Wesley Wyndam-Pryce price was an educated man. He knew that despite the
fact she was who he was sleeping with, he wasn't in love with Lilah Morgan.
He knew that despite the fact he was in love with Winifred Burkle, they
would never be together. What he didn't know was why he couldn't stop
thinking about Cordelia Chase.
Wesley remembered back when he was still a Watcher and cringed. The way he had acted around Cordelia was downright embarrassing. He didn't even act that way around Fred, whom he was in love with. So why was it when she walked in the room, he acted like a giddy little school boy whose first crush just spoke his name?
Despite everything he had gone through (his friends having turned their backs on him, having had his throat slashed), Wesley found that he liked himself far more than he ever had. It was odd; his sole "friend" was a ruthless bitch trying to kill the friends of the woman he was in love with, yet he wouldn't give up his new found identity for anything. If he could return to Angel Investigations as the new man he found himself as, that would be great, but he'd be damned if he'd ever return to being the bumbling twit he was a mere four years ago. He had come way too far to return to that pitiful existence.
As he lay in bed with the sleeping Lilah, he found himself wondering what Fred was doing. She hadn't been around when the Beast arrived, and he had no idea if she was safe. A part of him wanted to be out combing the streets for her, but he forced himself to stay put. He knew she and Gunn were having a hard time with what happened with Professor Seidel, but he was sure they would wind back together eventually. If he went looking for her, it would only make things worse.
And so he lay there, staring at the ceiling fan above him. The fan, and the blinking red light of a mini-video recorder hidden on one of the blades. He smiled, rolled over and placed his arm around Lilah, and then went back to sleep.
Lilah did her best to act like this was all part of her plan. The rest of the Wolfram & Hart lawyers around her squirmed in their seats. They weren't sure how to react. Lilah did her best to remain calm. She couldn't let them see that this video tape of her and Wesley sleeping together was just as uncomfortable for her as it was for them.
Her fellow lawyers were talking about her behind her back, but she didn't care. She was in charge now, so what her underlings thought was beneath her. So long as they listened and obeyed, she was happy.
Once the tape was finished, she turned the VCR and television off. "You may go now," she said. She was glad to find her voice remained cool and calm. Her co-workers would no doubt talk her sexcapades, but they would think she had intentionally showed it to them. All but one, that is. "Gavin, can I have a word with you?"
Gavin Park stopped in his tracks. Lilah could tell he was nervous, which actually sent chills up her spine. She loved to see him squirm. The last of the lawyers closed the door behind him, but Lilah didn't say anything for over a minute. She knew the anticipation was killing Gavin, but she had to commend him on one fact. He was acting as tough as he could.
"Is this your idea of a joke?" she asked him.
"You don't seriously think I had anything to do with this," he responded. It sounded like a cross between a statement and a question. He was trying to act tough, but was only halfway succeeding. A part of her admired the way he once stood up to her in the past, but she had gone as far as she could go at Wolfram & Hart, his attitude had changed completely. She was glad to see a bit of the Gavin of old. Of course, as happy as it made her, she couldn't allow him to actually think he was anything but a slug waiting for someone to pour some salt on him.
"You were the one that set up the VCR," she said, trying to keep her voice calm. She had realized that you could be a lot more intimidating by acting calm and collected than you could by screaming your head off. "And if I remember correctly, you've worked with recording the actions of others before."
"That was different," Gavin responded. He was no longer sounding as tough as he had a moment before. That's good and bad, she thought. "I only kept cameras at the Hyperion so we could keep an eye on Angel. I would never in a million years put a camera in your apartment."
Lilah was disappointed that Gavin had started to stammer the more he went on. He was terrified, and she had given him no reason. Perhaps that should change. "I believe you," she told him. "You may go now." He did as instructed, until she called his name at the door. He turned around. "If this ever happens again, you'll have to tell Linwood hello for me."
Gulping, Gavin was out the door.
"Congratulations," Lilah responded when stopping by Wesley's apartment after work. "I had no idea you were such an exhibitionist."
"There's a lot about me you don't know," Wesley remarked.
"That's true," Lilah responded. "There's a lot about you that Angel and his Fang Gang don't know, either. Of course, after the video tape I sent them with you singing 'I'm Singing in the Rain' in the shower this morning, they'll know a little more about you." Lilah smiled when Wesley's eyes lit up at her last comments. "What, you didn't want them to hear you?" she asked. "My bad."
With that, she was out the door. And Wesley was glad, as he was having trouble suppressing a smile. He may not love Lilah as a whole, but there was one thing he loved about her. He loved the game their game, and he was glad to have found someone that wasn't completely outmatched. At least she always kept him on his toes.
Wesley remembered back when he was still a Watcher and cringed. The way he had acted around Cordelia was downright embarrassing. He didn't even act that way around Fred, whom he was in love with. So why was it when she walked in the room, he acted like a giddy little school boy whose first crush just spoke his name?
Despite everything he had gone through (his friends having turned their backs on him, having had his throat slashed), Wesley found that he liked himself far more than he ever had. It was odd; his sole "friend" was a ruthless bitch trying to kill the friends of the woman he was in love with, yet he wouldn't give up his new found identity for anything. If he could return to Angel Investigations as the new man he found himself as, that would be great, but he'd be damned if he'd ever return to being the bumbling twit he was a mere four years ago. He had come way too far to return to that pitiful existence.
As he lay in bed with the sleeping Lilah, he found himself wondering what Fred was doing. She hadn't been around when the Beast arrived, and he had no idea if she was safe. A part of him wanted to be out combing the streets for her, but he forced himself to stay put. He knew she and Gunn were having a hard time with what happened with Professor Seidel, but he was sure they would wind back together eventually. If he went looking for her, it would only make things worse.
And so he lay there, staring at the ceiling fan above him. The fan, and the blinking red light of a mini-video recorder hidden on one of the blades. He smiled, rolled over and placed his arm around Lilah, and then went back to sleep.
Lilah did her best to act like this was all part of her plan. The rest of the Wolfram & Hart lawyers around her squirmed in their seats. They weren't sure how to react. Lilah did her best to remain calm. She couldn't let them see that this video tape of her and Wesley sleeping together was just as uncomfortable for her as it was for them.
Her fellow lawyers were talking about her behind her back, but she didn't care. She was in charge now, so what her underlings thought was beneath her. So long as they listened and obeyed, she was happy.
Once the tape was finished, she turned the VCR and television off. "You may go now," she said. She was glad to find her voice remained cool and calm. Her co-workers would no doubt talk her sexcapades, but they would think she had intentionally showed it to them. All but one, that is. "Gavin, can I have a word with you?"
Gavin Park stopped in his tracks. Lilah could tell he was nervous, which actually sent chills up her spine. She loved to see him squirm. The last of the lawyers closed the door behind him, but Lilah didn't say anything for over a minute. She knew the anticipation was killing Gavin, but she had to commend him on one fact. He was acting as tough as he could.
"Is this your idea of a joke?" she asked him.
"You don't seriously think I had anything to do with this," he responded. It sounded like a cross between a statement and a question. He was trying to act tough, but was only halfway succeeding. A part of her admired the way he once stood up to her in the past, but she had gone as far as she could go at Wolfram & Hart, his attitude had changed completely. She was glad to see a bit of the Gavin of old. Of course, as happy as it made her, she couldn't allow him to actually think he was anything but a slug waiting for someone to pour some salt on him.
"You were the one that set up the VCR," she said, trying to keep her voice calm. She had realized that you could be a lot more intimidating by acting calm and collected than you could by screaming your head off. "And if I remember correctly, you've worked with recording the actions of others before."
"That was different," Gavin responded. He was no longer sounding as tough as he had a moment before. That's good and bad, she thought. "I only kept cameras at the Hyperion so we could keep an eye on Angel. I would never in a million years put a camera in your apartment."
Lilah was disappointed that Gavin had started to stammer the more he went on. He was terrified, and she had given him no reason. Perhaps that should change. "I believe you," she told him. "You may go now." He did as instructed, until she called his name at the door. He turned around. "If this ever happens again, you'll have to tell Linwood hello for me."
Gulping, Gavin was out the door.
"Congratulations," Lilah responded when stopping by Wesley's apartment after work. "I had no idea you were such an exhibitionist."
"There's a lot about me you don't know," Wesley remarked.
"That's true," Lilah responded. "There's a lot about you that Angel and his Fang Gang don't know, either. Of course, after the video tape I sent them with you singing 'I'm Singing in the Rain' in the shower this morning, they'll know a little more about you." Lilah smiled when Wesley's eyes lit up at her last comments. "What, you didn't want them to hear you?" she asked. "My bad."
With that, she was out the door. And Wesley was glad, as he was having trouble suppressing a smile. He may not love Lilah as a whole, but there was one thing he loved about her. He loved the game their game, and he was glad to have found someone that wasn't completely outmatched. At least she always kept him on his toes.