Angel lay in his box underwater, trying to figure out exactly what he had
done wrong. He had always tried so hard to do the right thing, but now he
say that he had not done enough. In his joy of having his son back, he had
let his guard down. He tried to figure out what had happened, why Connor
would think that he had killed Holtz. The more he thought about it, the
more it did not make sense. He reasoned that Connor must have seen Holtz's
body with bite marks and gotten the wrong idea.
It made no sense that Holtz had been killed by a vampire. Angel could not imagine the man that had hunted him for such a long time being defeated in such a way. Besides, vampires did not like to feed off old flesh, preferring the warm, tasty blood of a young victim...
Angel had to stop himself from thinking about blood, he was going lightheaded from hunger. He did not know how long he would last, what he would tun into if he did not feed. He wondered what fish blood tasted like. No, he was being ridiculous, it was not as if he could reach out and grab one of the sea creatures that were swimming round him, mocking him in his prison. Now he was going insane, he could feel it.
It was making him insane to think of Cordelia and what might have happened on the Point. Did she love him? What had she wanted to say to him? He wanted to know if she have any idea what had happened to him. She may have simply thought that he had ran away as soon as she had called, fearing what she might say and expect. He closed his eyes and imagined taking her in his arms and assuring her that everything would be alright. These thoughts were making him crazy, but it kept him on the verge of sanity, knowing that she was out there and one day he might see her again.
***
As Wesley sat in his apartment he thought how much easier it would be if he were to accept Lilah's offer. There was a great deal of advantages that she had already listed, he knew that he would never have anything to worry about ever again. He was tempted and there only remained the question of whether or not he not only turn his back on Angel Investigations but turn against the people that he had worked alongside for almost three years. They had shown him that he was no longer welcome after his 'betrayal'.
Throughout his whole life, Wesley had been nothing but a failure. After being fired by the council, he had found himself in LA where he met up with Angel. For the first time in his life, things started to go well and he felt that he had found his place fighting the forces of darkness. In his never-ending struggle, he had always tried his best, but in the end he had been defeated and the good had turned against him. At first he had thought of joining Wolfram and Hart and taking them apart from the inside, but he knew that he would never succeed. He could not destroy evil and no longer wanted to attempt it. These crazy thoughts were dismissed, flickering away and leaving his cold, empty heart. As time passed, tiny glimmers of hope grew less frequent and he came closer to his final decision.
***
The blue light in the roon had slowly faded to be replaced with a brighter, yellow light. The two creatures talked quietly, they were no longer calm and composed. They both looked anxious; he was pacing and she was fidgeting with her clothing. Cordelia sat on the other side of the room, aware that something was happening although oblivious to the nature of the matter. Finally they approached her. She did not dare to ask what the problem was, it was unlikely that they would tell her exactly anyway, they were always so vague.
"Something big is coming down there." The female started, unable to provide her usual smile.
"And you need my help?" Cordelia guessed. "I'll do whatever it takes to help."
"It may not be wise. It is too soon." The creature had a frown on his face.
"You need me. I want to help." Cordelia assured them. "I can't sit here and do nothing."
"She is right."His answer surprised them both. He addressed Cordelia, reaching a decision. "You will go, but you must not tell anyone about your new status, not until you have to leave."
"When will I have to leave?"
"We will let you know." His companion looked at him questionably. She did not contradict him, she trusted him completely, she was simply puzzled.
"What should I tell them?"
"You will have to figure it all out. It won't be easy, but you are prepared to do this." This was a statement, not a question, but Cordelia nodded, giving her consent.
"What is happening down there?" Cordelia did not expect an answer.
"You will find out soon." She smiled and Cordelia sighed.
"To tell you the truth, we honestly don't know. We can sense something, but we won't have more information until closer to the time." He was warming remarkably to Cordelia.
"When do I leave?" She attempted to look positive, she had had lots of practice at hiding her worries.
"We'll send you now. Remember, though, don't let-"
"-love get in the way of the fight." she finished. She smiled and in a flash of light she was gone.
"I've never seen you act like this before. There is something special about her, isn't there?" The now yellow being looked up at her friend as he stared at the glow that remained.
"She is quite spectacular." He closed his eyes, and he too was gone.
***
Cordelia found herself outside the hotel, it was was starting to go dark. She stayed outside for a moment, taking in the air and preparing herself for whatever awaited her. She was nervous about seeing Angel, she had stood him up after all. Then, she thought, maybe they had transported her back the same day, it was night after all. She did not think that she had been gone for a whole day.
She entered the hotel and two figures came rushing towards her. It was Fred and Gunn.
"Cordy, where have you been? We were so worried." Fred gushed.
"I had some things to think about." Cordelia smiled brightly at them.
"You and Angel must have had lots to talk about. I'm glad you guys finally figured things out. You did right? I really am happy, but you could have called, a whole day and me and Charles, we had no idea where you were."
"Fred, slow down, look you're scaring the girl." Cordelia did have a panicked look on her face.
"I'm sorry." Fred blushed.
"What is it Cordy?" Gunn looked worried.
"I never met Angel" she was pale.
"Oh." They both said together. Fred's grin slowly faded. "He was awfully happy when he left, you don't think he was too happy, do you?" Cordelia shook her head.
Angel had been happy about meeting her, Cordelia sighed. This was harder than she had ever imagined. She pushed her thoughts away, she could not think like that, when there was no possibility.
"So he just didn't show up?" Gunn finally asked.
"No, I didn't show up." The others were silent, they took this in. Cordelia offered no explanation and they did not want to ask her.
"So, you think he's off brooding somewhere?"
"It's got to be more than that. I just have this feeling." she could not tell them that the feeling came from her two new friends that had said that her champion was no longer their concern. She wished that she had questioned them further at the time. It was too late to regret that now, she knew, although they probably would not have told her anyway.
"What else is this feeling telling you?" Gunn was skeptical.
"Well, he's not dead, that's for sure. Not any more dead than usual, that is"
"Well, that's helpful... What do you intend on doing? We've been everywhere we could think of... except, well, you know..." Gunn needed answers, not just 'feelings'.
"I've been meaning to pay Lilah a visit..."
It made no sense that Holtz had been killed by a vampire. Angel could not imagine the man that had hunted him for such a long time being defeated in such a way. Besides, vampires did not like to feed off old flesh, preferring the warm, tasty blood of a young victim...
Angel had to stop himself from thinking about blood, he was going lightheaded from hunger. He did not know how long he would last, what he would tun into if he did not feed. He wondered what fish blood tasted like. No, he was being ridiculous, it was not as if he could reach out and grab one of the sea creatures that were swimming round him, mocking him in his prison. Now he was going insane, he could feel it.
It was making him insane to think of Cordelia and what might have happened on the Point. Did she love him? What had she wanted to say to him? He wanted to know if she have any idea what had happened to him. She may have simply thought that he had ran away as soon as she had called, fearing what she might say and expect. He closed his eyes and imagined taking her in his arms and assuring her that everything would be alright. These thoughts were making him crazy, but it kept him on the verge of sanity, knowing that she was out there and one day he might see her again.
***
As Wesley sat in his apartment he thought how much easier it would be if he were to accept Lilah's offer. There was a great deal of advantages that she had already listed, he knew that he would never have anything to worry about ever again. He was tempted and there only remained the question of whether or not he not only turn his back on Angel Investigations but turn against the people that he had worked alongside for almost three years. They had shown him that he was no longer welcome after his 'betrayal'.
Throughout his whole life, Wesley had been nothing but a failure. After being fired by the council, he had found himself in LA where he met up with Angel. For the first time in his life, things started to go well and he felt that he had found his place fighting the forces of darkness. In his never-ending struggle, he had always tried his best, but in the end he had been defeated and the good had turned against him. At first he had thought of joining Wolfram and Hart and taking them apart from the inside, but he knew that he would never succeed. He could not destroy evil and no longer wanted to attempt it. These crazy thoughts were dismissed, flickering away and leaving his cold, empty heart. As time passed, tiny glimmers of hope grew less frequent and he came closer to his final decision.
***
The blue light in the roon had slowly faded to be replaced with a brighter, yellow light. The two creatures talked quietly, they were no longer calm and composed. They both looked anxious; he was pacing and she was fidgeting with her clothing. Cordelia sat on the other side of the room, aware that something was happening although oblivious to the nature of the matter. Finally they approached her. She did not dare to ask what the problem was, it was unlikely that they would tell her exactly anyway, they were always so vague.
"Something big is coming down there." The female started, unable to provide her usual smile.
"And you need my help?" Cordelia guessed. "I'll do whatever it takes to help."
"It may not be wise. It is too soon." The creature had a frown on his face.
"You need me. I want to help." Cordelia assured them. "I can't sit here and do nothing."
"She is right."His answer surprised them both. He addressed Cordelia, reaching a decision. "You will go, but you must not tell anyone about your new status, not until you have to leave."
"When will I have to leave?"
"We will let you know." His companion looked at him questionably. She did not contradict him, she trusted him completely, she was simply puzzled.
"What should I tell them?"
"You will have to figure it all out. It won't be easy, but you are prepared to do this." This was a statement, not a question, but Cordelia nodded, giving her consent.
"What is happening down there?" Cordelia did not expect an answer.
"You will find out soon." She smiled and Cordelia sighed.
"To tell you the truth, we honestly don't know. We can sense something, but we won't have more information until closer to the time." He was warming remarkably to Cordelia.
"When do I leave?" She attempted to look positive, she had had lots of practice at hiding her worries.
"We'll send you now. Remember, though, don't let-"
"-love get in the way of the fight." she finished. She smiled and in a flash of light she was gone.
"I've never seen you act like this before. There is something special about her, isn't there?" The now yellow being looked up at her friend as he stared at the glow that remained.
"She is quite spectacular." He closed his eyes, and he too was gone.
***
Cordelia found herself outside the hotel, it was was starting to go dark. She stayed outside for a moment, taking in the air and preparing herself for whatever awaited her. She was nervous about seeing Angel, she had stood him up after all. Then, she thought, maybe they had transported her back the same day, it was night after all. She did not think that she had been gone for a whole day.
She entered the hotel and two figures came rushing towards her. It was Fred and Gunn.
"Cordy, where have you been? We were so worried." Fred gushed.
"I had some things to think about." Cordelia smiled brightly at them.
"You and Angel must have had lots to talk about. I'm glad you guys finally figured things out. You did right? I really am happy, but you could have called, a whole day and me and Charles, we had no idea where you were."
"Fred, slow down, look you're scaring the girl." Cordelia did have a panicked look on her face.
"I'm sorry." Fred blushed.
"What is it Cordy?" Gunn looked worried.
"I never met Angel" she was pale.
"Oh." They both said together. Fred's grin slowly faded. "He was awfully happy when he left, you don't think he was too happy, do you?" Cordelia shook her head.
Angel had been happy about meeting her, Cordelia sighed. This was harder than she had ever imagined. She pushed her thoughts away, she could not think like that, when there was no possibility.
"So he just didn't show up?" Gunn finally asked.
"No, I didn't show up." The others were silent, they took this in. Cordelia offered no explanation and they did not want to ask her.
"So, you think he's off brooding somewhere?"
"It's got to be more than that. I just have this feeling." she could not tell them that the feeling came from her two new friends that had said that her champion was no longer their concern. She wished that she had questioned them further at the time. It was too late to regret that now, she knew, although they probably would not have told her anyway.
"What else is this feeling telling you?" Gunn was skeptical.
"Well, he's not dead, that's for sure. Not any more dead than usual, that is"
"Well, that's helpful... What do you intend on doing? We've been everywhere we could think of... except, well, you know..." Gunn needed answers, not just 'feelings'.
"I've been meaning to pay Lilah a visit..."