Connor was a little annoyed at the moment. "I've been waiting for days to talk to everyone as a group so you guys can catch up on reality shows?"
"And Passions." Spike added helpfully.
Caitlin grinned. "Can't forget Passions. Or Saved By the Bell."
He threw his hands up. "I want you both upstairs in ten minutes, or – or I'm telling!" He sputtered.
Caitlin looked amused. "Telling? Are we three?"
"We could have all been dead, taken out by the Senior Partners while you two hid down in the basement."
"I think you're overreacting." She stood, turned off the tv with the remote. "I swear, this had better be life-altering."
Spike stood as well and stretched. "I could use a smoke anyway. The princess here won't allow it in her sanctuary."
"Like I want to smell like dead cigarettes. You should quit." She countered as they followed Connor to the stairs.
"So you won't smell? That's rich. Not happening."
"Hasn't anyone ever told you girls don't want to kiss a guy who smokes?"
"Yeah? Who am I going to be kissing around here, I'd like to know?" He looked at her closely. "Unless you know something I don't, what with your ESP."
"Maybe. And don't call it ESP."
Connor rolled his eyes. "When did you two pick up the buddy-cop routine? Bonding over MTV?"
They reached the lobby. "Look at that." Faith said from her usual perch on top of the counter. "It's the living dead."
Connor and Caitlin joined Angel at the desk, Spike going to lean on the counter next to Faith. Connor pulled out a clipboard, causing Caitlin to quirk an eyebrow. The boy took his research far too seriously. She was sure it would help in the long run, but in the meanwhile, point her toward something she could kill, then let her lounge. The first few weeks after they arrived in LA, she and Faith had patrolled every night, but soon realized there was a natural equilibrium to the city. Groups like Gunn's old gang were stationed strategically in each district, keeping the vampires and demons to manageable levels. Now they only went out once or twice a week, just to keep an ear to the ground and continue developing contacts, unless Caitlin had a vision.
She smiled to herself as Connor assumed what she thought of as lecture position. She saw Lorne in a chair by Faith and gave him a little wave, then gave Connor her full attention. She was afraid if she didn't he'd start giving them pop quizzes.
"We're basically in the same place we were, so I decided to focus on one of our major questions – how Dad returned from Hell. I spoke to Giles and he doesn't know much more than us, even though they looked into in depth right after it happened. He did mention that the First visited Angel, but I don't know if it helps."
"I don't see why not." Caitlin said. "I mean the First is the ultimate evil, right?"
"In this dimension." Illyria said from behind them.
Caitlin frowned. "I don't get it. Evil is evil everywhere, right?"
"Not really." Connor said. "We know the Senior Partners aren't able to work directly in this dimension and that's why they work through Wolfram and Hart and the Circle of the Black Thorn." He glanced at Lorne. "According to Wesley's files, what little of them are still here, in Pylea they worked through priests." Lorne nodded. Connor continued, "I don't remember any mention of them in Quor-Toth, but I didn't really chat with the natives a lot."
Illyria smirked. "When the Old Ones and the pure demons were cast from this dimension, the First Evil could have gone on to a demon dimension as well. Foolishly, it chose to remain here, even though it has no physical power, because it enjoys the taste of evil in humans."
Everyone looked at her in surprise. That was probably the longest and most coherent statement she'd made yet. Caitlin recovered first. "That just proves my point. If the First feeds off evil, and Wolfram and Hart support evil, they're probably connected."
"But not necessarily working together." Connor said. "Still, it's worth looking into, if we can figure out how Angel returned in the first place."
Angel shrugged. "Maybe we won't be able to figure it out. I don't see how Wolfram and Hart could be involved anyway."
"I have a theory." Caitlin said. She looked at Angel apologetically. "You won't like it, but I think it's worth mentioning."
"Something is better than nothing." Connor said. "Shoot."
"And Passions." Spike added helpfully.
Caitlin grinned. "Can't forget Passions. Or Saved By the Bell."
He threw his hands up. "I want you both upstairs in ten minutes, or – or I'm telling!" He sputtered.
Caitlin looked amused. "Telling? Are we three?"
"We could have all been dead, taken out by the Senior Partners while you two hid down in the basement."
"I think you're overreacting." She stood, turned off the tv with the remote. "I swear, this had better be life-altering."
Spike stood as well and stretched. "I could use a smoke anyway. The princess here won't allow it in her sanctuary."
"Like I want to smell like dead cigarettes. You should quit." She countered as they followed Connor to the stairs.
"So you won't smell? That's rich. Not happening."
"Hasn't anyone ever told you girls don't want to kiss a guy who smokes?"
"Yeah? Who am I going to be kissing around here, I'd like to know?" He looked at her closely. "Unless you know something I don't, what with your ESP."
"Maybe. And don't call it ESP."
Connor rolled his eyes. "When did you two pick up the buddy-cop routine? Bonding over MTV?"
They reached the lobby. "Look at that." Faith said from her usual perch on top of the counter. "It's the living dead."
Connor and Caitlin joined Angel at the desk, Spike going to lean on the counter next to Faith. Connor pulled out a clipboard, causing Caitlin to quirk an eyebrow. The boy took his research far too seriously. She was sure it would help in the long run, but in the meanwhile, point her toward something she could kill, then let her lounge. The first few weeks after they arrived in LA, she and Faith had patrolled every night, but soon realized there was a natural equilibrium to the city. Groups like Gunn's old gang were stationed strategically in each district, keeping the vampires and demons to manageable levels. Now they only went out once or twice a week, just to keep an ear to the ground and continue developing contacts, unless Caitlin had a vision.
She smiled to herself as Connor assumed what she thought of as lecture position. She saw Lorne in a chair by Faith and gave him a little wave, then gave Connor her full attention. She was afraid if she didn't he'd start giving them pop quizzes.
"We're basically in the same place we were, so I decided to focus on one of our major questions – how Dad returned from Hell. I spoke to Giles and he doesn't know much more than us, even though they looked into in depth right after it happened. He did mention that the First visited Angel, but I don't know if it helps."
"I don't see why not." Caitlin said. "I mean the First is the ultimate evil, right?"
"In this dimension." Illyria said from behind them.
Caitlin frowned. "I don't get it. Evil is evil everywhere, right?"
"Not really." Connor said. "We know the Senior Partners aren't able to work directly in this dimension and that's why they work through Wolfram and Hart and the Circle of the Black Thorn." He glanced at Lorne. "According to Wesley's files, what little of them are still here, in Pylea they worked through priests." Lorne nodded. Connor continued, "I don't remember any mention of them in Quor-Toth, but I didn't really chat with the natives a lot."
Illyria smirked. "When the Old Ones and the pure demons were cast from this dimension, the First Evil could have gone on to a demon dimension as well. Foolishly, it chose to remain here, even though it has no physical power, because it enjoys the taste of evil in humans."
Everyone looked at her in surprise. That was probably the longest and most coherent statement she'd made yet. Caitlin recovered first. "That just proves my point. If the First feeds off evil, and Wolfram and Hart support evil, they're probably connected."
"But not necessarily working together." Connor said. "Still, it's worth looking into, if we can figure out how Angel returned in the first place."
Angel shrugged. "Maybe we won't be able to figure it out. I don't see how Wolfram and Hart could be involved anyway."
"I have a theory." Caitlin said. She looked at Angel apologetically. "You won't like it, but I think it's worth mentioning."
"Something is better than nothing." Connor said. "Shoot."