"So… what kind of demons do I get to hit today?" Gunn asked the group, drawing
attention off the uncomfortable topic.
"As far as I can tell… we have no cases." Wesley informed his colleague.
"Wow. Here I thought Angel was running a successful business." Buffy said
sarcastically.
"Hush your mouth." Angel said looking over at the blonde. "Something will turn up."
"Has anyone spoken to Fred?" Wesley asked his friends.
"Nope, she's been locked up in that room since we got back from Pylea." Cordelia
informed them.
"Who's Fred?" Buffy asked.
"She's a girl Angel rescued from a demon dimension" Gunn told her.
"Oh."
"Yes and boy oh boy did that cute little girl need it. Poor thing." Came a voice from
behind the group.
Everyone turned around to see….
"Lorne?" Buffy screamed running to the flamboyantly dressed demon, wrapping her arms
around his neck. "Oh god Lorne, I was hoping to see you. I was going to stop by Caritas
to see you."
"Hey honeysuckle, long time no see. How you doing?" Lorne asked as he fixed his suite.
"I'm going okay. How have you been?"
"Better now that I'm back in this dimension and not home."
"Pylea right? Wait…" She turned back to Angel and the gang. "Isn't that where you
rescued Fred from?"
"Yeah… is there anybody I work with you DIDN'T know before I did?" Angel asked his
ex.
"Highly unlikely." She answered moving back down toward the group.
"How do you too know each other?" Wesley asked.
"From when you came down here a few years ago?" Gunn asked.
"No, from when I was living here."
"This sad little sunshine came to my bar one day looking for a drink."
"It was right after my first watcher, Merrick, died. I had heard rumors of the place from
the demon community. I went to Caritas looking for a drink and maybe a fight. Lorne
refused to give my alcohol and instead served me a coke."
"Did you sing?" Cordy asked.
"No. See did not. But I didn't need her to sing to know what was wrong with her."
"So he gave me some advice and sent me on my way."
"When she came back to LA a few years ago, she stopped in looking for a drink again.
Instead a gave her a coke and did the same."
"That's when you decided to head back home?" Gunn asked.
"Yeah, Lorne's the reason I left."
"Damn Lorne, why you gotta be messin' up my flow."
"Sorry kid, but she needed to go home, and get this big guy back. Look how it all worked
out."
"Yeah I guess." Gunn grumbled.
"So… honey pie, what you doing back in this neck of the woods?"
"Dawn." Buffy said as she looked down at the floor, trying to keep a tear from leaking
from her eyes.
"How is the pint sized Buffy?"
"Dead."
"Oh man… sorry cutie. I really am." He said placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"It's cool. What's done is done."
"So again, I'll ask. What are you doing here?"
"Well…" she looked around at the gang. " Can we go somewhere and talk?" She asked
turning around to face the demon.
"Sure honey… where do you want to go."
Gunn pulled out his keys and tossed them to Buffy. "Here, go to my place."
Buffy smiled up at her friend. "Thank you Gunn. I'll be back later." She told him as she
and Lorne left the hotel.
"Poor Buffy… she can never get a break from all the pain and heartache." Cordelia said
sadly as she sat back down at her computer.
"I wish there were something we could do for her." Wesley added as he moved over to
replace a dagger he had been cleaning earlier, into the weapons cabinet.
"I think Lorne is the only one right now who can. Maybe there'll be something we can do
later, but right now I think she needs him first." Angel said as he pulled a packet of blood
from the fridge.
Gunn just looked over at the door where Buffy had left with the Host. There has to be
something I can do for her.