Ch. 3 Babysitter from Hell
The lobby was nearly quiet. Uncomfortable shifting was accompanied by nervous smiles and the nervous tapping of Cordelia's shoe on the side of the couch.
Gunn raised an eyebrow at Cordy, implying that she stop her foot. Cordelia glared back. "What?"
The doors to the Hyperion's lobby burst open as Wesley and Fred hurried in, late. The lateness, completely uncharacteristic of either party, was something at which Cordelia felt the need to snicker. She stood and headed for the basement after a quick announcement of, "Wesley...you missed a button."
Wesley quickly buttoned his shirt and tried to tuck it in. "Hello Mum, Father." He kissed his mother on the cheek and headed for the coffee maker.
"Wes, darling," Grace said as her son walked towards the kitchen, "your father and I were thinking we'd help you find a new house."
"Yes, we were thinking you should get a new place. That apartment of yours is no place to raise a family. It's only got one bedroom!" He put an arm around Wesley's shoulders. "And we'd like to let you know that you can use our summer home in Nice any time you'd like."
Chills ran through Wesley's body as he wondered if lying was all it would take to make his father happy.
"Thank you, sir, but we don't have enough money to buy a house."
His father frowned and walked back towards Grace as she urged him to offer help with buying a home. Gerald delivered a stern look, which quickly sent Grace into silence.
There was a squeal from the basement. Cordelia came pounding up the stairs, a handful of checks in her hands. She passed them out to everyone, then turned her eyes back onto her own.
Wesley sat on the couch and opened it. The top read Wolfram & Hart, and it was made out to Wesley Wyndham-Pryce, Executive Librarian and Artifact Conservator. The amount: $30,000.
"Cordelia," Wes stood, blinking at his check, "where on Earth did these come from?"
She shrugged. "I thought I looked through all of the mail, and then there they were a few minutes ago. Wow...you have no idea how much shopping we have to do, Fred!"
Fred grinned as Cordelia grabbed her arm. "Let's go. Rodeo Drive, here we come!" Unfortunately for Cordy, Fred didn't budge. "What?" She asked.
"Let's take Grace with us. She'd have fun." Fred smiled at Wesley's mother and beckoned her to come along. Without a moment's hesitation, Grace followed.
-
The sun was shining on Rodeo Drive. Cordelia took in a huge breath and coughed.
"Smell that?" She laughed, "that, my dear ladies, is Upper-Class smog."
Fred laughed as they all headed into the bank.
-
Fred smiled at the teller as she slid her check across the counter. The banker wasn't surprised at the amount, but still stopped in her tracks.
"Ma'am," she whispered, sliding the check back, "you seem to have signed your name incorrectly."
With a frown, Fred took a look at the check. She had clearly signed Winifred A. Burkle. She flipped it over and gasped.
"Cordelia," she whispered and waved her over.
She showed her the check, which read: Winifred A. Wyndham-Pryce, head of Forensics and Scientific Research and Development, Wolfram & Hart.
"Did you do this?" Fred asked.
Cordelia shook her head, staring at the check. "No, I didn't tell anyone."
Fred smiled again at the teller, this time more nervously. "Sorry, just recently got married. Not used to the new name yet."
Grace, who had been sitting in the corner, laughed. "You've been married for two years, Love...you've got to get used to it sooner or later."
-
Several hours passed as Gunn, Wesley, and Angel continued to clean the lobby of the Hotel. Wesley's father insisted on cleaning Angel's old office. He sorted the books, placing them in the correct boxes.
"Why, hello, stranger." A tall woman with a sinister smile said, walking towards Gerald Wyndham-Pryce. "I can't say I've seen you before."
The old man struggled to his feet. "Who are you?"
She smiled. "Lilah Morgan. Wolfram & Hart. I used to--I work for your son."
"Oh, yes. Of course." He shook her hand lightly, then looked back at his books.
"So...you're the bastard that kept Wesley in a closet and abused him for all those years." She sat atop the desk.
Wesley's father glared menacingly. "We don't talk about that. And I'm surprised Wesley said anything to you. You're just an employee."
"Ex-lover and employee." She hopped off the desk. "I'm just wondering why you aren't in hell with me." She left the office, heading straight for Wesley.
"Wes, you might want to get that old coot out of your office. He's screwing it all up." She pulled an emery board from her pocket and went to work on her nails.
"Lilah...what are you doing here? I thought they were sending you back after you introduced us to Wolfram & Hart." He put his broom up against a wall.
She shrugged. "They let me do some babysitting occasionally." She grinned. "Mainly on you."
He shook his head. "Lilah, please don't watch me. Just...stay at the office or something."
"You just don't want me to see what you and Fred have been up to."
Angel put down his broom and nudged Gunn. Gunn offered a nod and headed towards the basement.
"It's an innocent lie, Lilah. We're just trying to impress my father, that's all." Wes whispered.
"Oh, innocent. Yeah. What happened last night, Wes? Was that so innocent?"
Shaking his head, Wesley continued advancing towards her. "Leave it be, Lilah. It's none of your business."
"But you're my business, Wesley. I'm the one making your lie look more realistic. The paychecks are just the beginning. I'm helping. Don't worry." With a wink, she disappeared.
The lobby was nearly quiet. Uncomfortable shifting was accompanied by nervous smiles and the nervous tapping of Cordelia's shoe on the side of the couch.
Gunn raised an eyebrow at Cordy, implying that she stop her foot. Cordelia glared back. "What?"
The doors to the Hyperion's lobby burst open as Wesley and Fred hurried in, late. The lateness, completely uncharacteristic of either party, was something at which Cordelia felt the need to snicker. She stood and headed for the basement after a quick announcement of, "Wesley...you missed a button."
Wesley quickly buttoned his shirt and tried to tuck it in. "Hello Mum, Father." He kissed his mother on the cheek and headed for the coffee maker.
"Wes, darling," Grace said as her son walked towards the kitchen, "your father and I were thinking we'd help you find a new house."
"Yes, we were thinking you should get a new place. That apartment of yours is no place to raise a family. It's only got one bedroom!" He put an arm around Wesley's shoulders. "And we'd like to let you know that you can use our summer home in Nice any time you'd like."
Chills ran through Wesley's body as he wondered if lying was all it would take to make his father happy.
"Thank you, sir, but we don't have enough money to buy a house."
His father frowned and walked back towards Grace as she urged him to offer help with buying a home. Gerald delivered a stern look, which quickly sent Grace into silence.
There was a squeal from the basement. Cordelia came pounding up the stairs, a handful of checks in her hands. She passed them out to everyone, then turned her eyes back onto her own.
Wesley sat on the couch and opened it. The top read Wolfram & Hart, and it was made out to Wesley Wyndham-Pryce, Executive Librarian and Artifact Conservator. The amount: $30,000.
"Cordelia," Wes stood, blinking at his check, "where on Earth did these come from?"
She shrugged. "I thought I looked through all of the mail, and then there they were a few minutes ago. Wow...you have no idea how much shopping we have to do, Fred!"
Fred grinned as Cordelia grabbed her arm. "Let's go. Rodeo Drive, here we come!" Unfortunately for Cordy, Fred didn't budge. "What?" She asked.
"Let's take Grace with us. She'd have fun." Fred smiled at Wesley's mother and beckoned her to come along. Without a moment's hesitation, Grace followed.
-
The sun was shining on Rodeo Drive. Cordelia took in a huge breath and coughed.
"Smell that?" She laughed, "that, my dear ladies, is Upper-Class smog."
Fred laughed as they all headed into the bank.
-
Fred smiled at the teller as she slid her check across the counter. The banker wasn't surprised at the amount, but still stopped in her tracks.
"Ma'am," she whispered, sliding the check back, "you seem to have signed your name incorrectly."
With a frown, Fred took a look at the check. She had clearly signed Winifred A. Burkle. She flipped it over and gasped.
"Cordelia," she whispered and waved her over.
She showed her the check, which read: Winifred A. Wyndham-Pryce, head of Forensics and Scientific Research and Development, Wolfram & Hart.
"Did you do this?" Fred asked.
Cordelia shook her head, staring at the check. "No, I didn't tell anyone."
Fred smiled again at the teller, this time more nervously. "Sorry, just recently got married. Not used to the new name yet."
Grace, who had been sitting in the corner, laughed. "You've been married for two years, Love...you've got to get used to it sooner or later."
-
Several hours passed as Gunn, Wesley, and Angel continued to clean the lobby of the Hotel. Wesley's father insisted on cleaning Angel's old office. He sorted the books, placing them in the correct boxes.
"Why, hello, stranger." A tall woman with a sinister smile said, walking towards Gerald Wyndham-Pryce. "I can't say I've seen you before."
The old man struggled to his feet. "Who are you?"
She smiled. "Lilah Morgan. Wolfram & Hart. I used to--I work for your son."
"Oh, yes. Of course." He shook her hand lightly, then looked back at his books.
"So...you're the bastard that kept Wesley in a closet and abused him for all those years." She sat atop the desk.
Wesley's father glared menacingly. "We don't talk about that. And I'm surprised Wesley said anything to you. You're just an employee."
"Ex-lover and employee." She hopped off the desk. "I'm just wondering why you aren't in hell with me." She left the office, heading straight for Wesley.
"Wes, you might want to get that old coot out of your office. He's screwing it all up." She pulled an emery board from her pocket and went to work on her nails.
"Lilah...what are you doing here? I thought they were sending you back after you introduced us to Wolfram & Hart." He put his broom up against a wall.
She shrugged. "They let me do some babysitting occasionally." She grinned. "Mainly on you."
He shook his head. "Lilah, please don't watch me. Just...stay at the office or something."
"You just don't want me to see what you and Fred have been up to."
Angel put down his broom and nudged Gunn. Gunn offered a nod and headed towards the basement.
"It's an innocent lie, Lilah. We're just trying to impress my father, that's all." Wes whispered.
"Oh, innocent. Yeah. What happened last night, Wes? Was that so innocent?"
Shaking his head, Wesley continued advancing towards her. "Leave it be, Lilah. It's none of your business."
"But you're my business, Wesley. I'm the one making your lie look more realistic. The paychecks are just the beginning. I'm helping. Don't worry." With a wink, she disappeared.