Something Beautiful
Chapter Five: Disturbed? Well Yeah

"I'd like five copies of this, please, Harmony," Wes said icily, extending his arm stiffly to hand her a couple of sheets of paper. From under his arm he pulled a file and flicked through it as Harmony took the papers with a tremulous smile. He glanced up and didn't return her smile. "And if you have a spare moment, I'd like to see the Inubik file. I'm sorry to be asking you this," he met her eyes frostily. "But, as you know, I no longer have a PA."

"I know," Harmony said, ignoring the pointed comment. "I'll get right on it. I'll have the copies on your desk in five minutes and then I'll go straight down to Files and Records for the Inubik file," she grinned at him. "And I could make you a coffee too, if you'd like…?"

"That's quite all right," he answered sharply, "I can make my own."

He turned on his heel and strode away, as Harmony clutched at the papers in her hands, stomach lurching.

"Wesley!" she called out suddenly, standing up.

He turned suddenly, fixing her with the hard, cold look he had given her ever since her admission three days ago. She gulped, squirmed and glanced down.

"It looks like we could be busy; we might not finish 'til late. What do you say to a pizza?" this elicited no response from Wesley and Harmony gulped and tried again. "KFC? MacDonald's? Taco Be-"

"You've got work to do, Harmony," Wes cut in shortly, turning and walking away.

Harmony watched him go, her eyes pricking as she left her desk to go to the photocopier.

She leaned heavily against the copier, sighing as she once again cursed herself for opening her big mouth. Harmony didn't do consequences, she never had. Yet, for some reason, what she had done to Louise had preyed on her mind.

She had been looking for a girlfriend for Wesley and yet she had decided Louise wasn't good enough and got rid of her. She couldn't get the fact that she had lied to Wesley and about Wesley out of her mind and it was driving her crazy. So she decided to tell all, telling herself that Wesley would understand, he would commend her bravery for coming clean.

"Let me get this straight," he had said after a long silence, his low voice making her shiver. "You told Louise that I was a womaniser, that I would use her?"

"Not exactly," she had replied evasively. "I never said use…"

"But that's what it amounted to? And, added to that, you told the entire staff that Gunn's gay?"

"I was trying to help you!"

"If that's your idea of help, Harmony, I'd really rather you didn't. Now, if you'll excuse me."

He had got up then and Harmony was devastated that it hadn't gone to plan, that he hadn't said it was ok and he was pleased she had come clean. She jumped up and ran after him, catching up with him in corridor, grabbing his elbow to force him to a halt.

"I didn't mean to upset you," she had said, her desperation creeping into her voice. "You know how I am. I can't be subtle, I-I don't think. You knew that from our first real conversation. Before that even!"

"When are you going to stop blaming everything on your ditzy image?" he had snapped in fierce reply. "You and I both know it's little more than an act. God, Harmony, why did you do it?"

"I was trying to stop the rumours about you!"

"You know damn well that's not what I'm talking about!"

"I… She wasn't right for you!"

"And you reserve the right to make that decision for me, do you? It's not your place to decide who I can or can't see. It's my life, as the song says. Now, I'm going to my office and you're going back to your desk. I've got work to do and so have you."

And ever since, that was how every conversation ended. With him reminding her she had work to do or saying he had work. Apart from short exchanges about work, they hadn't properly spoken since.

Despite Harmony's continuous attempts at extending an olive branch, Wes had rejected every one.

And Harmony was running out of ideas.

"His name's Harper," Angel said, pausing as the photo was passed around the group. "He's a client. Been in Europe, but now he's back and expecting to go back to his old deal with Wolfram and Hart."

"What do you want to do about it?" Fred asked, handing the photo back to Angel.

"There's a lot more to him than we know about," Angel answered. "His company was embezzling millions, but I think there's more to it than that."

Gunn stepped forward, placed his briefcase on the desk and opened it. He passed around a new stack of photographs. They were more graphic than the first. The first photograph had been of a handsome man, with light hair and stubble. The second stack of photos were of crime scenes. Young women, blood spattered, with wide glassy eyes stared up at them and Fred handed them back with a shudder.

"So he goes in for sacrifices, huh?" Lorne asked, looking a little paler than normal. "What's the betting this kid never saw a Disney movie in his entire life? No, scratch that, what's the betting he did? Repeatedly?" he gave a weak laugh that evaporated when no one so much as smiled.

"Well, sooner or later, he's gonna be in contact," Angel said grimly. "I think most of these killings took place with the help of our Ritualistic Sacrifices department. We'll get him, guys."

Harmony was wandering morosely down the hall, a pile of files in her arms. Wesley would forgive her, she was sure of it. After all, she had been trying to help him. As soon as he got that, everything would be fine. He'd need all the help he could get now that Louise was gone and Wes knew she always did a good job.

"Ow!" she cried, as her ankle twisted suddenly in her high heels, the files tumbled from her arms and she hit the floor hard.

"Hey, let me help you."

Harmony looked up from where she was picking up the files and found herself staring into bright green eyes. The man smiling at her was handsome, clean shaven, with sparkling green eyes and an untidy mess of sandy hair, dressed in faded jeans and checked shirt.

"Oh, thanks," she smiled back at him and accepted his hand as he pulled her to his feet.

"Scott," he introduced himself, offering her his hand.

"Harmony," she replied, shaking his hand.

"So, Harmony, what's a pretty girl like you doing working in a place like this?"

"Trying to earn a living," she answered. "You?"

"Trying to make one," he replied. "Tell me, you busy at all?"

"Right now? Well, yeah, I mean, I've got paperwork. But later, no."

"Good. I'll see you in the lobby at eight."

They had reached her desk and he placed his share of the files on the desk. He gave her a disarming grin and went over to Angel's office, entering without knocking.

Harmony watched him, with a small, happy smile. Wesley walked into the lobby, glanced at her, noted the smile and followed her gaze through the glass walls of Angel's office.

He stared at the man in Angel's office and felt his stomach churn.

"Hey, 'scuse me."

Wesley turned to meet the owner of the voice. He raked his gaze over the man before him, instantly recognising the sandy haired man who had spoken to Harmony earlier before disappearing into Angel's office.

"Yes?" Wes answered, tone polite, yet vaguely scathing.

"I'm Scott Harper. I'm just on my way back from the Ritualistic Sacrifices department," he explained, sticking out his hand.

Wes nodded, taking the offered hand and gave it a quick shake as he remembered Spike and Fred had taken over an office to masquerade as the Ritualistic Sacrifices department for the benefit of Mr Harper.

"I see," Wes nodded. "And what can I do for you?"

"Ah, well, you see, I need pointing in the direction of Harmony's desk," he shot Wes a knowing smirk. "I'm taking her to dinner."

"Ah," Wes nodded, clenching his jaw against his fury.

He toyed briefly with the idea of telling Harper that Harmony had a boyfriend, had gone home, was gay, had been hit by a bus. Anything to stop her going on a date with this man. But then he remembered the cold betrayal he felt when she had admitted that she had gotten rid of Louise by telling her he was a womaniser.

"So," Harper prompted. "Can you point me in the right direction?"

"I'll show you," Wes said, leading Harper through the maze of corridors until they reached the main lobby. "Why don't you get a drink," he indicated the water cooler in the corner. "There's just something I need to go over with Harmony."

"Sure," Harper nodded, glancing at Harmony who hadn't noticed he had entered the lobby.

"Harmony," Wes said, voice quiet and urgent as he leaned over her desk, glancing back to make sure Harper was at the other end of the lobby.

"Wesley?" Harmony stared at him, surprised at the lack of ice in his tone. Defensively she narrowed her eyes. "What do you want?"

"You can't go out with him," he said bluntly, indicating Harper which a jerk of his chin.

Harmony blinked, shocked, amazed and not a little indignant. Her fingers clenched around her pen and it snapped along with her temper. She stood up sharply and glared at him, her hands gripping the top of her desk furiously.

"Excuse me? Are you telling me not to go out with someone after the fuss you made about Louise?" she hissed

"That was different," he replied shortly. "This is for your own good."

He tried not to think about how much he sounded like his father. He folded his arms and scowled, wondering vaguely whether, as her superior, he could forbid her from dating a client.

"Louise wasn't right for you," Harmony said stubbornly, folding her arms in a good impersonation of him. "That was for your own good."

"Harmony, will you please listen to me?" he unfolded her arms, leaning close to her. "Harper is not the man for you. You can do a lot better."

"His name is Scott," she grabbed her purse, looking through it for her lip gloss. "You wanna tell me exactly why he's so bad for me?"

"He's…" Wes tailed off, remembering the delicacy of the situation. "I can't tell you."

Harmony had sat down again and was applying her lip gloss carefully, she gave him a measuring look, lips pursed, eyes narrowed. Her gaze flickered over his shoulder to see Harper approaching and stood up sharply.

"Sorry, Wesley," she said, shrugging with a mirthless smile. "Not good enough," she stepped around the desk, ignoring Wesley to smile widely at Harper. "Scott. Hi. Where're we going?"

Scott offered her his arm and she took it with a giggle. Wesley didn't hear Harper's answer as he had stomped past them, slamming into Angel's office.

"We have to do something about Harper," he snapped at a startled Angel. "Now."

"So," Harper shot Harmony a charming smile, leaning across the table. "How long have you been working at Wolfram and Hart?"

"Oh, you don't want to talk about work, do you?" Harmony smoothed her hair, shifting her chair closer to the table so that as she leaned forward, her cleavage was used to maximum effect.

"Why not?" Harper asked. "It's common ground, isn't it? And Wolfram and Hart's a pretty interesting place," he paused, running one, long slender finger up and down the side of a glass. "Especially since Angel took over."

"Well, I guess," Harmony shrugged, picking up the menu and skimming it quickly. She had never thought Wolfram and Hart was interesting. She'd had more fun during her one day at Angel Investigations than she had in all her months at Wolfram and Hart. She found the work monotonous and boring most of the time and the thrill of a new situation was soon drowned in paperwork.

She also felt uncomfortable with where this conversation was going and found herself avoiding the searching green gaze.

"Oh, I see," Harper affected a wounded tone. "You can't tell me, is that it? You can't discuss work?"

"It's just…" Harmony tailed off, feeling subdued with the way her date was going, with a sigh, she asked. "What do you want to know?"

"Nothing specific," Harper shrugged. "It's just I've been away a while. I had a lot of dealings with a certain department, but now I'm back from Europe, there's some new people running it and it looks kinda… smaller."

"What department?" Harmony asked, laying aside her menu, figuring this was a non-dangerous line of conversation.

"Ritualistic Sacrifices," he caught the look on her face and grabbed her hand. "Hey, babe, it's nothing evil. My company just provided the goats."

"I didn't think anything," Harmony smiled, slightly flustered, reaching to gulp from her glass of water. "So who's, uh, running this department now? It's, uh, clean slipped my mind."

"Something like Pike – no, Spike. And a girl, bony little thing - Fred, I think her name was."

Harmony's eyes widened and she almost choked on the water. She had been surprised to hear Scott Harper mention the Ritualistic Sacrifices department, it had been the first department scrapped when Angel took over. But he'd been away, she just thought that he hadn't found out yet and it wasn't down to her to tell him, that was Angel's job.

But Fred and Spike? Why would they pretend to run a department that didn't exist?

Recovering quickly, Harmony nodded.

"Yeah. You met Winifred Burkle and William the Bloody. They run the department now," she glanced around, trying to look like she was imparting secret information. "And they are so much more ruthless than the last two Heads of department. In fact, they turned the Heads of department into sacrifices."

"Really?" Harper drew out the word and leaned back, looking pleased.

Harmony pressed her hands flat on the table, smiled at him and wondered how she could wind this date up quickly.

The next morning, Harmony watched as the gang trooped into Angel's office. She hesitated, before getting up and practically running toward Angel's door, grabbing it to stop him closing it on her.

"Angel," she said. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"I'm about to start a meeting, Harmony," Angel replied tetchily. "I'll talk to you later."

"But it's important!"

"Later, Harmony!"

"But it's about -" Harmony winced as the door slammed in her face. "Harper."

She sighed and returned to her desk, propping her chin in her hand as she watched them through the glass walls.

Fred stood up to address the group and glanced at Wes, where he was tapping his pen quickly on the table in agitation. Angel plucked the pen from Wes's hand and Wes clasped his hands, giving Fred a small smile of apology.

"As you know," Fred started. "Spike and I set up a fake Ritualistic Sacrifices department to fool Harper. We had no real evidence to get him put away before. But now we do."

"You do?" Angel asked, sitting up straighter. "Already?"

"What evidence do you have?" Wes demanded.

Fred and Spike exchanged a smirk and from the leathery depths of his duster, Spike pulled a small tape recorder.

"We have one taped conversation. We have Harper on tape asking myself and Fred to find him a nice, ripe virgin – preferably a brunette, apparently blondes aren't his type – and to prepare a sacrifice."

"We got him," Angel thumped his clenched fists on the desk, then he glanced at Gunn. "That's enough, right?"

"Does he actually say he'll do the killing?" Gunn asked.

"We've paused it at the best bit," Spike grinned, pressing Play on the tape.

"…brunette, young, attractive. That's my specification."

"Any particular reason you want her?"

"Miss Burkle, I would have thought that were obvious."

"Unlike our predecessors, Mr Harper, we keep extensive records, just in case. The reason, Mr Harper?"

"An offering to the demon Goddess Unging. A blood sacrifice. I'd like an altar prepared. Make sure the knife's sharp – I can trust you with that, Spike? – I can't bear blunt instruments, makes the work messy."

"Yeah. Yeah, I'd know a thing or two about that."

"Course you would, Spike. Who knows, if I'm feeling in an especially good mood that night, I might let you watch. Killing is an art and I intend this girl to be my finest gift to the Goddess yet. Oh, make sure plastic sheeting is put down; it could get a little… gory. Although, I do hate mess when I kill. It's only murder if it's messy..."

Spike stopped the tape and held it out to Gunn.

"Yeah," Gunn said, voice low, feeling slightly sickened. "Yeah, that'll do it."

Wes was in his office, trying and failing to concentrate on some document that needed translating. He drummed his fingers with impatience, glanced at his watch and sighed. Gunn had said to wait before he said anything to Harmony, in case she tipped Harper off. The phone rang and Wes grabbed it halfway through its first ring.

"Yes?"

"It's me," Gunn said. "Our security is on their way to get Harper now. Should be ok if you tell her now; just keep an eye on her 'til we know he's been apprehended."

"Right. Thanks."

"No problem."

Wes put the phone down, hesitated for only a second, before getting up and heading out of his office to Harmony's desk.

Only she wasn't there. He stared at her empty desk, mind working over time, conjuring up all possible reasons for her absence. She had run off, that's what she had done, Harper had realised they were on to him and he was leaving. Taking Harmony with him. As a lover, as a hostage. As God knows what.

He took a deep breath.

"She's just gone to the photocopier, that's all," he muttered, turning in the direction of said photocopier.

His jaw clenched as he saw Harper sauntering along the hall, cell phone clamped to his ear. Wes sank back, listening intently to the one-sided conversation.

"… It's cool, dude. Everything's cool… C'mon, the CEO of this place is a pussycat and the people running the Ritualistic Sacrifices are actually a step up from the last lot. A vampire and a ruthless bitch who looks like butter wouldn't melt… What do you mean how do I know all this? How do you think? I've got an inside track, man… Oh yeah, some stupid ditz with God awful hair and the clothes, dude, you gotta see the clothes! Like something from an 80s revival gig. Made me wanna heave most of the evening, but I got the info I needed… Yeah, you too, man. It'll be a blast."

Feeling outraged, Wes grabbed hold of the collar of Harper's shirt as he passed and jerked him back so that he could grab his arm and twist it up behind his back. Pushing him towards a meeting room, Wes kicked the door open and shoved him inside. With a final, fierce push, Wes let him go and Harper slammed into the table, his cell phone clattering to the floor.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Harper demanded. "Have you got any idea who I am? How much business I put this company's way? Your boss is gonna be so -"

"My boss couldn't give a toss about you, Harper," Wes snapped. "In fact, in about," Wes glanced at his watch. "Oh, ten minutes, no one in this company will even bother to remember you."

"What's happening in ten minutes?" Harper asked, eyes darting around the room, looking for an escape route.

"Security are going to find you and you'll pay for your crimes. Or sacrifices as you like to call them. They won't make you pay for using a young woman as a source of information and insulting her," he gave Harper a grim smile. "I'll do that."

"What? You mean Harmony?" Harper gave a snort of laughter. "She's not a woman, she's a vampire. And what are you, her boyfriend?"

"A friend," Wes replied, arm snapping out, fist connecting soundly with Harper's nose. As Harper howled and grabbed his nose, Wes calmly took hold of his shoulder. He pushed Harper down and brought his knee up to meet Harper's stomach. "And I don't take kindly to my friends being insulted. Especially by an animal like you."

Harper lashed out at him. His punch was sloppy, catching Wes in the shoulder barely hard enough to bruise.

"Not very good at this are you?" Wes said, mock disappointment in his voice as he straightened Harper up and brought his fist crashing into Harper's cheekbone. "People like you make me sick. All those girls. All those girls who had families, people who cared about them. And you destroyed all that and enjoyed doing it. I can't actually believe you're human. Is that what you were going to do to Harmony when you were done with her?"

"Please, like I'd waste my talents on someone like her," Harper rasped, shoving Wesley away from him so that Wes banged hard into the wall with a grimace. "Having to spend an evening with her was a complete nightmare. Besides the hair, the clothes, she's got a laugh like nails on a chalkboard. Not to mention stupid -"

"She's worth ten of you," Wes snapped, moving away from the wall with a slight wince, putting all his strength into a final punch that sent Harper crashing to the floor.

"What…?"

Wes glanced up to see Harmony standing in the doorway, in front of Angel and the guys and a couple of security guards.

"Harmony," Wes said, glancing at the battered Harper on the floor. He wasn't sure how to interpret her stunned expression so he turned his gaze to Angel and rubbed his bruised back. "Ah, Angel. I, uh, found Harper."

Harmony tapped her lips with a pen as she waited for a document to print; she leaned back, stretching and yawning. It had been a long day, what with her suspicions about Harper, Harper's arrest, catching Wesley kicking the crap out of him.

That had been the biggest shock. Of course, Harmony knew that Wes could fight; he would have to in his line of work. And she knew he was unpredictable, she had heard the stories about him breaking Faith out of prison and the rumours about Lilah. She knew he had a temper, but she had thought he kept a tight rein on it.

Until she had seen Harper and Wes.

"… I can't actually believe you're human. Is that what you were going to do to Harmony when you were done with her?"

"Please, like I'd waste my talents on someone like her. Having to spend an evening with her was a complete nightmare. Besides the hair, the clothes, she's got a laugh like nails on a chalkboard. Not to mention stupid -"

"She's worth ten of you."

He had been defending her. After what she had told him, after the way he had reacted, that had been the last thing she had been expecting.

And, she thought, almost guiltily as she reached for the print-outs and leaned over to turn the computer off, he had looked kinda hot when he was kicking Harper's ass.

"Harmony."

She jumped, turning in her chair to see Wes looking down at her through the dull gloom of the lobby.

"Wes," she replied evenly.

"Can we talk?" he asked.

She shrugged, picked up her jacket and purse and went to sit on the stairs with him. She glanced at him, his profile shadowy and brooding in the half light.

"Why did you do it, Wes?" she asked after a moment. "Why did you fight him?"

"Because…" Wes frowned, as though trying to remember. "Have you seen the photos of his victims?" Harmony shook her head and Wes nodded. "Good. It's not pretty. He is quite possibly the cruellest man alive… And yet he had the gall to insult you."

"That's why?" Harmony stared at him, feeling a warm feeling grow in her stomach. "You beat him up because of what he did to his victims and because he insulted me?"

"That's pretty much it," Wes shrugged. "I suppose you think I'm an animal."

"No," Harmony said. "I'm a vampire; I can't make that kinda judgement. Anyway, I'm kinda flattered."

"I'm sorry, Harmony," Wes said softly. "About that thing with Louise."

Harmony snorted and shifted, turning away slightly, the memory of his previous coldness chilling the warm feeling inside.

"Yeah," she said coolly. "You should be."

"I mean for the way I reacted," he added. "I'm not sorry that I was upset about what you did."

"No," Harmony replied, casting him a sidelong glance. "Of course you're not," she nibbled her lip and gave a small, self conscious shrug. "But I get it. I shouldn't have lied about you. Or Gunn."

"No, you shouldn't. But I suppose I understand."

"You do?" Harmony's gaze was hopeful.

"Well, I guess you thought you were doing the right thing, though I don't think you were. But I felt the same way about Harper. I thought he was wrong for you and I tried to get involved," he glanced at her and stuck out his hand. "I'm sorry for overreacting… Friends?"

"I'm sorry for what I did with Louise and for not listening about Harper. Friends," she confirmed, shaking his hand. "So... Pizza and movie?"

"Why not?"