A/N: Well, here's the next chapter. Hope ya'll like it!
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"What are you doing –here-?" Angel asked the woman. She only smiled. "Is that how you greet me Angelus? Or should I say, Angel?" She snickered to herself at that. "Trying to seek redemption for all the things you've done? Id've never thought that the almighty Angelus would be reduced to a soulful goody-goody who saves the innocents instead of torturing them like he used to."
"Who's she?" Whispered Cordelia to Wesley. "Whoever she is, she must have known Angel before he received his soul. That's why she's calling him Angelus." "Right..." Cordy replied. "...and that is... bad?" "Most likely, yes." Wesley stated, his eyes on the 'mystery woman'.
"Get out of here, Merlot. I'm not him, not anymore." Angel said through clenched teeth. "Oh, you mean Angelus? You're all good now, eh? Riiiiight. Angel, you'll always be him, part of you will always be Angelus." Teased Merlot, green eyes gleaming with pleasure. "No... no..." Angel stammered, shaking his head in disbelief. "Angel?" Asked Cordy. "Who's this? Merlot, or whoever her name is. Who is she?" "Ummm..." Angel said, unsure. "Ummm... Merlot, this is Cordelia Chase and Wesley Wyndham-Price." He introduced, gesturing toward each of them. "Guys, this is Merlot. She's... err..." He trailed off. "I'm his childe, one of them, anyway." Finished Merlot.
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Wesley's eyes widened. "Angel... is this true?" Angel looked back at Wesley, like he just snapped out of a trance. "Hm? Oh... no, of course not." He said, shaking his head. Merlot smiled. In time, in time they will know... She thought to herself, flicking a strand of auburn hair from her eyes. "Don't kid yourself, Angelus. You and I both know the truth... the choice you goody-goody had got to make is whether to trust your crew with the truth..." Merlot said in a sincere, yet somehow teasing voice. Angel only stared for a short time, then exited to his room silently.
Merlot turned to the two. "Is Angel always this..." "Silent? Secretive of his past doings as Angelus? Yeah, pretty much. Unless he's in a good mood." Answered Cordelia, nodding. Merlot nodded understandingly, then turned her gaze to the still-shocked Wesley. "So, you must be the researcher. Cordy here is the vision girl, and dear Angel must be the -boss-. Always ran things, acted like it anyway." The woman shook her head. "And here he is, with a soul, and he still is. Guess some things never change, soul or not." Merlot smiled at this, and walked toward the door. "And Cordelia?" "Yeah?" Answered Cordy. "Tell Angel I'll be back tomorrow night... to -talk-." And then the female exited to get back to her current residence before sunrise.
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Meanwhile, Angel was lying in bed, shirt off and thrown somewhere around the room. His hands were folded behind his head, deep in thought. Why me? Why her? Why now? I knew she'd show up sometime, eventually, but never thought it'd be this soon... Thinking about the situation for a while longer, he eventually fell asleep.
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"Cordelia?" Wesley asked. "Yeah?" she answered. "We should... 'dig up some dirt', as you all say, on this Merlot." The British man suggested, heading over to get a few books. "Alright, I'll see if there's any reference to her on the web." Cordy decided, and headed for the office to use the computer. ------
Next: Why is Angel loathing Merlot's appearance? What will Wesley and Cordelia find out about Merlot? Find out in: Chapter Three!
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"What are you doing –here-?" Angel asked the woman. She only smiled. "Is that how you greet me Angelus? Or should I say, Angel?" She snickered to herself at that. "Trying to seek redemption for all the things you've done? Id've never thought that the almighty Angelus would be reduced to a soulful goody-goody who saves the innocents instead of torturing them like he used to."
"Who's she?" Whispered Cordelia to Wesley. "Whoever she is, she must have known Angel before he received his soul. That's why she's calling him Angelus." "Right..." Cordy replied. "...and that is... bad?" "Most likely, yes." Wesley stated, his eyes on the 'mystery woman'.
"Get out of here, Merlot. I'm not him, not anymore." Angel said through clenched teeth. "Oh, you mean Angelus? You're all good now, eh? Riiiiight. Angel, you'll always be him, part of you will always be Angelus." Teased Merlot, green eyes gleaming with pleasure. "No... no..." Angel stammered, shaking his head in disbelief. "Angel?" Asked Cordy. "Who's this? Merlot, or whoever her name is. Who is she?" "Ummm..." Angel said, unsure. "Ummm... Merlot, this is Cordelia Chase and Wesley Wyndham-Price." He introduced, gesturing toward each of them. "Guys, this is Merlot. She's... err..." He trailed off. "I'm his childe, one of them, anyway." Finished Merlot.
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Wesley's eyes widened. "Angel... is this true?" Angel looked back at Wesley, like he just snapped out of a trance. "Hm? Oh... no, of course not." He said, shaking his head. Merlot smiled. In time, in time they will know... She thought to herself, flicking a strand of auburn hair from her eyes. "Don't kid yourself, Angelus. You and I both know the truth... the choice you goody-goody had got to make is whether to trust your crew with the truth..." Merlot said in a sincere, yet somehow teasing voice. Angel only stared for a short time, then exited to his room silently.
Merlot turned to the two. "Is Angel always this..." "Silent? Secretive of his past doings as Angelus? Yeah, pretty much. Unless he's in a good mood." Answered Cordelia, nodding. Merlot nodded understandingly, then turned her gaze to the still-shocked Wesley. "So, you must be the researcher. Cordy here is the vision girl, and dear Angel must be the -boss-. Always ran things, acted like it anyway." The woman shook her head. "And here he is, with a soul, and he still is. Guess some things never change, soul or not." Merlot smiled at this, and walked toward the door. "And Cordelia?" "Yeah?" Answered Cordy. "Tell Angel I'll be back tomorrow night... to -talk-." And then the female exited to get back to her current residence before sunrise.
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Meanwhile, Angel was lying in bed, shirt off and thrown somewhere around the room. His hands were folded behind his head, deep in thought. Why me? Why her? Why now? I knew she'd show up sometime, eventually, but never thought it'd be this soon... Thinking about the situation for a while longer, he eventually fell asleep.
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"Cordelia?" Wesley asked. "Yeah?" she answered. "We should... 'dig up some dirt', as you all say, on this Merlot." The British man suggested, heading over to get a few books. "Alright, I'll see if there's any reference to her on the web." Cordy decided, and headed for the office to use the computer. ------
Next: Why is Angel loathing Merlot's appearance? What will Wesley and Cordelia find out about Merlot? Find out in: Chapter Three!
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