Chapter Two
" Life is a circle. Those who can penetrate the yawning abyss between incident and destiny read the future from the shape of the past. Thought- forms of the Gothic forged Western civilization out of the Dark Ages. Again and again those forms recur, shuttling from invisibility to plain sight and back, perpetually reminding us of our roots."
In the Hyperion all was quiet, after an all night research session had turned up nothing and Angel hadn't returned from the recon, he had insisted on doing himself, the tired group had decided to go to sleep, if not in their own bed, the hotel had any amount of free space that wasn't in use.
Gru had left an hour before the decision, he said he needed to sleep if he were to protect his princess when the need arose, Cordy had promised to go home, but she was to tired by the time they had given up on research for the night, and she was worried about Angel it would be dawn in only a few hours and he wasn't back yet. Her need for sleep eventually caught up on her and she gave in, and her subconscious taking over, she headed up the stairs instinct lead her to Angels room. She shut the door behind her navigating her way towards the wardrobe on the other side of the room, it was a good job Angel was so tidy or she may have tripped a few times and ended up sleeping on the floor. She took a shirt from the large wardrobe and laid it on the bed, she slowly unbuttoned the silky shirt she had been wearing for what seemed like weeks. She let it slip off her shoulders and to the ground, where she left it sprawled across the floor. She moved towards the bed un buttoning her trousers as she went she let them glide to the floor stepping out of them as she moved. She undid her bra and let it fall with the other discarded clothes, she gathered up the shirt and held it to her burying her face in it, it smelt of him a mix of old spice and cinnamon, hmmm why did he have to smell so good? It didn't help when they trained in the basement, she kept getting distracted, so she threw herself deep into the movements trying to ignore his close proximity but it made it worse, she kept imagining him moving closer. Snap out of it Cordy! She couldn't bear to think about it anymore, ever since Connor had….gone…. he wasn't dead and they were going to find him, and Gru had arrived their training sessions had ceased. She swallowed the lump forming in her throat she was to tired to cry. Connor was gone, and so was what she and Angel had been building together. Kye-rumption as Fred and Lorne called it when they thought she wasn't listening. She didn't know what it meant but she got the gist. God why wouldn't her mind settle, she pulled back the thick covers on the bed, she snuggled up under them and as soon as her head hit the pillow she was gone, a deep dreamless sleep took her and rested her mind.
Police sirens wailed, they could be heard for miles. Closer to the scene a mass of yellow tape separated the crowd from the police as they went about their work. The crowd was there for the stigma of being able to say they were there, and once the details were out each and every one of them would say they saw it, by then no one would care. A few buzz rumours were flying through the crowd "torn apart" "an animal" not one of the rumours passed by a person without being magnified, those at the back got full on 'facts' as they progressed. The police were trying to keep a rein on the situation, to no avail, the press had already arrived vans were pulling up as close as they could get. The familiar network logos plastered onto their sides, reporters and camera men all looking for their exclusive piled out into the crowd pushing their way to the front trying to get a better view.
A forensic team arrived, suited up with masks and coveralls. No one but the man who had found the body and the detective in charge of the homicide had seen the body nothing had been disturbed. The team took photos from every conceivable angle. With labels every where depicting size and colour. They shot film after film, then finally it could be moved.
It was barely 6am when the body had been found. The man had been so disturbed by the sight that had befallen his eyes that he was now huddled under a tin foil blanket with a hot mug of tea, on the steps of the ambulance, while the paramedics were fighting off reporters. Even with security at its full extent the press had sown together a story from scraps, they proceeded to broadcast the story to already bustling L.A.
"And breaking news just in, it has been revealed that a gruesome murder has taken place in downtown L.A." the brunette newscaster announced " and now we can go straight to the scene and our on location reporter Marcy Logan"
"Thank You, Kerry" The reporter looked like all the blood had drained from her face as she tried to compose herself as she began to show her findings to L.A. "a brutal animal attack"
"Cordy!!! Come see this!" Gunn yelled up the stairs of the hotel to where Cordy was still sleeping upstairs, he and Fred had risen early compared to the rest of the gang, the host was no where to be seen and Gru hadn't arrived yet. Cordy was still asleep upstairs.
"Huh!" Cordy moaned sleepily she turned over.
"Cordy!" Her eyes snapped open, some one had shouted her she pushed back the covers and stepped out of the warm bed, she grabbed Angels robe and headed down to the lobby. In the office Gunn and Fred were stood staring at the TV Gunn had insisted they installed 'for the news' but the TV had rarely moved from the cartoon channel and Tom & Jerry for much news.
"What?" Cordy asked stifling a yawn and ruffling her hair, she looked at the screen as Fred leaned forward and turned up the volume.
"……..and now an exclusive interview with the only civilian to have seen the body to date……" the reporter indicated a dishevelled man who had obviously seen green dollar signs flash before his eyes as soon as the shock had passed. "Can you tell us what you saw?" the camera focused on the mans face.
"It was terrible, blood everywhere, I couldn't see details it was so dark in there, they have had it lit up with flood lights so they can see. There wasn't much left of him that was recognisable he was ripped to shreds, throat cut insides pulled apart. It was strange though……" he paused a frown crossed his face as if he was only just realising something. "… his heart….. it was there….. untouched….. and his face… it was clean. It was like the animal had a method, it wanted us to know who it was….." he trailed off.
"Th…thank you" the reporter added trying not to be affected by the mans story. If it were possible the reporters face seemed a more ghostly shade than ever before as the camera refocused on her she pressed her finger on the earpiece straining to hear over the crowd " The detective in charge of the scene will be making an announcement any moment now, regarding the identity of the victim" The camera panned to reveal an authorative man, stood on the steps of a nearby building. The reporter and her crew moved closer she stretched her mic out so it was as close as possible to the detective. He was silent for a moment staring intently at the reporters before him. Then he spoke.
"A body of a man in his late 20's has been found in the alley behind us. We have no idea who or what did this, but we have a full team working on it." He paused a barrage of questions bombarded him, he held up his hands palms facing the crowd, they quieted down "Please, hold your questions until the end of the statement when I will be available to answer them."
"Or the ones to which the answers mean nothing" Fred said softly a rueful smile on her face. The returned their attention to the detective.
"No belongings were found on the victims person, so all we have is a description to go on to I.D. him" he paused raising a clipboard from his side "the man was wearing a black cashmere sweater, accompanied by a black duster, pants and shoes were also black. He had short brown hair, brown eyes and pale complexion."
"W…what was Angel wearing when he left?" Fred stuttered a worried expression crossing her face.
"Pretty much that" Gunn said expression blank "Angel doesn't carry I.D."
"Don't be silly you two!" Cordy said almost to cheerfully "It can't be Angel, if it was the detective would be describing dust!"
"Maybe not…" Fred said reluctantly
"What do you mean?….Maybe not!" Cordy said frowning "When you kill a vamp he turns to dust, seen it a lot growing up on the hellmouth and all."
"Not if the heart and head stay attached…" Fred reached for one of the books she had been looking through last night, while looking for a way to get Connor back she had stumbled across and old Vampire text, she flipped through the pages until she found what she was looking for. She passed the book to Cordy, Gunn looked over her shoulder as she followed the series of images depicting the death of a vampire by removal of all organs apart from the heart which was untouched and attached to the head via the spinal column. "according to this, if they stay together….. no dust…" her soft Texan drawl faded away as she watched realisation cross Cordelia's face.
Cordy's eyes misted over, It couldn't be, she wouldn't believe it, not until she saw for herself and then she still wouldn't believe. Gunn pulled Fred into his arms. A lump forming in Cordelia's throat made her swallow hard, a tear escaped rolling down her cheek. Her eyes began to brim, if she wasn't believing why did it feel so real, why did it hit so hard.
Behind them a door opened and closed silently, he had been planning to sneak in quietly and head up to his room before everyone got up. But he stood at a distance watching the trio. "What's up?"
"Angel!" Cordelia spun on her heel and raced towards him, he barely had time to brace himself before she flung herself at him arms wrapping round his neck hugging him to her. He stood there dumbstruck. "I knew it wasn't you, I just knew it" He could feel hot tears seeping through his cashmere sweater, a bemused look on his face. Her tight embrace drew him in and he savoured it, wrapping his arms around her holding her close. He noticed she was wearing one of his shirts, great he would never get her scent off it now, not that she smelt bad, but it was what her scent did to him…she was wearing nothing beneath it and only his robe to cover herself. He felt a stir of feelings rise in him, God not when she was so close. He pulled back, holding her in front of him so he could see her, oh boy big mistake. She looked so vulnerable, tears stained her cheeks, the shirt several sizes to big hung off her shoulder exposing the delicate flesh.
"What? What is it? What isn't me?" Cordelia collapsed into his arms again head buried in his chest, he could feel her fists pummelling him, hitting him in the chest.
"Don't you ever do this again! You hear me! You have a cell USE IT!" with that she stormed up the stairs and all they heard was a door slamming.
"What did I do?" Angel asked the couple
"Kye-rumption" Fred whispered under her breath so only Angel's Vampiric hearing could catch it.
"Nothing, you didn't do anything Angel" Gunn said indicating the TV, the detective was being bombarded by question after question. While a description of the deceased scrolled across the screen.
"She thought I was…dead…. In the none walk around dead sense?" Angel said stunned, "but she should, know…you know dust…" Gunn indicated the heavy tome resting on the desk "Oh…" Angel read on "OH!"
" Life is a circle. Those who can penetrate the yawning abyss between incident and destiny read the future from the shape of the past. Thought- forms of the Gothic forged Western civilization out of the Dark Ages. Again and again those forms recur, shuttling from invisibility to plain sight and back, perpetually reminding us of our roots."
In the Hyperion all was quiet, after an all night research session had turned up nothing and Angel hadn't returned from the recon, he had insisted on doing himself, the tired group had decided to go to sleep, if not in their own bed, the hotel had any amount of free space that wasn't in use.
Gru had left an hour before the decision, he said he needed to sleep if he were to protect his princess when the need arose, Cordy had promised to go home, but she was to tired by the time they had given up on research for the night, and she was worried about Angel it would be dawn in only a few hours and he wasn't back yet. Her need for sleep eventually caught up on her and she gave in, and her subconscious taking over, she headed up the stairs instinct lead her to Angels room. She shut the door behind her navigating her way towards the wardrobe on the other side of the room, it was a good job Angel was so tidy or she may have tripped a few times and ended up sleeping on the floor. She took a shirt from the large wardrobe and laid it on the bed, she slowly unbuttoned the silky shirt she had been wearing for what seemed like weeks. She let it slip off her shoulders and to the ground, where she left it sprawled across the floor. She moved towards the bed un buttoning her trousers as she went she let them glide to the floor stepping out of them as she moved. She undid her bra and let it fall with the other discarded clothes, she gathered up the shirt and held it to her burying her face in it, it smelt of him a mix of old spice and cinnamon, hmmm why did he have to smell so good? It didn't help when they trained in the basement, she kept getting distracted, so she threw herself deep into the movements trying to ignore his close proximity but it made it worse, she kept imagining him moving closer. Snap out of it Cordy! She couldn't bear to think about it anymore, ever since Connor had….gone…. he wasn't dead and they were going to find him, and Gru had arrived their training sessions had ceased. She swallowed the lump forming in her throat she was to tired to cry. Connor was gone, and so was what she and Angel had been building together. Kye-rumption as Fred and Lorne called it when they thought she wasn't listening. She didn't know what it meant but she got the gist. God why wouldn't her mind settle, she pulled back the thick covers on the bed, she snuggled up under them and as soon as her head hit the pillow she was gone, a deep dreamless sleep took her and rested her mind.
Police sirens wailed, they could be heard for miles. Closer to the scene a mass of yellow tape separated the crowd from the police as they went about their work. The crowd was there for the stigma of being able to say they were there, and once the details were out each and every one of them would say they saw it, by then no one would care. A few buzz rumours were flying through the crowd "torn apart" "an animal" not one of the rumours passed by a person without being magnified, those at the back got full on 'facts' as they progressed. The police were trying to keep a rein on the situation, to no avail, the press had already arrived vans were pulling up as close as they could get. The familiar network logos plastered onto their sides, reporters and camera men all looking for their exclusive piled out into the crowd pushing their way to the front trying to get a better view.
A forensic team arrived, suited up with masks and coveralls. No one but the man who had found the body and the detective in charge of the homicide had seen the body nothing had been disturbed. The team took photos from every conceivable angle. With labels every where depicting size and colour. They shot film after film, then finally it could be moved.
It was barely 6am when the body had been found. The man had been so disturbed by the sight that had befallen his eyes that he was now huddled under a tin foil blanket with a hot mug of tea, on the steps of the ambulance, while the paramedics were fighting off reporters. Even with security at its full extent the press had sown together a story from scraps, they proceeded to broadcast the story to already bustling L.A.
"And breaking news just in, it has been revealed that a gruesome murder has taken place in downtown L.A." the brunette newscaster announced " and now we can go straight to the scene and our on location reporter Marcy Logan"
"Thank You, Kerry" The reporter looked like all the blood had drained from her face as she tried to compose herself as she began to show her findings to L.A. "a brutal animal attack"
"Cordy!!! Come see this!" Gunn yelled up the stairs of the hotel to where Cordy was still sleeping upstairs, he and Fred had risen early compared to the rest of the gang, the host was no where to be seen and Gru hadn't arrived yet. Cordy was still asleep upstairs.
"Huh!" Cordy moaned sleepily she turned over.
"Cordy!" Her eyes snapped open, some one had shouted her she pushed back the covers and stepped out of the warm bed, she grabbed Angels robe and headed down to the lobby. In the office Gunn and Fred were stood staring at the TV Gunn had insisted they installed 'for the news' but the TV had rarely moved from the cartoon channel and Tom & Jerry for much news.
"What?" Cordy asked stifling a yawn and ruffling her hair, she looked at the screen as Fred leaned forward and turned up the volume.
"……..and now an exclusive interview with the only civilian to have seen the body to date……" the reporter indicated a dishevelled man who had obviously seen green dollar signs flash before his eyes as soon as the shock had passed. "Can you tell us what you saw?" the camera focused on the mans face.
"It was terrible, blood everywhere, I couldn't see details it was so dark in there, they have had it lit up with flood lights so they can see. There wasn't much left of him that was recognisable he was ripped to shreds, throat cut insides pulled apart. It was strange though……" he paused a frown crossed his face as if he was only just realising something. "… his heart….. it was there….. untouched….. and his face… it was clean. It was like the animal had a method, it wanted us to know who it was….." he trailed off.
"Th…thank you" the reporter added trying not to be affected by the mans story. If it were possible the reporters face seemed a more ghostly shade than ever before as the camera refocused on her she pressed her finger on the earpiece straining to hear over the crowd " The detective in charge of the scene will be making an announcement any moment now, regarding the identity of the victim" The camera panned to reveal an authorative man, stood on the steps of a nearby building. The reporter and her crew moved closer she stretched her mic out so it was as close as possible to the detective. He was silent for a moment staring intently at the reporters before him. Then he spoke.
"A body of a man in his late 20's has been found in the alley behind us. We have no idea who or what did this, but we have a full team working on it." He paused a barrage of questions bombarded him, he held up his hands palms facing the crowd, they quieted down "Please, hold your questions until the end of the statement when I will be available to answer them."
"Or the ones to which the answers mean nothing" Fred said softly a rueful smile on her face. The returned their attention to the detective.
"No belongings were found on the victims person, so all we have is a description to go on to I.D. him" he paused raising a clipboard from his side "the man was wearing a black cashmere sweater, accompanied by a black duster, pants and shoes were also black. He had short brown hair, brown eyes and pale complexion."
"W…what was Angel wearing when he left?" Fred stuttered a worried expression crossing her face.
"Pretty much that" Gunn said expression blank "Angel doesn't carry I.D."
"Don't be silly you two!" Cordy said almost to cheerfully "It can't be Angel, if it was the detective would be describing dust!"
"Maybe not…" Fred said reluctantly
"What do you mean?….Maybe not!" Cordy said frowning "When you kill a vamp he turns to dust, seen it a lot growing up on the hellmouth and all."
"Not if the heart and head stay attached…" Fred reached for one of the books she had been looking through last night, while looking for a way to get Connor back she had stumbled across and old Vampire text, she flipped through the pages until she found what she was looking for. She passed the book to Cordy, Gunn looked over her shoulder as she followed the series of images depicting the death of a vampire by removal of all organs apart from the heart which was untouched and attached to the head via the spinal column. "according to this, if they stay together….. no dust…" her soft Texan drawl faded away as she watched realisation cross Cordelia's face.
Cordy's eyes misted over, It couldn't be, she wouldn't believe it, not until she saw for herself and then she still wouldn't believe. Gunn pulled Fred into his arms. A lump forming in Cordelia's throat made her swallow hard, a tear escaped rolling down her cheek. Her eyes began to brim, if she wasn't believing why did it feel so real, why did it hit so hard.
Behind them a door opened and closed silently, he had been planning to sneak in quietly and head up to his room before everyone got up. But he stood at a distance watching the trio. "What's up?"
"Angel!" Cordelia spun on her heel and raced towards him, he barely had time to brace himself before she flung herself at him arms wrapping round his neck hugging him to her. He stood there dumbstruck. "I knew it wasn't you, I just knew it" He could feel hot tears seeping through his cashmere sweater, a bemused look on his face. Her tight embrace drew him in and he savoured it, wrapping his arms around her holding her close. He noticed she was wearing one of his shirts, great he would never get her scent off it now, not that she smelt bad, but it was what her scent did to him…she was wearing nothing beneath it and only his robe to cover herself. He felt a stir of feelings rise in him, God not when she was so close. He pulled back, holding her in front of him so he could see her, oh boy big mistake. She looked so vulnerable, tears stained her cheeks, the shirt several sizes to big hung off her shoulder exposing the delicate flesh.
"What? What is it? What isn't me?" Cordelia collapsed into his arms again head buried in his chest, he could feel her fists pummelling him, hitting him in the chest.
"Don't you ever do this again! You hear me! You have a cell USE IT!" with that she stormed up the stairs and all they heard was a door slamming.
"What did I do?" Angel asked the couple
"Kye-rumption" Fred whispered under her breath so only Angel's Vampiric hearing could catch it.
"Nothing, you didn't do anything Angel" Gunn said indicating the TV, the detective was being bombarded by question after question. While a description of the deceased scrolled across the screen.
"She thought I was…dead…. In the none walk around dead sense?" Angel said stunned, "but she should, know…you know dust…" Gunn indicated the heavy tome resting on the desk "Oh…" Angel read on "OH!"
