Two of A Kind
Chapter 5: All Is Revealed
By: Rogue-Slayer13
Disclaimer: The characters of Btvs and Ats belong to Joss Whedon, not myself. People wonder where I get some of the straight from the show dialogue, and just so everyone knows, anytime I have any, it comes from Buffy-vs-Angel. com.
Summary: See previous chapter
All italics are thoughts, while only partial italics or emphasized.
A/N: I've decided to change this fic up a bit and have it go more along the lines of the show. This could be for the better or it could be for the worse, not really sure yet.
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"How was it?" asked Wesley as Spike and Faith came into his office.
The two stopped and looked at each other before looking back at Wesley with expressions similar to those worn by children who've been caught doing something bad.
"How was what?" asked Spike.
"Last night," clarified Wesley. "Sleeping on the couch and in the office. I hope you both were comfortable enough."
"Oh, that!" said Faith with a sigh of relief. "It was fine."
Wesley eyed the two before him for a moment before going on.
"Gunn, Lorne, and Illyria should be back from the archives in just a moment."
"What'd they go down there for?" Spike sat down in the chair in front of Wesley's desk.
"I asked them to retrieve a few files for some of Wolfram & Hart's more . . ." Wesley thought about how to word his sentence. "Elite clients."
"You think they're in with the circle?" asked Faith as she sat in the other available chair.
"All of our evidence so far is pointing that way."
"Who are they?"
"The Fell Brethren for one."
"The people who Angel signed the kid off to?" asked Faith.
"That would be them," replied Wesley.
"Hmm . . ." Faith turned to see the others come into the office.
"You will not believe how hard it was to find these," said Gunn as he set a stack of files down on Wesley's desk.
"Were they hidden?" asked the former watcher.
"No, but they certainly aren't among the Senior Partners' top priorities."
"Next time we go down there, we're bringing a ladder," said Lorne as he brushed his shoulders off.
"What do you mean?" asked Faith.
"The mortal used the green one to reach the top of the cases," informed Illyria.
"You used Lorne for a bloody ladder?" asked Spike with a grin.
"It was our only choice," said Gunn in his defense.
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"So, are we going to try and talk to Angel again?" asked Gunn.
"Oh and y'know how well it went last time we tried that," commented Spike after the group got done going through the files.
"From the way he's been acting and the info we've got, I think we're beyond talking," said Faith.
"I think we should confront Angel, even if it isn't under peaceful circumstances," said Wesley.
"What do you mean?" asked Lorne.
"It'll all depend on how Angel reacts," said Wesley.
"I gotta go, I've got an appointment in five minutes," said Gunn as he got to his feet.
"That reminds me, I have a client meeting me for lunch halfway across town," said Lorne.
"Then I guess I'll see you around," said Wesley as everyone departed from his office.
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"We need to talk," said Spike as he caught up to Faith in the hallway.
"About what?" Faith stopped in the middle of the hallway and looked at Spike.
Spike eyed Faith.
"Oh, about that," said Faith, knowing exactly what Spike was talking about.
"Yeah, about that . . ."
"We were drunk, shit happens," said Faith with a shrug.
"Is that all?" asked Spike who was expecting more of a Buffy like reaction.
"I guess. I mean, what's done is done, no need to worry about it. I'm just upset I don't remember if it was good or not." Faith smiled.
"You are so much better then Buffy."
"In bed or in person?" asked Faith with a smirk.
"Probably in both," said Spike with a matching smirk as he turned and walked away.
"He is such a tease," commented Faith to no one in particular.
"Who is?"
Faith turned to see Lorne standing behind her in the hallway.
"Nothing." Faith turned and walked down the opposite end of the hallway and toward the cafeteria.
Lorne eyed the two different directions that Spike and Faith took for a moment before shrugging and continuing on his way.
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"Hey Wes!" Said Harmony cheerfully as Wesley walked past her desk.
"Good afternoon Harmony," replied Wesley, not looking up from the file he was reading.
"Are you guys having a fight with Angel or something?"
"Whatever gave you that idea?" Wesley looked up at the blonde.
"Well the whole forcing him into his office so you could 'talk'," Harmony made finger quotes as she said talk. "Kind of gave me the impression that there was some negative feelings there."
"It was nothing."
Harmony looked at Wesley for a moment before a look of realization came across her face.
"Oh! I get it. It was 'nothing'," again Harmony used finger quotes. "I won't tell anyone about the nothing that happened yesterday." Harmony winked at Wesley.
"Yes, well, I need to be going." Wesley turned and walked toward his office and away from the airheaded blonde.
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"I think it's time we talk to Lindsey again."
Wesley looked up at Faith.
"Why do you say that?"
"He's holding out on us," replied the brunette as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I mean, do you really think that after working for Evil Inc., for so long he wouldn't know just a little bit about their clientele?"
"It's worth a shot," said Wesley as he got up and headed for the door with Faith.
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"So, to what do I owe the pleasure for this visit?" asked Lindsey as he sat down in the interrogation room.
"You know exactly why you're here Lindsey," said Faith.
"Never thought I'd see the day when you started being a team player." Lindsey eyed Faith. "Have you slept with any of them yet?"
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" replied Faith.
"Come on, we know you banged Angel and Buffy's other boyfriend and I heard all about the body switch and Spike."
"We're not here to talk about Faith," said Wesley. "We want to know everything you know about the Circle and I mean everything."
"I already told ya what I know."
"Tell us again," said Gunn. "Maybe you'll remember something."
Lindsey looked at the group gathered in front of him before sighing.
"The Circle's small. It's elite. They got connections you boys can't even comprehend."
"They're evil," said Wesley.
"Sure," said Lindsey with a nod. "But evil's not the point. Power is."
"Okay, we get it. They're bad-ass. What do they do?" said Gunn.
"We're awfully slow today aren't we. Here, I'll give you a hint. Starts with an 'a' and ends in 'pocalypse'."
"We thought the Senior Partners were responsible for the apocalypse," said Wesley.
"They are, but they're not on the same plane as us. Down here, it's all about the Circle."
"Is that why you came back and tried to kill Angel?" asked Lorne. "So you could be part of the 'in' crowd?"
"Damn straight. To be a part of the Circle is to be the Senior Partners' instrument on Earth. Things don't get much bigger then that."
"Well, looks like Peaches beat ya to it," commented Spike.
"He doesn't have it in him," said Lindsey.
"What do you mean?" asked Faith.
"He has too much to lose."
"Like?" pressed Wesley.
"Well, for starters, he'd have to give up the champion angle. Secondly, he probably wouldn't even make it onto the Circle's radar until he killed one of his lieutenants."
"The Senior Partners, the Circle, they're killing Angel by degrees," said Lorne.
"And we all watched it happen," commented Wesley.
"Angel wouldn't do this," said Gunn. "He's always helped the helpless."
"Not always," said Spike. "He went against his nature and chose to help the helpless, but at the same time, he was never forced to be evil."
"If it's a choice we're dealing with, then maybe we can sway his decision," said Faith.
"You can try at least," said Lindsey.
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Angel walked into his office, only to get punched in the face by Spike. Angel looked up from his spot on the ground to see Gunn standing by the now closed door with a sword, Faith to Spike's right with a stake, and Wesley with his shotgun and Lorne with a crossbow by the conference room.
"You might wanna stay down," said Faith.
"Or what?" asked Angel as he got to his feet. "You're gonna kill me?"
"That depends on you, mate," said Spike in dead seriousness.
"You guys are gonna get yourselves hurt," said Angel.
"Did you tell that to Drogyn?" asked Wesley.
"So," Angel put his hands together. "You finally figured it out. Took ya long enough, didn't it?"
"At least we didn't sellout to be some lapdog for the Senior Partners," shot Gunn.
"So, what finally made it dawn on you?"
"A little singing jailbird that we know . . . and loathe," said Lorne.
"Lindsey? And you actually believed him?"
"Doesn't have a reason to lie," said Spike.
"Doesn't need one."
"Unlike you?" asked Faith.
"What I do here is my business. You don't like how I conduct it, you can leave . . . before I kill you."
"And you wonder why we're not big with the trusting," said Faith.
"I'm just telling it like it is."
"Then we have a problem." Wesley cocked his shotgun.
"I guess we do."
Angel grabbed the shotgun from Wesley and kicked the former watcher to the ground. Spike charged Angel and hit him square in the jaw sending him back into Gunn, who swung his sword, but Angel hit him in the head with the but of the gun. Lorne fired the crossbow, striking Angel in the shoulder. Angel lunged forward and grabbed a hold of Faith by the throat.
"Let her go," demanded Spike.
"Why do you care? It's not like she's Buffy or Drusilla."
"Just do it," ground out Spike.
Angel looked at Faith.
"Why don't you be a dear and pull this out for me?"
"Go to hell," snapped Faith.
"It's not that great this time of year."
Faith grabbed the bolt and roughly ripped it out of Angel's shoulder, causing the vampire to wince.
"Leave it to you to like it rough," replied Angel as he shoved Faith into Spike, who caught her around the waist, keeping her from falling. "Now let's get this over with." Angel pulled a crystal out of his pocket and held it in front of him. "Involvere."
The crystal glowed and sent a force though the entire room.
"All right, we have six minutes."
"Till what?" asked Spike, who still had his arm around Faith.
"The glamour collapses. As far as anyone outside this room is concerned, we're still at each other's throats."
"Funny, cause I thought we were," said Gunn.
"Look, we're kinda pressed for time here, so I'll make it short. Everything you think you know, everything you've heard, it's a lie."
"You say it like you think we're gonna believe you," said Faith.
"I'm the one behind all of this."
"Here, let me just throw caution to the wind and believe you," said Gunn sarcastically.
"Read any good books lately?" Angel looked at Wesley.
"You sent the message?" asked Wesley.
"And the assassin to kill Drogyn."
"Why in the 'ell, would you send someone to kill your friend?" asked Spike.
"Because I knew he could handle himself."
"Right," said Spike, drawing out the word.
"Why all this about Fred?" asked Gunn.
"They needed to believe it."
"The Circle?" asked Wesley.
Angel nodded.
"They needed to believe my own people didn't trust me anymore."
"That's because we don't," said Gunn.
"When did this all happen?" asked Faith.
"About two months ago, right before Cordy died."
"She gave you her visions?" asked Wesley.
"It was a one-shot deal. She put me on the path, but it was up to me to follow it, and I couldn't. When Fred died, I wanted to make her death matter. And it worked. I'm in. I've seen the faces of evil. I know who the real powers in the apocalypse are."
"So all this power tilts the scales crap . . .?" asked Faith.
"Is true. The powerful control everything . . . except our will to choose. Lindsey's right about one thing, heroes don't except the way the world is. The Senior Partners will always be here in one form or another, even after we're dead. They're the driving force behind this apocalypse and they're gonna see to it that it runs like a well-oiled machine."
"Are you suggesting what I think you are?" asked Faith.
"We're in a machine. The Black Thorn runs. We can bring their gears to a grinding halt, even if it's just for a moment."
"Bout time we got our hand's dirty," said Spike.
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To Be Continued . . .
I know it's been awhile since I updated, but that's why this chapter is longer.
Love it? Hate it? Tell me what you think!