Review Responses:
Jeanny: Thanks for the compliments! I'm glad the relationships seem natural - I'm trying to keep everyone fairly in character, and it's really good to know that it's working so far. =)
PART EIGHT
Lilah sighed as she reclined against the seat of the car she and Kiren had rented to drive to Sunnydale. Although she had only been in Sunnydale for less than half-an-hour, she already couldn't wait to get the job done and get out. She hated the feeling of being back in a small town, and already her mind had begun to play memories long repressed...
Her mental drifting was interrupted as the shrill ring of her cellular phone cut into the silence. Quickly checking the number, Lilah noted the call was from Gavin, who had opted to stay behind to monitor developments in Los Angeles. Before she left, the two of them had contacted the people Wolfram & Hart had employed to handle cases involving high magicks, and had ordered them to have their psychics perform a trace on Sunnydale to locate the most powerful witch in the vicinity.
"Is the trace complete?" Lilah questioned immediately after answering her phone.
"Of course," Gavin replied smoothly. "We have the name, address, and a bit of information on our young witch. You ready?"
Lilah pulled out her pen and notepad as she asked, "And you're sure this is the strongest one in Sunnydale?"
"Positive. I have to admit I was a bit surprised, though. In a place like Sunnydale, I expected there to be more talent, but the psychics could only come up with a handful of people who had any real power. This one has the most."
"So she could very well be our girl."
"Yes, it's highly likely that she is," Gavin agreed.
After ending her call with Gavin, Lilah took a few minutes to review the information she had recorded, beginning with the witch's name.
Tara Maclay.
***
"Angel? May I have a word with you?" Wesley asked as he poked his head into his office and noticed Angel seated in the chair behind his desk.
"Of course," Angel smiled as he stood up, "it is your office after all."
"Yes, well, it's just, I wasn't sure if you needed a moment to yourself..." Wesley replied as he stepped fully inside the room. He had noted that Angel chose to remain in the office, even after Cordelia, Willow, and Fred had left the hotel for a 'girl's night' at Cordelia's place.
"It's alright," Angel reassured him again. "I was just doing some thinking." After Willow had left, Angel had mentally replayed their conversation. Although he hated to admit that Willow's theories made sense, he did not--could not--believe that she was connected to this mess.
"I see," Wesley's voice brought Angel out of this thoughts.
"I assume you wanted to talk?" Angel asked, re-focusing his mind.
"Yes, I did. But you're welcome so sit back down," Wesley indicated the chair Angel had just vacated.
"You sit. It's your desk. I'll just sit here," Angel motioned as he sat down in one of the chairs in front of Wesley's desk.
Wesley cleared his throat as he took his seat across from Angel, not quite sure how to begin the conversation he was itching to have with the vampire.
"You want to talk about Willow?" Angel began, noticing the ex-Watcher's discomfort.
"Yes," Wesley nodded, quickly lapsing into silence once again. Where did he begin? After reading the translations Willow had made, it became clear to Wesley *why* Willow had reacted--this Warrior was apparently associated with Sunnydale, and it could very well be that Willow knew who the person was--but it still didn't explain the *way* she reacted. Did she know something more? Or was it something else entirely? Did she discuss any of it with Angel? And was it even his place to ask? It was true that he had never gotten the chance to know Willow all that well, and that merely added to his uneasiness in dealing with issues that so intimately concerned the young woman.
"And you want to know what we talked about?" Angel continued, not finding it at all difficult to read what was on Wesley's mind.
"Is it that obvious?"
"It's not like there's much else going on," Angel shrugged.
"No, I suppose not. Is she alright?"
"She will be. I think this night at Cordy's will be good for her."
"That's good," Wesley smiled. After a pause, he decided to just jump right into the issue, "I'm sure you know that Willow may have a link to the Warrior mentioned in the scrolls."
Angel's eyes suddenly snapped to his, unsure of exactly how much Wesley knew. "You read the translation?" he asked, realizing that must have been Wesley's clue.
"Of course," Wesley explained, "and it mentioned the Hellmouth. So, what I'm wondering is whether or not Willow knows this person."
Angel opened his mouth to respond, then quickly shut it again after deciding that he couldn't really say anything. As much as he felt Wesley deserved to know the full truth as to what was going on with Willow in Sunnydale, he also understood that it was ultimately up to Willow to tell the others when she was ready. If Angel took it upon himself to explain to Wesley what he knew, he was fairly certain that Wesley would jump to the same conclusions that Willow had--a conclusion that Angel refused to accept.
Noticing his friend's pointed silence, Wesley sighed. "Look, Angel, I know that Willow's been dealing in fairly strong magicks these past few months. That, and the way she reacted just now...it's obvious that she knows something, and it's obvious she confided in you. You know that this is an extremely important matter -- we have no idea how much Wolfram and Hart already know about the subject, or even what they're planning this very moment."
"You're partially right," Angel finally relented a little, realizing that his friend had a point, "but there's more to it than that. And it involves some things that Willow really needs to tell you herself."
"And will she?" Wesley questioned. "It's obviously a very touchy subject, and it isn't as though I know her as well as you or even Cordelia."
"She will. When she's ready."
"And when will that be?" Wesley couldn't keep the slight trace of irritation out of his voice. What was so bad that Angel felt that he couldn't trust him with the knowledge? Why had they spent the last day chasing frantically after the meaning in the scrolls, if Angel was just going to sit back and tell him to wait for Willow to explain whatever was bothering her?
"I'm sorry, Wesley, I know this is frustrating for you--"
"We have to find this Warrior before Wolfram and Hart do."
"I know," Angel nodded. "Which is why, in the meantime, I think we should go through more of the scrolls, find out everything we can about this person."
Knowing that he wasn't going to get anything more out of Angel, Wesley merely exhaled and shrugged his agreement. "All right. I suppose it's all we can do at the moment."
"Thank you, Wes," Angel smiled at the man. He had done enough brooding for one night. Now was the time to begin searching for answers--answers he prayed would lead him far away from Willow.
***
"Can I help you?" Tara asked, warily eyeing the couple that was standing on her doorstep. She really wasn't in the mood for visitors. After Willow had left for Los Angeles, Tara found herself slowly slipping into a state of depression. Tara knew that when Willow had told of her plans to go, she had encouraged it, believing that the distance would do them some good, but the separation had been harder than she could have ever imagined. It was a good thing that Dawn, and occasionally Buffy, had a made a point to stop by frequently to spend some time with her. She really enjoyed the company, and at the moment it was the only thing keeping her from constantly dwelling on Willow's absence. In fact, she was expecting Dawn to stop by any minute.
"Hi, my name is Lilah Morgan," the brunette extended her hand to Tara, offering her an overly eager smile. Tara shook her hand a bit hesitantly, feeling that something wasn't quite right with the woman, and especially with the grim-featured man standing next to her.
"This may or may not sound very strange to you," Lilah continued, "but I work with a group of people who deal with... supernatural events, I suppose you could say."
Tara lifted an eyebrow, not quite sure where this was headed, but it wasn't everyday that someone showed up on her doorstep wanting to talk about the less-publicized aspects of life in Sunnydale.
"And?" she asked, trying her best to keep her tone friendly.
"Well, you see...could we come in?" Lilah suddenly asked. Sensing the girl's reluctance, she quickly added, "This really isn't something I'd prefer to discuss out here where anybody could happen to overhear us."
"I really don't think that's a good idea," Tara shook her head, not really sure why her mind was screaming at her in warning, "I just recently moved in and the place is a mess, so--"
"We don't mind," Lilah cut her off, "it's just that, well, we really need your help." During her conversation with Gavin, Lilah had learned that the girl had been involved with the Slayer, meaning that asking for her help would probably be the easiest way to get into her good graces. Considering that she had expected the witch to be partial to dark magicks, the knowledge that she was yet another do-gooder had confused Lilah. But she needed answers, and conversing with this girl was probably the only way to get them.
"My help?" Tara asked.
"I'd really rather not talk about this out here," Lilah once again pleaded, feigning earnestness.
Tara sighed as she stepped back and opened the door a bit wider. If these people really did need help, the she was obligated to do what she could, but a part of her wondered why they had come to *her* of all people.
"Thank you," Lilah smiled at the girl as she entered, casting a swift glance about the room. Her gaze fell on a picture, placed on a small writing desk next to the door, of the witch joyfully embracing another redheaded female. Lilah grinned slightly at the obvious meaning behind the photograph, but chose not to comment.
"Please, sit down," Tara offered as she motioned towards the couch.
After taking a seat, Lilah spoke, "I'm sure you'd prefer if I just got right down to business."
"It would help to know why you're here, yes," Tara responded.
"Okay. I wanted to talk to you about a certain group of demons that have been on a bit of a rampage recently. I've done some research on them, and it turns out that the only way to...subdue them is through the use of a fairly powerful spell."
Tara's face lit up in understanding, "And you need a witch."
"Exactly. We heard that there was a pretty powerful witch here in Sunnydale, so--"
"I'm sorry," Tara automatically cut the woman off, believing that she was there to talk to her about Willow, "but she isn't in town right now."
Lilah's curiosity was automatically peaked upon hearing her statement. She? Could it be that this was in fact the wrong girl, and that there was another, more powerful, witch in Sunnydale? Not one to miss a beat, though, she continued fluidly, "I'm sorry to hear that. Do you know where I could get in touch with her?"
Unable to explain her growing sense of unease, Tara replied, "No, I'm sorry."
"I see," Lilah purposely let her disappointment show. "Well, do you think it's possible for--" she was cut off by the ring of her cellular phone. "Ah, excuse me for a minute." She stood up and walked towards the door, answering the phone in hushed tones.
"Lilah, it's Gavin," her caller replied swiftly.
"What is it now?" she snapped at him.
"We have a small problem. The girl you're with isn't the one we're looking for."
"And how do you figure that?"
"Because, it turns out that the witch we're looking for happens to be shacked up with Angel at the moment."
"Please tell me you're joking," Lilah groaned at the news.
"Deadly serious. I've been watching our resident vampire, and he recently had quite an interesting conversation with a young redhead about her connection to the scrolls."
"Really?" Lilah's eyes traveled back to the photograph on the desk. "Could you give me a description?"
"Of the girl?" Gavin asked.
"Yes."
"Well, it's not like I have a detailed description, but I'd say shoulder-length red hair, average height, slender, green eyes--"
"That's perfect," Lilah smiled into the phone.
"Perfect? Have you forgotten that she's with Angel? Meaning that she's entirely inaccessible?"
"Not entirely," Lilah exchanged a meaningful glance with Kiren, who had remained stationed next to the door, and who interpreted the look with a knowing nod. "In fact, I think we've just stumbled upon the perfect opportunity."
"What are you talking about?" Gavin asked suspiciously.
"You'll find out when we get back," Lilah replied smugly, quickly ending the call. She was suddenly very glad that she had the forethought to bring Kiren along.
***
"Oh, god," Dawn breathed as she entered Tara's apartment, taking in the sight before her. It was obvious there had been a struggle, and Tara was nowhere in sight. "Buffy," she murmured, trying to keep herself from panicking, "I have to get Buffy." And with that, she took off towards home.
END PART EIGHT
Jeanny: Thanks for the compliments! I'm glad the relationships seem natural - I'm trying to keep everyone fairly in character, and it's really good to know that it's working so far. =)
PART EIGHT
Lilah sighed as she reclined against the seat of the car she and Kiren had rented to drive to Sunnydale. Although she had only been in Sunnydale for less than half-an-hour, she already couldn't wait to get the job done and get out. She hated the feeling of being back in a small town, and already her mind had begun to play memories long repressed...
Her mental drifting was interrupted as the shrill ring of her cellular phone cut into the silence. Quickly checking the number, Lilah noted the call was from Gavin, who had opted to stay behind to monitor developments in Los Angeles. Before she left, the two of them had contacted the people Wolfram & Hart had employed to handle cases involving high magicks, and had ordered them to have their psychics perform a trace on Sunnydale to locate the most powerful witch in the vicinity.
"Is the trace complete?" Lilah questioned immediately after answering her phone.
"Of course," Gavin replied smoothly. "We have the name, address, and a bit of information on our young witch. You ready?"
Lilah pulled out her pen and notepad as she asked, "And you're sure this is the strongest one in Sunnydale?"
"Positive. I have to admit I was a bit surprised, though. In a place like Sunnydale, I expected there to be more talent, but the psychics could only come up with a handful of people who had any real power. This one has the most."
"So she could very well be our girl."
"Yes, it's highly likely that she is," Gavin agreed.
After ending her call with Gavin, Lilah took a few minutes to review the information she had recorded, beginning with the witch's name.
Tara Maclay.
***
"Angel? May I have a word with you?" Wesley asked as he poked his head into his office and noticed Angel seated in the chair behind his desk.
"Of course," Angel smiled as he stood up, "it is your office after all."
"Yes, well, it's just, I wasn't sure if you needed a moment to yourself..." Wesley replied as he stepped fully inside the room. He had noted that Angel chose to remain in the office, even after Cordelia, Willow, and Fred had left the hotel for a 'girl's night' at Cordelia's place.
"It's alright," Angel reassured him again. "I was just doing some thinking." After Willow had left, Angel had mentally replayed their conversation. Although he hated to admit that Willow's theories made sense, he did not--could not--believe that she was connected to this mess.
"I see," Wesley's voice brought Angel out of this thoughts.
"I assume you wanted to talk?" Angel asked, re-focusing his mind.
"Yes, I did. But you're welcome so sit back down," Wesley indicated the chair Angel had just vacated.
"You sit. It's your desk. I'll just sit here," Angel motioned as he sat down in one of the chairs in front of Wesley's desk.
Wesley cleared his throat as he took his seat across from Angel, not quite sure how to begin the conversation he was itching to have with the vampire.
"You want to talk about Willow?" Angel began, noticing the ex-Watcher's discomfort.
"Yes," Wesley nodded, quickly lapsing into silence once again. Where did he begin? After reading the translations Willow had made, it became clear to Wesley *why* Willow had reacted--this Warrior was apparently associated with Sunnydale, and it could very well be that Willow knew who the person was--but it still didn't explain the *way* she reacted. Did she know something more? Or was it something else entirely? Did she discuss any of it with Angel? And was it even his place to ask? It was true that he had never gotten the chance to know Willow all that well, and that merely added to his uneasiness in dealing with issues that so intimately concerned the young woman.
"And you want to know what we talked about?" Angel continued, not finding it at all difficult to read what was on Wesley's mind.
"Is it that obvious?"
"It's not like there's much else going on," Angel shrugged.
"No, I suppose not. Is she alright?"
"She will be. I think this night at Cordy's will be good for her."
"That's good," Wesley smiled. After a pause, he decided to just jump right into the issue, "I'm sure you know that Willow may have a link to the Warrior mentioned in the scrolls."
Angel's eyes suddenly snapped to his, unsure of exactly how much Wesley knew. "You read the translation?" he asked, realizing that must have been Wesley's clue.
"Of course," Wesley explained, "and it mentioned the Hellmouth. So, what I'm wondering is whether or not Willow knows this person."
Angel opened his mouth to respond, then quickly shut it again after deciding that he couldn't really say anything. As much as he felt Wesley deserved to know the full truth as to what was going on with Willow in Sunnydale, he also understood that it was ultimately up to Willow to tell the others when she was ready. If Angel took it upon himself to explain to Wesley what he knew, he was fairly certain that Wesley would jump to the same conclusions that Willow had--a conclusion that Angel refused to accept.
Noticing his friend's pointed silence, Wesley sighed. "Look, Angel, I know that Willow's been dealing in fairly strong magicks these past few months. That, and the way she reacted just now...it's obvious that she knows something, and it's obvious she confided in you. You know that this is an extremely important matter -- we have no idea how much Wolfram and Hart already know about the subject, or even what they're planning this very moment."
"You're partially right," Angel finally relented a little, realizing that his friend had a point, "but there's more to it than that. And it involves some things that Willow really needs to tell you herself."
"And will she?" Wesley questioned. "It's obviously a very touchy subject, and it isn't as though I know her as well as you or even Cordelia."
"She will. When she's ready."
"And when will that be?" Wesley couldn't keep the slight trace of irritation out of his voice. What was so bad that Angel felt that he couldn't trust him with the knowledge? Why had they spent the last day chasing frantically after the meaning in the scrolls, if Angel was just going to sit back and tell him to wait for Willow to explain whatever was bothering her?
"I'm sorry, Wesley, I know this is frustrating for you--"
"We have to find this Warrior before Wolfram and Hart do."
"I know," Angel nodded. "Which is why, in the meantime, I think we should go through more of the scrolls, find out everything we can about this person."
Knowing that he wasn't going to get anything more out of Angel, Wesley merely exhaled and shrugged his agreement. "All right. I suppose it's all we can do at the moment."
"Thank you, Wes," Angel smiled at the man. He had done enough brooding for one night. Now was the time to begin searching for answers--answers he prayed would lead him far away from Willow.
***
"Can I help you?" Tara asked, warily eyeing the couple that was standing on her doorstep. She really wasn't in the mood for visitors. After Willow had left for Los Angeles, Tara found herself slowly slipping into a state of depression. Tara knew that when Willow had told of her plans to go, she had encouraged it, believing that the distance would do them some good, but the separation had been harder than she could have ever imagined. It was a good thing that Dawn, and occasionally Buffy, had a made a point to stop by frequently to spend some time with her. She really enjoyed the company, and at the moment it was the only thing keeping her from constantly dwelling on Willow's absence. In fact, she was expecting Dawn to stop by any minute.
"Hi, my name is Lilah Morgan," the brunette extended her hand to Tara, offering her an overly eager smile. Tara shook her hand a bit hesitantly, feeling that something wasn't quite right with the woman, and especially with the grim-featured man standing next to her.
"This may or may not sound very strange to you," Lilah continued, "but I work with a group of people who deal with... supernatural events, I suppose you could say."
Tara lifted an eyebrow, not quite sure where this was headed, but it wasn't everyday that someone showed up on her doorstep wanting to talk about the less-publicized aspects of life in Sunnydale.
"And?" she asked, trying her best to keep her tone friendly.
"Well, you see...could we come in?" Lilah suddenly asked. Sensing the girl's reluctance, she quickly added, "This really isn't something I'd prefer to discuss out here where anybody could happen to overhear us."
"I really don't think that's a good idea," Tara shook her head, not really sure why her mind was screaming at her in warning, "I just recently moved in and the place is a mess, so--"
"We don't mind," Lilah cut her off, "it's just that, well, we really need your help." During her conversation with Gavin, Lilah had learned that the girl had been involved with the Slayer, meaning that asking for her help would probably be the easiest way to get into her good graces. Considering that she had expected the witch to be partial to dark magicks, the knowledge that she was yet another do-gooder had confused Lilah. But she needed answers, and conversing with this girl was probably the only way to get them.
"My help?" Tara asked.
"I'd really rather not talk about this out here," Lilah once again pleaded, feigning earnestness.
Tara sighed as she stepped back and opened the door a bit wider. If these people really did need help, the she was obligated to do what she could, but a part of her wondered why they had come to *her* of all people.
"Thank you," Lilah smiled at the girl as she entered, casting a swift glance about the room. Her gaze fell on a picture, placed on a small writing desk next to the door, of the witch joyfully embracing another redheaded female. Lilah grinned slightly at the obvious meaning behind the photograph, but chose not to comment.
"Please, sit down," Tara offered as she motioned towards the couch.
After taking a seat, Lilah spoke, "I'm sure you'd prefer if I just got right down to business."
"It would help to know why you're here, yes," Tara responded.
"Okay. I wanted to talk to you about a certain group of demons that have been on a bit of a rampage recently. I've done some research on them, and it turns out that the only way to...subdue them is through the use of a fairly powerful spell."
Tara's face lit up in understanding, "And you need a witch."
"Exactly. We heard that there was a pretty powerful witch here in Sunnydale, so--"
"I'm sorry," Tara automatically cut the woman off, believing that she was there to talk to her about Willow, "but she isn't in town right now."
Lilah's curiosity was automatically peaked upon hearing her statement. She? Could it be that this was in fact the wrong girl, and that there was another, more powerful, witch in Sunnydale? Not one to miss a beat, though, she continued fluidly, "I'm sorry to hear that. Do you know where I could get in touch with her?"
Unable to explain her growing sense of unease, Tara replied, "No, I'm sorry."
"I see," Lilah purposely let her disappointment show. "Well, do you think it's possible for--" she was cut off by the ring of her cellular phone. "Ah, excuse me for a minute." She stood up and walked towards the door, answering the phone in hushed tones.
"Lilah, it's Gavin," her caller replied swiftly.
"What is it now?" she snapped at him.
"We have a small problem. The girl you're with isn't the one we're looking for."
"And how do you figure that?"
"Because, it turns out that the witch we're looking for happens to be shacked up with Angel at the moment."
"Please tell me you're joking," Lilah groaned at the news.
"Deadly serious. I've been watching our resident vampire, and he recently had quite an interesting conversation with a young redhead about her connection to the scrolls."
"Really?" Lilah's eyes traveled back to the photograph on the desk. "Could you give me a description?"
"Of the girl?" Gavin asked.
"Yes."
"Well, it's not like I have a detailed description, but I'd say shoulder-length red hair, average height, slender, green eyes--"
"That's perfect," Lilah smiled into the phone.
"Perfect? Have you forgotten that she's with Angel? Meaning that she's entirely inaccessible?"
"Not entirely," Lilah exchanged a meaningful glance with Kiren, who had remained stationed next to the door, and who interpreted the look with a knowing nod. "In fact, I think we've just stumbled upon the perfect opportunity."
"What are you talking about?" Gavin asked suspiciously.
"You'll find out when we get back," Lilah replied smugly, quickly ending the call. She was suddenly very glad that she had the forethought to bring Kiren along.
***
"Oh, god," Dawn breathed as she entered Tara's apartment, taking in the sight before her. It was obvious there had been a struggle, and Tara was nowhere in sight. "Buffy," she murmured, trying to keep herself from panicking, "I have to get Buffy." And with that, she took off towards home.
END PART EIGHT