. He dialed a number and smiled as he waited for someone to pick up.
"Cordelia!" he exclaimed.
***
"Now? But Angel said-" Cordelia looked over at Fred with wide eyes. "OK Wesley. Look we can't bring Connor so I'll come and Fred will-" Fred looked up from Connor at Cordelia at the mention of her name. Cordelia's expression on the phone was a puzzled one. "OK, yeah. Bye."
"What's going on?" Fred asked. Cordelia shrugged. "I have no idea," Cordelia said as she took Connor. "All I know is that you have to go. Wesley was really insistent about that." Fred grabbed her coat and slipped it on. "OK then. I'll come back as soon as I can," Fred said as she grabbed Connor's hand. "Are you OK?" Cordelia smiled. "Yeah, but if you can help...go."
Fred walked up to Cordelia and threw an arm around her. While being careful not to crush Connor, Fred hugged Cordelia. "Be careful." Cordelia whispered as Fred pulled away. Fred smiled and left Cordelia's apartment. She stood and watched the door for a while. For some reason, this wasn't rubbing Cordelia the right way. She finally looked away when Connor began tugging her shirt.
***
Fred walked up to the front door and opened it slowly. Peeking inside, she noticed that all the lights were off. The only light there in the Hyperion was the remaining light from the day coming in through the windows. It almost looked creepy to Fred. "Wesley?" she called out. When no one answered, she became even more afraid than she was before.
She took a couple of steps down and walked over to the desk. Looking over it for any sign of anyone. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her shoulder. Fred let out a piercing scream. "Calm down Fred, it's Wesley." He said as she turned around. Fred was so overcome with relief she threw her arms around him. "Oh, Wesley. I thought something happened to you when I saw the hotel like this." Wesley smiled as he rubbed her back.
"I'm right here." he assured her. Fred felt so much right for Wesley right now. It was a little scary, so she pulled away, but not completely away. "Fred." Wesley whispered. She saw it in his eyes, all of his emotions. Everything he felt for her, she saw it. She soon felt it too as Wesley brushed his lips against her's. Her mind was screaming at her to stop, pull away, but Fred couldn't do that now.
Wesley had deepened the kiss and Fred focused on feeling his tongue explore her mouth. Fred ran her fingers through his hair as his hands traveled up and down her back. Being in his embrace felt amazing, but not as good as it felt with Gunn. As Wesley continued to kiss her, Fred found that she was thinking only of Gunn. Wesley's hand had traveled up to her shoulder. He managed to get his hand under her shirt.
Time to put on the brakes, Fred thought. She backed away, but Wesley just grabbed her and pulled her back. She moaned into his mouth, trying to scream for help, but he wasn't letting go. Fred was getting really scared when suddenly he was pulled off of her. Fred opened her eyes and noticed the room was slightly illuminated, but the light soon faded and Gunn was now standing in front of her.
She looked past him and noticed Wesley sprawled on the ground. "Oh, Charles. I don't know what...what happened." Gunn nodded and pulled her to him. How was he so understanding? Then, she didn't feel right. Pain was spreading across her and she couldn't take it anymore. "Charles." She whispered before collapsing in his arms.
Part 3
Wesley had searched almost every book he had in his library. He could find nothing more than what Lorne had told them. Angel called four times, saying he had picked up a tip and asked if Wesley was OK there. The Hyperion was deserted. No one came in and Wesley assured Angel he didn't have to check in.
He stumbled upon what the force does, but he already knew that thanks to Lorne. Wesley cursed himself every time one of his books turned up no answer. He had seen signs of this coming months ago, he should have kept looking. Every now and again, he gave himself a break. A lot has happened that made him throw his notes aside: Angel's child, promoting Angel Investigations, and Fred.
Wesley was skimming a book that was written in Latin when he came across words he recognized: "End of humanity." The rest he couldn't make out very well. He took out another text and began to translate. He hadn't even noticed that someone came in and walked right up to the front desk.
"Hello, Wesley." A female's voice said. Wesley didn't even have to look up to know who it was. "Angel is not here right now, Lilah." Wesley answered without even looking up. After a minute, he did look at her. She wasn't dressed in her normal lawyer attire, rather a skimpy little black dress with her hair swept up into a tight knot.
"Do you know where he went?" Lilah asked seductively as she leaned on to the front desk. Wesley swallowed hard. "Not really." He choked out. "OK, when's he coming back?" Wesley shook his head and looked away from her. Why was she here? Surely Wolfram & Hart had heard of this force by now. Was she trying to team up with Angel?
"Haven't you noticed that there is something big going on here, Lilah?" Wesley said as he leaned closer to her. She smiled wildly. For a flash, Wesley thought a look of complete pain came over her face, but when he blinked she was still smiling. Lilah reached her hand across the desk and rested it on Wesley's face. "Can't you give me anything to go on? I need to see Angel. I have to find him."
There was something about the way she stressed the word need. Wesley reached up and grabbed her hand, trying to break any physical contact between them. He felt that something wasn't right here. "I'm very sorry, Lilah, now if you'll excuse me." Wesley said as he went to let go of her hand. She tightened her grip. Wesley looked at her face. It was like the flash he saw before, but this time it wasn't going away.
Her grip kept getting tighter and tighter. "It doesn't matter anymore." Lilah said as her face emanated a bright, white light. Wesley squinted and watched the light travel through her body. It reached her arm and headed toward the hand that was holding Wesley. He gasped and tried to break free, but it was too late. The light traveled into him. The pain was unbearable, and Wesley gave up and slumped down into his chair as Lilah let go and collapsed on the floor.
***
The phone in the silent Hyperion began to ring. Lilah wasn't going to get it. She lay on the ground, drained of all her energy. Wesley opened his eyes suddenly and rubbed his temples. As he pushed himself up, he winced a little. He walked over to the phone and picked it up. "Angel Investigations." Wesley answered.
"Wesley, Angel. How are things?" Angel asked frantically into the phone. "Quiet, nothing's happened." Wesley said with a brief look over to the desk. He smiled as Angel said, "Look, I got word that this has hit Wolfram & Hart, if anyone shows up...Well, just get the hell away from them. OK?"
"Will do." Wesley answered in a singsong voice. He hung the phone up, went over to Lilah's body, and dragged her behind the front desk. He managed to shove her into one of his office closets. After that was done, Wesley walked over to the phone with a wild grin, like Lilah's, on his face. He dialed a number and smiled as he waited for someone to pick up.
"Cordelia!" he exclaimed.
***
"Now? But Angel said-" Cordelia looked over at Fred with wide eyes. "OK Wesley. Look we can't bring Connor so I'll come and Fred will-" Fred looked up from Connor at Cordelia at the mention of her name. Cordelia's expression on the phone was a puzzled one. "OK, yeah. Bye."
"What's going on?" Fred asked. Cordelia shrugged. "I have no idea," Cordelia said as she took Connor. "All I know is that you have to go. Wesley was really insistent about that." Fred grabbed her coat and slipped it on. "OK then. I'll come back as soon as I can," Fred said as she grabbed Connor's hand. "Are you OK?" Cordelia smiled. "Yeah, but if you can help...go."
Fred walked up to Cordelia and threw an arm around her. While being careful not to crush Connor, Fred hugged Cordelia. "Be careful." Cordelia whispered as Fred pulled away. Fred smiled and left Cordelia's apartment. She stood and watched the door for a while. For some reason, this wasn't rubbing Cordelia the right way. She finally looked away when Connor began tugging her shirt.
***
Fred walked up to the front door and opened it slowly. Peeking inside, she noticed that all the lights were off. The only light there in the Hyperion was the remaining light from the day coming in through the windows. It almost looked creepy to Fred. "Wesley?" she called out. When no one answered, she became even more afraid than she was before.
She took a couple of steps down and walked over to the desk. Looking over it for any sign of anyone. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her shoulder. Fred let out a piercing scream. "Calm down Fred, it's Wesley." He said as she turned around. Fred was so overcome with relief she threw her arms around him. "Oh, Wesley. I thought something happened to you when I saw the hotel like this." Wesley smiled as he rubbed her back.
"I'm right here." he assured her. Fred felt so much right for Wesley right now. It was a little scary, so she pulled away, but not completely away. "Fred." Wesley whispered. She saw it in his eyes, all of his emotions. Everything he felt for her, she saw it. She soon felt it too as Wesley brushed his lips against her's. Her mind was screaming at her to stop, pull away, but Fred couldn't do that now.
Wesley had deepened the kiss and Fred focused on feeling his tongue explore her mouth. Fred ran her fingers through his hair as his hands traveled up and down her back. Being in his embrace felt amazing, but not as good as it felt with Gunn. As Wesley continued to kiss her, Fred found that she was thinking only of Gunn. Wesley's hand had traveled up to her shoulder. He managed to get his hand under her shirt.
Time to put on the brakes, Fred thought. She backed away, but Wesley just grabbed her and pulled her back. She moaned into his mouth, trying to scream for help, but he wasn't letting go. Fred was getting really scared when suddenly he was pulled off of her. Fred opened her eyes and noticed the room was slightly illuminated, but the light soon faded and Gunn was now standing in front of her.
She looked past him and noticed Wesley sprawled on the ground. "Oh, Charles. I don't know what...what happened." Gunn nodded and pulled her to him. How was he so understanding? Then, she didn't feel right. Pain was spreading across her and she couldn't take it anymore. "Charles." She whispered before collapsing in his arms.