The gang excluding Angel all trampled into the doorway. Cordy was speaking to Conner who had long outgrown his crush on her. "You're not supposed to run off like that when we're supposed to be working, honey. We've talked about that."
Conner could only shrug, "The rest of the gang was getting away."
Gunn nodded, "Then let them. What you don't do is divide your strength."
Connor drops on the settee: "Sorry."
Fred tried to sympathize, "We know things were different in Quortoth, but you're in Los Angeles now. Your taking on a big responsibility."
Gunn followed in Fred's steps, "Connor, you've got to start thinking about more than just yourself!"
Conner agreed shutting them up, "I know. - I know." He glanced up at Gunn and smiled. "That thing with the ax was cool, huh?"
Gunn, Cordy, and Fred exchange glances. Fred and Cordelia turn away with smiles on their faces as Gunn smiled right back at the grinning Conner, "Yeah, that was tight." He hands the ac to Conner, "Now you get to clean it."
Conner shrugged it off, "Vamps dust, nothing to clean."
Gunn winked, "Two coats of polish."
Gunn walked into the office to enjoy the girls while he watched Conner through a crack in the door. he then turns to fred sitting at the desk, "We gonna tell him?"
Fred shrugged and Cordy answered, "I don't wanna get his hopes up again."
Gunn looked down when he spoke, "What about yours?"
Fred watched Cordy's face sadden and tried to brighten her up, "We have to keep trying."
Gunn nodded in agreement, "I'm not saying that we shouldn't but we've spent the last three months chasing one dead end after another trying to find Angel and the only thing we're closing in on, is an eviction. Be a whole lot easier to handle this crap if Lorne was pitching in. Where is our future-reading, empath demon when we need him?"
Fred waved her hand in the air, "Mr. Big-hit-in-Vegas is too busy danke-schon-ing the tourists to care about us."
Gunn smiled, "Did you try him again?"
"Like sixty times. He's lost the mission, bro."
Gunn brought reality back to the room, "Well, we're about to loose this whole place and you know you can't say bro. - Alright. You need to start hustling up some paying clients."
Cordelia nodded, "We will as soon as we find Marissa."
Fred nodded and then put her thinking face on, "Can I say dawg?"
Gunn just stared at her with a blank faceand Fred hurried back towards her computer. After a few seconds she had the answer they were looking for, "Oh, this looks good. Condemned tenement on Figueroa. Could be her."
Gunn shrugged, "Evil Dead was probably just messing with us, and even if she's there, not much chance she knows anything."
Fred prooved him wrong, "Angel's car was found down by the bluffs. That used to be her feeding ground. She might be able to tell us what happened - if we can find her."
Conner walked in at that moment, "Find who?" So the gang started to explain about their new information hoping it panned out.
-Sunnydale - Buffy's Room-
Buffy lay there still frightened and confused by her latest dream. It was one in the morning when she glanced at the clock and she could do nothing but lay there. Her eyes wouldn't even close, her mind wouldn't stop racing, Her body pulsed with worry for her ex boyfriend and her body even sweat with nervousness. Then out of no where her eyes shot wide and an instinct ran through her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and her skin tingled with goosebumbps. Those were only signs of Angel, of her Angel and with her dreams lately somewhere she knew... She knew she would be the one to find him!
Her body instantly hopped out of bed and ran to her closet. Just like she was running away agin she packed a small bag full of one or two nights clothes and protection. (Stakes and holy water etc.) She sighed in thankfullness Xander had decided to stay over that night. She quickly walked into Dawns room saying a silent goodbye and then walked into Xander's room.
He lay sprawled out on the bed like a star and she couldn't help but smile at his daffy duck boxers. She walked to the bed quickly and slightly woke him up. His hand twinged and when he saw the desperate look in buffy's eyes, even in the dark he hopped to sitting position, "Buffy, what's wrong?"
Buffy smiled a little bit, "I know you're going to hate this but I have to go to L.A."
Xander shook his head, "Why?"
Buffy took a deep breath ready for an explanation, "I had a dream, one of my realistic something's coming dreams. Angel's in trouble, really deep trouble Xander. I don't expect you to understand..."
Xander smiled, "But I do." Buffy looked up in surprise as he continued, "I don't like him and I know I never will but I know you love him. Hell you all hated Anya and you guys were nice to her."
Buffy shrugged, "You weren't nice to Angel, ever."
Xander nodded, "My point is if you think he's in trouble I believe you. I swear though he hurts you in any way again and I stake him in his sleep."
Buffy smiled at his over protectiveness, "Thank you so much. You cool to take care of Dawn?"
Xander nodded, "Of course."
Buffy smiled, "First day of school is tomorrow. Are you sure you're okay with that?"
Xander smiled, "Been there once, I think I can do it again." There was a small pause before he spoke again, "What am i going to say about where you are?"
Buffy thought about it for a few seconds, "Tell her the truth. I'll be back in a bit and I'll phone from L.A."
"How do you know where you're going?"
Buffy shrugged, "Dreams are wierd things."
Xander nodded and reached for a hug which buffy greatly accepted. When they split apart buffy walked to the door. Xander called out one last thing, "Careful."
Buffy nodded and realized one thing, "Xander I need..."
Xander smiled and took a deep breath, "Keys are on the coffee table."
Buffy smiled, "I love you."
Then she took off downstairs. When Xander heard the front door close he whispered one thing before falling to sleep again, "Love you too."
-Hyperion - Office-
Conner stared back and forth between all three of them, "So why didn't you tell me?"
Cordy answered, "We wanted to be sure."
Gunn tried to make it seem like a not so big secret, "We don't even know if this Marissa girl saw anything."
Conner disagreed, "But she could have."
Fred nodded, "Maybe. We're gonna go talk to her and find out."
Coner still holding Gunn's ax spoke up, "I'm coming with you."
Cordy shook her head, "No. It's only one vamp. We can handle it."
Conner pushed though, "He's my father! If she knows what happened to him I..."
Fred after a beat: "Okay. Go get your weapon."
Connor flashed her a quick smile before running from the room while Gunn turns to look at Fred. "You think that's a good idea?"
Cordy nodded, "I'll keep an eye on him."
Gunn was still un sure, "Getting information is a finesse job. He's a blunt instrument!"
Fred agreed with Cordy, "You wanna tell him no? You saw how much he's hurting."
Gunn used that to his advantage, "Well, how's he gonna feel if all vampirella saw is sand and seaweed? This is it, Fred. No Angel! We can't find Holtz. His psycho girlfriend's gone. We got nothing."
Cordy whispered, "There's still Wolfram and Hart."
"Right. We just stroll into their heavily guarded law offices and ask Lilah, the evil bitch queen, for help finding out what happened to their archenemy, but, we're kinda broke, so it'll have to be pro bono."
Fred shook her head, "She didn't say it would be easy."
Gunn nodded, "How's impossible? They're too big. Without Angel we can't afford pissing them off."
Fred whispred now, "Maybe we should think about asking..."
Gunn was about to object but Cordelia got ot it first, "No."
Fred shrugged after an extremely short silence, "Well I'm glad we talked it over."
Gunn agreed with Cordy, "We already asked for help twice."
Fred nodded, "Then we'll ask him again."
Gunn tried to reach fred, "Fred, Wesley doesn't give a damn about us."
Fred agreed but used it, "Have we given him a reason to?"
Cordelia finally piped in, "He made a choice and now he has to live with it. I've known him longer then you two and I know he thought what he was doing was right but it wasn't. He deserves to rot wherever the hell he is for taking away the one thing Angel couldn't have. It's 1:30 in the morning so we still ahve time to find this vamp. Let's move."
-Wesley's Apartment-
A sweaty Lilah sinks down onto an equally sweaty Wes, both naked in his bed. Lilah spoke with a sly smile, "Hmm. That didn't suck. - Well - maybe just a little bit."
Wes' expression stayed the same but you could tell his voice was kind of flirty, "Perhaps that is something we can expand on next time."
Lilah shrugged, "What makes you think there will be a next time?"
Wes actually half smiled back at her, "Because you can't resist me."
Lilah pulled Wes' head back by his hair and licks the side of his face. "I think you have that backwards."
She rolled off of him and hopped out of his bed. Wes asked the common question, "Where are you going?"
Lilah smiled, "Snack break's over. Time to get back to work."
Wes nodded, "And Wolfram and Hart does its best work after dark."
As Lilah got dressed she spoke to him, "Sun's bad for your complexion. Ask Angel. Oh, right. You can't, because of the whole 'wanting to smother you with a pillow' thing."
Wesley's face was straight once again, "Wouldn't think kidnapping his son would have such a negative effect on our friendship."
Lilah actually tried to comfort him, "You thought you were doing the right thing. I hear that can be confusing. - Have you tried talking to him? Maybe when he gets back you can..." Wesley actually laughed which confused Lilah a lot, "What?"
Wesley answered simply, "I have no idea where Angel is, Lilah, or what happened to him. - And I really couldn't care."
"Wow. That was cold." She moved to sit on the bed now fully clothed. "I think we're finally making progress. Come on. Doesn't it bother you just a little bit? The not knowing?"
"That part of my life is dead. - Doesn't concern me now."
Lilah looked at him as if she was studying an old book. She did this for a few minutes as he just stared back. Finally she spoke, "No, it doesn't."
Lilah leaned down for a quick kiss goodbye, but Wes grabbed a hold of her hair and pulled her back for a deeper kiss. After a few minutes, more like 20 Lilah pulled back and Wesley watched as she walked out the door. As soon as she was gone he walked to his pants and dressed. He then went to unlock the safety bolt on his closet door. It swung open to reveal a second door made of metal bars.
Wesley looked through the the bars at the shackled and gagged Justine, "It's time. We're going for a boat ride."