*~*~*
Lilah paced down in the lobby of Wolfram and Hart wringing her hands together. It had been seven days since she'd heard Lindsey was back in town and Angel hadn't made a move on the place for the second scroll. They'd upped the vampire barriers. A new mystical barrier held for the other demons as well. A picture of the new slayer was circulated to all the guards and the electronic surveillance was up.
But no Angel.
Lilah looked out to the setting sun and wondered when the hell he was going to make his move.
*~*~*
Faith looked at herself in the full-length mirror in her room. She was wearing a very expensive pantsuit. It did make her look older. She picked up the plain glasses that Lindsey had picked up for her and put them on. "Yes, and that will be tied up in litigations." She smiled. Lindsey had given her some phrases that she could say if she was stopped by another lawyer.
She sighed and changed her clothes. She was getting antsy. Might as well get in a few stakings for the night.
*~*~*
Angel sipped on his mug while he sat down with Chandra in the lobby. "So, do you want to talk?" His voice came out kind of quiet.
She looked to him. "About what? That we're working a plan that's gonna destroy my unborn child? Or how I have the closest person to family here with me and nobody trusts him? Or how about the fact that I'm in love with a vampire?" She gasped after the last comment and looked away.
His eyes widened. "Wh-what?"
She stood and started to pace. "Movie. Vampire movie. I've been watching Dracula 2000 like it's nobody's business."
He stood and held her shoulders. "Chandra, do you love me?"
She looked down and nodded. "It's stupid. I mean, I'm eighteen and you're like two hundred and forty something. Plus the fact I'm a slayer and you're a vampire."
He wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry."
She swallowed and chuckled. "Sorry?" She pushed him back. "Sorry." She nodded. "Right." Backing up, she wiped her tears that were falling. "Go to Hell." Letting out a small sob, she dashed back up the stairs to her room.
*~*~*
The next night, Lindsey flipped open his laptop and jacked it into the phone line. Willow and Faith were adjusting the earpieces he had given them. Both girls looked as professional as any lawyer he had ever seen. And both looked like they had the cool demeanor to actually pull this off.
"Okay. I'm only going to be able to shut down the surveillance for a few minutes. So I'm going to have to do it when you are right near the door. This is going to be close."
Willow smiled. "This is nothing. I've helped with breaking into a government demon research lab." She straightened her suit jacket.
He quirked an eyebrow. "I don't think I want to ask." He handed Faith a card. "This pass card is loaded with Lilah's codes. It should get you into the restricted area."
Faith pocketed the card and nodded. "When do we move out?"
*~*~*
Faith entered first, a briefcase in one hand and a cell phone in the other, talking heatedly to no one. Willow was a few seconds behind. She had a briefcase as well but no cell phone. She headed towards the elevators where she met up with Faith.
Lilah watched the two on the surveillance monitors. "Is that Faith?" she asked Nathan.
He smiled. "Sure looks like it. So this is how he's doing it. Sending the former slayer. That's smart. She wouldn't set off the demon radar."
Lilah picked up the phone. "I'll have security pick her up."
He hung it up. "No. Let's see where she's heading."
*~*~*
Neither girl said anything to each other on the elevator. When the doors opened on floor nine, Faith got off. Willow kept going to floor twelve and got off there.
*~*~*
"She's heading for the scrolls. We know that. She wants to find out about the baby." Lilah watched as Faith approached the secured door and pulled out a pass card, slipping in.
Nathan quirked an eyebrow. "Shows that you logged in to that room." The screens went blank. "What the…?"
Lilah picked up the phone. "What happened to the monitors?"
*~*~*
Faith slid the pass card into the secret slot and watched as the fake wall gave way to the second room. She hoped that Lindsey had the cameras off. She went back and opened the ventilation in the first room so Willow could slip through.
The witch smiled and sat in the corner of the room, beginning her chant. Faith headed back in and grabbed the scroll then sat by Willow and took her hand. "You sure you know what you're doing?" she asked the witch.
Willow opened her eyes, purely black, and grinned. "Trust me."
*~*~*
"No way." As Lilah gazed at the monitors, her hope began to fade. Faith was gone and everything was as if it had never been touched.
*~*~*
Wesley and Lindsey gasped when they saw the flash. But the shock that came after made them smile. Willow and Faith were sitting in the middle of the lobby of the Hyperian. They had the scroll.
And were completely naked.
Faith stood and brushed herself off. "Got it!" She smiled to the guys, obviously aware of her nakedness.
Willow stayed huddled. "Uh, can I get a blanket?"
Both men were just watching with a grin.
*~*~*
Cordelia stumbled into the Hyperian looking tired and worn. Angel rushed up to her. "Cordy? You okay?" He helped her to a couch.
She shook her head. "Vision."
Gunn came up to them. "Where at?"
"Here." She looked to her two friends. "There was something coming here."
*~*~*
Lilah pursed her lips and let out a cold breath. This was not good. The second scroll was gone and there was no trace of how Faith had escaped.
"You worry too much, Miss Morgan," Nathan told her.
"But sir, they have the second scroll!"
"Do you think that we didn't prepare for something like this?" he smiled.
She watched his smile and felt her own spread as well.
*~*~*
Cordelia swallowed down the pain pills and looked to Angel. "Where's everyone else?"
"Willow's on her way back to Sunnydale, Faith is resting, Chandra and Lindsey are upstairs talking and Fred and Wesley are trying to translate the second scroll." He rubbed her back. "What did you see?"
"It was big and purple, kinda angry, really mean, big claws. It was in Wesley's office." She looked to the open door to Wesley's office. No monster. "Okay, so why the faulty vision here?"
Gunn looked to the office as well. "Maybe we got a really advanced warning this time."
"That would be a switch."
*~*~*
Fred sat next to Wesley and looked over the words. "And people thought that what I wrote was crazy."
Wesley smiled to her before turning back to the scroll. "It talks about the `Child of Power.' It doesn't say whether or not the child will be good or evil really. And this could be something completely different. It might not have to do with Chandra."
Fred nodded and leaned over a bit more. "Are we sure we have the right scrolls? I mean, these seem pretty common as scrolls come and with the whole secret room full of things that…" She trailed off when she noticed Wesley staring at her. "What?"
He pinked slightly and looked back to the parchment. "Nothing. I'm sorry."
She smiled and kissed his cheek. "You're so sweet."
He smiled to her. "How so?"
"You noticed the pendant!" She held it up. It was a Celtic symbol etched in iron. "It was in my room."
Wesley lost some of his smile and looked closer to the pendant.
*~*~*
"Now."
*~*~*
Lindsey sat next to Chandra at a round table, Faith, Gunn and Cordelia sat around as well. They thought that maybe they could break some tension with a friendly poker game.
Chandra picked up the deck after distributing a fair amount of chips to everyone. "Okay, five card draw. It's the most basic and hey, I'm good at it." She grinned and shuffled the cards like a pro.
Gunn watched her. "Hey, Law Boy, where'd you say you met her?"
Lindsey smiled. "Vegas."
*~*~*
Angel had been watching passively from a distance. They all seemed to be having a good time. They were laughing and chatting and playing cards. Angel still couldn't fully trust Lindsey, but it seemed as if he truly did care about Chandra. He was protective and all big brotherly to her. Maybe this was what was needed to pull him to the good.
The vampire's eyes rested on the slayer at the table. She hadn't spoken to him since the earlier comment about her loving him. What was he to say? He wasn't sure if he loved her. It was all so confusing.
Sighing, Angel turned towards Wesley's office, hoping to get away in some text.
*~*~*
Fred jumped from Wesley's arm when she heard the door open. Her lips were swollen from kissing and her shirt was askew. Wesley took a moment longer to realize that someone was coming in. His glasses had been tossed on the desk, his tie gone, and his shirt unbuttoned.
Angel took one look at the two of them and turned, walking right back out.
*~*~*
"Well that wasn't much fun."
"I didn't do that one."
"I'm not having fun."
"Just watch."
Lilah paced down in the lobby of Wolfram and Hart wringing her hands together. It had been seven days since she'd heard Lindsey was back in town and Angel hadn't made a move on the place for the second scroll. They'd upped the vampire barriers. A new mystical barrier held for the other demons as well. A picture of the new slayer was circulated to all the guards and the electronic surveillance was up.
But no Angel.
Lilah looked out to the setting sun and wondered when the hell he was going to make his move.
*~*~*
Faith looked at herself in the full-length mirror in her room. She was wearing a very expensive pantsuit. It did make her look older. She picked up the plain glasses that Lindsey had picked up for her and put them on. "Yes, and that will be tied up in litigations." She smiled. Lindsey had given her some phrases that she could say if she was stopped by another lawyer.
She sighed and changed her clothes. She was getting antsy. Might as well get in a few stakings for the night.
*~*~*
Angel sipped on his mug while he sat down with Chandra in the lobby. "So, do you want to talk?" His voice came out kind of quiet.
She looked to him. "About what? That we're working a plan that's gonna destroy my unborn child? Or how I have the closest person to family here with me and nobody trusts him? Or how about the fact that I'm in love with a vampire?" She gasped after the last comment and looked away.
His eyes widened. "Wh-what?"
She stood and started to pace. "Movie. Vampire movie. I've been watching Dracula 2000 like it's nobody's business."
He stood and held her shoulders. "Chandra, do you love me?"
She looked down and nodded. "It's stupid. I mean, I'm eighteen and you're like two hundred and forty something. Plus the fact I'm a slayer and you're a vampire."
He wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry."
She swallowed and chuckled. "Sorry?" She pushed him back. "Sorry." She nodded. "Right." Backing up, she wiped her tears that were falling. "Go to Hell." Letting out a small sob, she dashed back up the stairs to her room.
*~*~*
The next night, Lindsey flipped open his laptop and jacked it into the phone line. Willow and Faith were adjusting the earpieces he had given them. Both girls looked as professional as any lawyer he had ever seen. And both looked like they had the cool demeanor to actually pull this off.
"Okay. I'm only going to be able to shut down the surveillance for a few minutes. So I'm going to have to do it when you are right near the door. This is going to be close."
Willow smiled. "This is nothing. I've helped with breaking into a government demon research lab." She straightened her suit jacket.
He quirked an eyebrow. "I don't think I want to ask." He handed Faith a card. "This pass card is loaded with Lilah's codes. It should get you into the restricted area."
Faith pocketed the card and nodded. "When do we move out?"
*~*~*
Faith entered first, a briefcase in one hand and a cell phone in the other, talking heatedly to no one. Willow was a few seconds behind. She had a briefcase as well but no cell phone. She headed towards the elevators where she met up with Faith.
Lilah watched the two on the surveillance monitors. "Is that Faith?" she asked Nathan.
He smiled. "Sure looks like it. So this is how he's doing it. Sending the former slayer. That's smart. She wouldn't set off the demon radar."
Lilah picked up the phone. "I'll have security pick her up."
He hung it up. "No. Let's see where she's heading."
*~*~*
Neither girl said anything to each other on the elevator. When the doors opened on floor nine, Faith got off. Willow kept going to floor twelve and got off there.
*~*~*
"She's heading for the scrolls. We know that. She wants to find out about the baby." Lilah watched as Faith approached the secured door and pulled out a pass card, slipping in.
Nathan quirked an eyebrow. "Shows that you logged in to that room." The screens went blank. "What the…?"
Lilah picked up the phone. "What happened to the monitors?"
*~*~*
Faith slid the pass card into the secret slot and watched as the fake wall gave way to the second room. She hoped that Lindsey had the cameras off. She went back and opened the ventilation in the first room so Willow could slip through.
The witch smiled and sat in the corner of the room, beginning her chant. Faith headed back in and grabbed the scroll then sat by Willow and took her hand. "You sure you know what you're doing?" she asked the witch.
Willow opened her eyes, purely black, and grinned. "Trust me."
*~*~*
"No way." As Lilah gazed at the monitors, her hope began to fade. Faith was gone and everything was as if it had never been touched.
*~*~*
Wesley and Lindsey gasped when they saw the flash. But the shock that came after made them smile. Willow and Faith were sitting in the middle of the lobby of the Hyperian. They had the scroll.
And were completely naked.
Faith stood and brushed herself off. "Got it!" She smiled to the guys, obviously aware of her nakedness.
Willow stayed huddled. "Uh, can I get a blanket?"
Both men were just watching with a grin.
*~*~*
Cordelia stumbled into the Hyperian looking tired and worn. Angel rushed up to her. "Cordy? You okay?" He helped her to a couch.
She shook her head. "Vision."
Gunn came up to them. "Where at?"
"Here." She looked to her two friends. "There was something coming here."
*~*~*
Lilah pursed her lips and let out a cold breath. This was not good. The second scroll was gone and there was no trace of how Faith had escaped.
"You worry too much, Miss Morgan," Nathan told her.
"But sir, they have the second scroll!"
"Do you think that we didn't prepare for something like this?" he smiled.
She watched his smile and felt her own spread as well.
*~*~*
Cordelia swallowed down the pain pills and looked to Angel. "Where's everyone else?"
"Willow's on her way back to Sunnydale, Faith is resting, Chandra and Lindsey are upstairs talking and Fred and Wesley are trying to translate the second scroll." He rubbed her back. "What did you see?"
"It was big and purple, kinda angry, really mean, big claws. It was in Wesley's office." She looked to the open door to Wesley's office. No monster. "Okay, so why the faulty vision here?"
Gunn looked to the office as well. "Maybe we got a really advanced warning this time."
"That would be a switch."
*~*~*
Fred sat next to Wesley and looked over the words. "And people thought that what I wrote was crazy."
Wesley smiled to her before turning back to the scroll. "It talks about the `Child of Power.' It doesn't say whether or not the child will be good or evil really. And this could be something completely different. It might not have to do with Chandra."
Fred nodded and leaned over a bit more. "Are we sure we have the right scrolls? I mean, these seem pretty common as scrolls come and with the whole secret room full of things that…" She trailed off when she noticed Wesley staring at her. "What?"
He pinked slightly and looked back to the parchment. "Nothing. I'm sorry."
She smiled and kissed his cheek. "You're so sweet."
He smiled to her. "How so?"
"You noticed the pendant!" She held it up. It was a Celtic symbol etched in iron. "It was in my room."
Wesley lost some of his smile and looked closer to the pendant.
*~*~*
"Now."
*~*~*
Lindsey sat next to Chandra at a round table, Faith, Gunn and Cordelia sat around as well. They thought that maybe they could break some tension with a friendly poker game.
Chandra picked up the deck after distributing a fair amount of chips to everyone. "Okay, five card draw. It's the most basic and hey, I'm good at it." She grinned and shuffled the cards like a pro.
Gunn watched her. "Hey, Law Boy, where'd you say you met her?"
Lindsey smiled. "Vegas."
*~*~*
Angel had been watching passively from a distance. They all seemed to be having a good time. They were laughing and chatting and playing cards. Angel still couldn't fully trust Lindsey, but it seemed as if he truly did care about Chandra. He was protective and all big brotherly to her. Maybe this was what was needed to pull him to the good.
The vampire's eyes rested on the slayer at the table. She hadn't spoken to him since the earlier comment about her loving him. What was he to say? He wasn't sure if he loved her. It was all so confusing.
Sighing, Angel turned towards Wesley's office, hoping to get away in some text.
*~*~*
Fred jumped from Wesley's arm when she heard the door open. Her lips were swollen from kissing and her shirt was askew. Wesley took a moment longer to realize that someone was coming in. His glasses had been tossed on the desk, his tie gone, and his shirt unbuttoned.
Angel took one look at the two of them and turned, walking right back out.
*~*~*
"Well that wasn't much fun."
"I didn't do that one."
"I'm not having fun."
"Just watch."