Part 4
After speaking for a few minutes, Giles put the phone down and turned around only to look into the faces of Buffy, Xander, and Willow in front of him. Startled by their closeness, he gave a little jump before he could stop himself. "Bloody Hell!"
Trying to slow his rapid heartbeat, he put a hand to his chest for a few seconds before returning it to his side as he glared at the three. "I thought you all were leaving."
"Well we were, but then Cordelia called, which hardly happens." Willow answered. "What happened?"
Buffy looked at him worriedly, "Giles! Did something happen to." she trailed off.
Giles looked at her confused for a moment before he regained his senses. "Oh no! He is just fine." He assured her.
She gave a small sign off relief before covering her emotions, "Well, that's good."
"Come on Giles, before the apocalypse comes. What did Queen C say?" Xander asked a little impatiently, wondering why his ex-girlfriend was calling.
"It seems that she had a vision about the Hellmouth opening. She will tell us more when she and the others get here."
Willow gave him a look, "Someone is trying to open the hellmouth AGAIN?" she asked annoyed. The others looked annoyed also at the idea of returning to the Mayor meat filled, burnt out library.
By that time, Riley, Tara, and Anya were near the little group.
"H-H-He-e-llmouth?" Tara asked a little frightened.
"It's ok sweetie. It is just this place in the library of my old high school that has mystical powers and things are drawn to it and try to open it." Willow said reassuring, and then added afterwards hastily, "But they always fail because we stop them." She looked towards the others, "But opening the Hellmouth? That idea is getting a little old."
"Well no one said that demons were original." Xander quipped.
Processing all the facts, Riley connected the Hellmouth to the place where the 3 demons were at last year when the others found out about him being in the Initiative. "That place in the library where the other demons were before? That's the Hellmouth?"
Xander nodded.
"Other things have tried to open it before?"
Xander nodded again.
"Shouldn't there be someone watching it then?"
"We don't really need to because it is not that easy to open a Hellmouth. There are usually chants, rituals, sacrifices, etc." Buffy told him.
Realizing that they were getting off the subject, Giles raised his voice a little, "Yes well, can we get back to Cordelia's vision. She saw it opening up again."
"Wait, slow down for a second. I think I got on the wrong train. Cordelia gets visions? Cordelia!?!" Xander asked that ended on a slight shout.
"Yes, it seems that Angel's friend from before passed his gift to her before he deceased." Giles told him.
"Oh."
"Wait, Angel? What does Angel have to do with this?" Riley asked the group, but mostly Buffy, confused as to why Buffy's ex creature of the night boyfriend was being mentioned.
"Oh, heh, I forgot to mention that? Cordelia works for Angel." Buffy told him with a guilty look on her face.
"Angel, that tall, dark and glowery guy from Thanksgiving?" Anya asked while smiling a little at the thought of meeting the hot looking vampire again.
Xander gave her a strange look wondering what she was thinking about. "Yep, glowery and broody, that's Angel."
"So are Cordelia, Angel, and Wesley coming here?" Willow asked cutting off whatever reply Riley would have had.
"Wesley?" Riley asked confused.
"Buffy's ex-watcher after Giles." Xander supplied helpfully. "He works for Angel too."
"Oh, well isn't that nice." Riley scoffed.
"Yes, they should be here in a few hours." Giles said answering Willow's question. "You all should probably just go out and we can all start researching again tomorrow with their help." He suggested.
"W-wait, w-w-who is Angel?" Tara asked shyly.
Willow looked to Buffy as if silently asking what to say. Riley also looked to her to see what she would say. When Buffy just looked to the floor and didn't reply, Willow tried to answer before Xander could make an insulting remark about him.
"Well, Angel is.."
**************
Angel came down the stairs of the Hyperion after dressing and packing a few clothes just in case.
"So Giles knows that we are coming right?" he asked after getting off the last step and putting his bag down.
"Yep." Cordelia answered as she looked at the bag then to him raising an eyebrow in question.
"We might have to stay there for a few days." He answered her silent question.
She just made a face at the thought of staying in Sunnydale, all things bad happen there.
"So we ready to go?"
"Yea, except for the sun that will turn you into dust." Cordelia said sarcastically as she gave him a fake smile.
"Oh right, then I guess we leave at sunset, which is." Angel looked at his watch, "30 minutes."
"Well, I guess that gives me some time to pack a bag. I'll be back soon." Cordelia said walking towards the door.
"Just pack for a couple days!" Angel reminded her as she walked out the door, hoping she wouldn't come back with a couple suitcases.
"I should go grab some clothes too, I assume." Wesley said. "Should we bring Gunn?"
"Hmm.I don't think so. I'll call him to watch after the place. If we need him we can always call him later."
"Well I'll be right back, will you be ok alone?" Wesley asked with a small smile on his face.
Angel just shot him a dark look and said "I'll be fine."
"Right then."
Wesley left and Angel walked toward the phone to call Gunn.
************
Lilah strode into Lindsey's office to be greeted by him, Buffy, and Holland.
"My sources say that Team Angel is going out of town." She said after she closed the door. Then paused, "It seems that Wondergirl had a vision and now they are heading towards Sunnydale," giving a look of distaste at the mention of the small town.
"Sunnydale? Isn't that where the Slayer lives?" Lindsey asked as he remembered the facts from the extensive file Wolfram & Hart had on Angel.
"Interesting." Holland mused. "Angel going to where the Slayer resides."
"Slayer," Buffy snarled, "I can't believe I'm a Slayer here. It's disgusting. All that goodness." She shook her head.
"So we follow them right?" Lindsey asked, anxious for Angel to get what he deserved, something that will knock his soul saving world upside down, and maybe a swift kick in the ass.
"Yes, I guess the plans may change a little due to this piece of information, but nothing major," Holland told the three while thinking of the next steps into getting Angel on their side with the help of the little blonde in the room.
// Buffy looked around the strange box that was containing her, looking for a way to escape. One second she was lying in her big bed of black silk, satin, and lace; the next second, she was in a cold, small, and cramped metal box. Deciding to use force, she gave precise blows to the same spot on the wall of the box until her knuckles broke and bled, but it did not give. A growl sounded in her throat as she heard the approaching footsteps. Humans. Three of them from what she can smell. The scent of Chanel wafted up to her nose with the help of her enhanced sense of smell, which identified one of the visitors as a female. The other two were decidedly male from the scent of cologne and aftershave that she could smell, and the distinct male tones of voice she heard.
"The Senior Partners were very impressed with your sacrifice. Trust me we'll even the score with him," a man said.
Senior Partners?, she thought.
"Yes, we will," a younger male voice stated with a cold certainty.
"Beginning with what's in that box," the other man told him.
In the box. Me?, she thought again trying to decipher what they wanted with her from the small piece of conversation she heard.
She could heard the clicking sounds of heels approaching her and a female voice speak as the woman in question came in view of her sight range through the openings in the box.
"We are all very pleased you're here. I know it's a bit confusing , but it's going to be better soon, a lot better, Buffy," the brunette said in a coddling tone of voice as if she were speaking to a young child, which Buffy certainly wasn't.
Anger taking her over at the way this woman was speaking to her she snarled and growled loudly, making the now nervous woman step back a few paces.
"I'm not a stupid, little child and I want to know who the hell you guys are," she said in a cold tone and then yelled out, "Oh yea, and LET ME OUT OF HERE!"
"Lilah, open the box, please," Holland told her calmly, even though there was a very irate vampire in the room.
Lilah, looked to him then the box. Calming herself, she walked towards it and opened the hatch and then hastily moved back.
The top of the box popped of and a petite blonde woman in vamp face wearing black leather pants and a low cut black tanktop stepped out.
"Hello there Buffy, I'm Holland Manners, and I represent Wolfram & Hart," he said as he stuck out his hand, but dropped it back to his side when he realized she wasn't going to shake his head.
Looking at her confused face he clarified, "Wolfram & Hart, the lawfirm."
"Hmm.evil lawyers...how unoriginal," she sneered.
Lindsey decided to take the initiative and stepped forward, "However unoriginal it is, I think we can help each other out."
Smiling a fake smile at the young man as she reverted into her human face, she replied, "Really? How would that be exactly?"
"Our firm has an interest in Angelus."
At the name 'Angelus' Buffy's ears perked up.//
"I think we will need to book a hotel somewhere outside of town. Lilah, Lindsey, I expect you to be accompanying Buffy and overlooking the project," Holland told the two lawyers.
Before she could protest the thought of staying near the small town, Holland asked, "Lilah, please make the arrangements."
She nodded her head curtly then turned to the phone to call a hotel with a face of dissatisfaction.
Heading towards the door, Holland turned around once more towards Buffy, "Also, remember, if you need anything, just ask."
Thinking for a moment, Buffy slowly smiled, "Well, some new clothes would be nice."
"Lilah," he said silently telling her to get the vampire some new clothes.
Lilah nodded while still on the phone.
"Looks like we're heading out of town." Buffy smiled.
"I guess so." Lindsey looked at the beautiful blonde and smiled. He looked down at his plastic hand. Angel will never know what hit him.
After speaking for a few minutes, Giles put the phone down and turned around only to look into the faces of Buffy, Xander, and Willow in front of him. Startled by their closeness, he gave a little jump before he could stop himself. "Bloody Hell!"
Trying to slow his rapid heartbeat, he put a hand to his chest for a few seconds before returning it to his side as he glared at the three. "I thought you all were leaving."
"Well we were, but then Cordelia called, which hardly happens." Willow answered. "What happened?"
Buffy looked at him worriedly, "Giles! Did something happen to." she trailed off.
Giles looked at her confused for a moment before he regained his senses. "Oh no! He is just fine." He assured her.
She gave a small sign off relief before covering her emotions, "Well, that's good."
"Come on Giles, before the apocalypse comes. What did Queen C say?" Xander asked a little impatiently, wondering why his ex-girlfriend was calling.
"It seems that she had a vision about the Hellmouth opening. She will tell us more when she and the others get here."
Willow gave him a look, "Someone is trying to open the hellmouth AGAIN?" she asked annoyed. The others looked annoyed also at the idea of returning to the Mayor meat filled, burnt out library.
By that time, Riley, Tara, and Anya were near the little group.
"H-H-He-e-llmouth?" Tara asked a little frightened.
"It's ok sweetie. It is just this place in the library of my old high school that has mystical powers and things are drawn to it and try to open it." Willow said reassuring, and then added afterwards hastily, "But they always fail because we stop them." She looked towards the others, "But opening the Hellmouth? That idea is getting a little old."
"Well no one said that demons were original." Xander quipped.
Processing all the facts, Riley connected the Hellmouth to the place where the 3 demons were at last year when the others found out about him being in the Initiative. "That place in the library where the other demons were before? That's the Hellmouth?"
Xander nodded.
"Other things have tried to open it before?"
Xander nodded again.
"Shouldn't there be someone watching it then?"
"We don't really need to because it is not that easy to open a Hellmouth. There are usually chants, rituals, sacrifices, etc." Buffy told him.
Realizing that they were getting off the subject, Giles raised his voice a little, "Yes well, can we get back to Cordelia's vision. She saw it opening up again."
"Wait, slow down for a second. I think I got on the wrong train. Cordelia gets visions? Cordelia!?!" Xander asked that ended on a slight shout.
"Yes, it seems that Angel's friend from before passed his gift to her before he deceased." Giles told him.
"Oh."
"Wait, Angel? What does Angel have to do with this?" Riley asked the group, but mostly Buffy, confused as to why Buffy's ex creature of the night boyfriend was being mentioned.
"Oh, heh, I forgot to mention that? Cordelia works for Angel." Buffy told him with a guilty look on her face.
"Angel, that tall, dark and glowery guy from Thanksgiving?" Anya asked while smiling a little at the thought of meeting the hot looking vampire again.
Xander gave her a strange look wondering what she was thinking about. "Yep, glowery and broody, that's Angel."
"So are Cordelia, Angel, and Wesley coming here?" Willow asked cutting off whatever reply Riley would have had.
"Wesley?" Riley asked confused.
"Buffy's ex-watcher after Giles." Xander supplied helpfully. "He works for Angel too."
"Oh, well isn't that nice." Riley scoffed.
"Yes, they should be here in a few hours." Giles said answering Willow's question. "You all should probably just go out and we can all start researching again tomorrow with their help." He suggested.
"W-wait, w-w-who is Angel?" Tara asked shyly.
Willow looked to Buffy as if silently asking what to say. Riley also looked to her to see what she would say. When Buffy just looked to the floor and didn't reply, Willow tried to answer before Xander could make an insulting remark about him.
"Well, Angel is.."
**************
Angel came down the stairs of the Hyperion after dressing and packing a few clothes just in case.
"So Giles knows that we are coming right?" he asked after getting off the last step and putting his bag down.
"Yep." Cordelia answered as she looked at the bag then to him raising an eyebrow in question.
"We might have to stay there for a few days." He answered her silent question.
She just made a face at the thought of staying in Sunnydale, all things bad happen there.
"So we ready to go?"
"Yea, except for the sun that will turn you into dust." Cordelia said sarcastically as she gave him a fake smile.
"Oh right, then I guess we leave at sunset, which is." Angel looked at his watch, "30 minutes."
"Well, I guess that gives me some time to pack a bag. I'll be back soon." Cordelia said walking towards the door.
"Just pack for a couple days!" Angel reminded her as she walked out the door, hoping she wouldn't come back with a couple suitcases.
"I should go grab some clothes too, I assume." Wesley said. "Should we bring Gunn?"
"Hmm.I don't think so. I'll call him to watch after the place. If we need him we can always call him later."
"Well I'll be right back, will you be ok alone?" Wesley asked with a small smile on his face.
Angel just shot him a dark look and said "I'll be fine."
"Right then."
Wesley left and Angel walked toward the phone to call Gunn.
************
Lilah strode into Lindsey's office to be greeted by him, Buffy, and Holland.
"My sources say that Team Angel is going out of town." She said after she closed the door. Then paused, "It seems that Wondergirl had a vision and now they are heading towards Sunnydale," giving a look of distaste at the mention of the small town.
"Sunnydale? Isn't that where the Slayer lives?" Lindsey asked as he remembered the facts from the extensive file Wolfram & Hart had on Angel.
"Interesting." Holland mused. "Angel going to where the Slayer resides."
"Slayer," Buffy snarled, "I can't believe I'm a Slayer here. It's disgusting. All that goodness." She shook her head.
"So we follow them right?" Lindsey asked, anxious for Angel to get what he deserved, something that will knock his soul saving world upside down, and maybe a swift kick in the ass.
"Yes, I guess the plans may change a little due to this piece of information, but nothing major," Holland told the three while thinking of the next steps into getting Angel on their side with the help of the little blonde in the room.
// Buffy looked around the strange box that was containing her, looking for a way to escape. One second she was lying in her big bed of black silk, satin, and lace; the next second, she was in a cold, small, and cramped metal box. Deciding to use force, she gave precise blows to the same spot on the wall of the box until her knuckles broke and bled, but it did not give. A growl sounded in her throat as she heard the approaching footsteps. Humans. Three of them from what she can smell. The scent of Chanel wafted up to her nose with the help of her enhanced sense of smell, which identified one of the visitors as a female. The other two were decidedly male from the scent of cologne and aftershave that she could smell, and the distinct male tones of voice she heard.
"The Senior Partners were very impressed with your sacrifice. Trust me we'll even the score with him," a man said.
Senior Partners?, she thought.
"Yes, we will," a younger male voice stated with a cold certainty.
"Beginning with what's in that box," the other man told him.
In the box. Me?, she thought again trying to decipher what they wanted with her from the small piece of conversation she heard.
She could heard the clicking sounds of heels approaching her and a female voice speak as the woman in question came in view of her sight range through the openings in the box.
"We are all very pleased you're here. I know it's a bit confusing , but it's going to be better soon, a lot better, Buffy," the brunette said in a coddling tone of voice as if she were speaking to a young child, which Buffy certainly wasn't.
Anger taking her over at the way this woman was speaking to her she snarled and growled loudly, making the now nervous woman step back a few paces.
"I'm not a stupid, little child and I want to know who the hell you guys are," she said in a cold tone and then yelled out, "Oh yea, and LET ME OUT OF HERE!"
"Lilah, open the box, please," Holland told her calmly, even though there was a very irate vampire in the room.
Lilah, looked to him then the box. Calming herself, she walked towards it and opened the hatch and then hastily moved back.
The top of the box popped of and a petite blonde woman in vamp face wearing black leather pants and a low cut black tanktop stepped out.
"Hello there Buffy, I'm Holland Manners, and I represent Wolfram & Hart," he said as he stuck out his hand, but dropped it back to his side when he realized she wasn't going to shake his head.
Looking at her confused face he clarified, "Wolfram & Hart, the lawfirm."
"Hmm.evil lawyers...how unoriginal," she sneered.
Lindsey decided to take the initiative and stepped forward, "However unoriginal it is, I think we can help each other out."
Smiling a fake smile at the young man as she reverted into her human face, she replied, "Really? How would that be exactly?"
"Our firm has an interest in Angelus."
At the name 'Angelus' Buffy's ears perked up.//
"I think we will need to book a hotel somewhere outside of town. Lilah, Lindsey, I expect you to be accompanying Buffy and overlooking the project," Holland told the two lawyers.
Before she could protest the thought of staying near the small town, Holland asked, "Lilah, please make the arrangements."
She nodded her head curtly then turned to the phone to call a hotel with a face of dissatisfaction.
Heading towards the door, Holland turned around once more towards Buffy, "Also, remember, if you need anything, just ask."
Thinking for a moment, Buffy slowly smiled, "Well, some new clothes would be nice."
"Lilah," he said silently telling her to get the vampire some new clothes.
Lilah nodded while still on the phone.
"Looks like we're heading out of town." Buffy smiled.
"I guess so." Lindsey looked at the beautiful blonde and smiled. He looked down at his plastic hand. Angel will never know what hit him.