Rage pumped through her veins. Fast and furious. The toll from the emotional night already put her into a tailspin. Making her feel like Dorothy must've when she'd been dumped on her ass in OZ. But the knowledge of knowing Ric Lansing was slumming around town. It was enough to make her want to hurl.
"Tess, please reconsider this. Y-You're in no shape to go after Lansing tonight." Giles's words begged at her from behind. His steps getting closer.
"Give it up Giles. Nothing you say is going to change my mind. I warned that slimy bastard what would happen if I ever had a chance to come after him." Reaching the bottom of the long staircase, Tess headed toward the door on the far end of the building without so much as a glance at her friends.
Seeing the determination in her stride, Angel broke off from the group to intercept the furious slayer before she made it to the exit. "What's going on?"
"Thank God." Pulling up short, the older man leaned over and rested his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. "Please talk some sense into her. S-She plans on going after Ric Lansing."
"Save your breath."Already sensing Angel's concern, Tess narrowed her eyes in his direction. "There's nothing you can say or do that can change my mind." Unaware of the scene she was causing, Tess barely registered the fact that everyone had made their way over to them. "Ric is going to pay."
"See, this is how we should be." Gunn muttered loud enough for everyone to hear. "Action. No talking the subject to death. Or reading through piles of dust covered books. Just some good old fashioned get up and go. I think everyone could learn a lesson from this."
"Will you shut up." Swatting Gunn in the chest, Cordelia gave him a look to keep his mouth closed. "Tess, before you go out and make this Ric guy pay. Would you mind catching the rest of us up? I don't know about the rest of these schlubs, I feel like I'm missing a few chapters here."
"Ric Lansing. Wolfram and Hart. Hurt me." Feeling as though she'd filled them all in enough, Tess went to slip past Angel. Only to have his arm snake around her waist, lifting her high in the air and pinning her to his chest.
"Hurt you in what way?" His thick brown brows were lowered over anger filled eyes.
"As touching as your concern is, if you don't put me down right now I will shove my fist down your throat, tear your spleen from your body and use it as a hat." Looking more like a spitting kitten, Angel held onto the young woman. Memories from years ago flooded through him. Standing in the library of the High School. Physically restraining Tess from rushing off and getting into trouble. Impulsive and reckless at times, Angel always worried about Tess. Seemed some things never changed.
"Gee Tess. Here I thought we were friends." His tone mocked her, causing her to thrash around in vain. Her fists pounded on his shoulder and arms. Small feet kicked blindly.
"Tess." Grunting, Angel winced as her foot connected soundly with his shin. "Talk now. Fight later." Gritting his teeth, Angel held on tight as Tess continued to struggle against him. Her tiny little body twist and turned against him. "Will you stop it? You're acting like a child."
"Do you want the short version or the long one?" Embedding her small nails into his arm, Tess let out a frustrated wail when he wouldn't release her. Tears started to gather in her eyes. "He tried to rape me. Are you happy now?"
Happy? There were a lot of emotions that sprung from the darkness of his soul he usually spent so much time burying, but happy wasn't one of them. Disgust, hatred, blind furry. Those words better described how he felt. His body went instantly ridged against hers, as the warehouse became deathly still. It was as if the air had been sucked out, leaving them all unable to move or speak. The only sign of life came from Tess as she continued to thrash against Angel.
It was Angel who recovered first. His eyes already flashing yellow as his jaw clenched. Slowly, he turned to face Lindsey. Tess still secured in his embrace, Angel pinned his stare on the other man. "Lindsey you have one chance to answer me. Did you know about this?"
"Hell no." Lindsey's eyes flashed with irritation. His strong jaw tense as he waited for Angel to make the next move. Ric Lansing was one unlucky SOB. Not that Lindsey felt an ounce of remorse for his former colleague and friend. Even the evil had to know their boundaries. Know how hard and far they could push unto something came and bit them in the ass. Ric had been pushing the envelope for years. With blatant disregard for his own life. It would do Lindsey good to see that bastard pay.
"Where is Ric Lansing?"
Lindsey looked around at the faces surrounding him. They weren't the only ones feeling rage and disgust. Personally he had no idea Ric had been stupid enough to try and force himself on a slayer. No wonder Tess had torn into him. Breaking his jaw, leg not to mention a few ribs. There were a few things Lindsey couldn't stomach. Harming woman and children on the top of his short list. It didn't matter if the woman in question was stronger than ten men put together, it was a simple matter of principle.
"He's staying in the rooms above Kelly's." Watching Angel's eyes flash, Lindsey gave up hope there would be something left of his old buddy to hurt. Without so much of a blink of his glowing eyes, Angel dropped Tess to the ground and was at the moment barking out orders.
"This wasn't really what I had in mind when I asked for your assistance." Giles shook his head as everyone started to gather their jackets. "Well could someone possibly give Tess a change of clothing?"
Without a word Buffy headed over to where her bag lay on the grimy concrete ground and pulled out a pair of leather pants and t-shirt. Tossing them over to Tess, who grabbed them in midair on her way over to a vacant room in the corner of the warehouse.
When she was out of earshot, Giles pulled on Angel's elbow and took him to the side. "Do you really think she's ready for this?"
"Giles the man hurt her. He tried to...to." Wiping his large hand over his face, Angel looked at spot over Giles's shoulder. "Ric Lansing tired to rape her. He put his dirty hands on Tess."
"Do you think you're thinking clearly enough to go after him?" Though Tess's violation was pulling the group together. Fusing them into the force they once had been, Giles wasn't positive it was the right time to strike out.
"Don't ask me to wait. Wolfram and Hart have done everything in their power over the last few years to destroy me and everything that's important to me. It's employees like Lansing that give the firm the power to hurt the people I care about. They took Tess away from us. Hurt her. Took away her memories. If I don't do this now I'll combust. Besides there's demons already crawling the streets. We can't just sit back."
"I won't argue with you on that." Sighing, Giles removed his glasses and started to wipe away invisible spots. "This is all just too fast. I had wanted to give her some time to adjust. A few training sessions to see if there's been adverse effects from her little hiatus."
"I'll keep an eye on her."
"You always did." Giles murmured. "Just be careful. She's still so confused. So many things have changed. Not to mention past emotions, hurts and fears that are still so fresh for her."
"Giles I can't take back what happened in Sunnydale." Angel dark expression didn't lessen. "But there's something that needs to be taken care of. Tonight. When Lansing is out of the way, Tess and I will talk."
Clearly not please with the answer, Giles relented. He knew these people well enough to know that Wolfram and Hart, not to mention Ric Lansing had stepped over the line. Waking a sleeping giant who was now hell bent on evening the score. "I can't talk you out of this? Let it go for just tonight, so we can be better organized."
"I have a score to settle. I'm not waiting." Angel looked up as Tess headed toward him. The fire in her eyes hadn't faded. "Are we ready?" Everyone nodded but Lindsey. He looked uncomfortable. "McDonald are you in or are you out?"
Lindsey's eyes shot over to Cordelia for a brief second. He could see the challenge shining back at him. His mind flashed back to the day he stood in Angel Investigations first office. Teetering on a crossroad he wasn't sure he was ready to take. Once again right in front of him was another chance. A chance at exactly what he wasn't entirely sure of. What he did know, he wasn't like these people. Wanting to jump and fight at every sign of injustice. Not that he'd ever return to W&H, no that part of his life was done and over with.
But those damn knowing eyes of Cordelia Chase stared, unblinkingly back at him. He couldn't say they were mocking him as his stomach tightened and he fought to take a deep breath. "In."
"Good." Satisfied with the ex-lawyers answer, Angel gave a solemn nod. "We'll check Kelly's out first."
Without ceremony, Jason flung the door to Sonny's penthouse open and stalked inside. "What?" It was the only thing he trusted himself to say. Sonny had paged him four times in the last hour. It had never bothered him before, but now with each beep from the black box connected at his hip he felt his irritation mount.
"Where the hell have you been?" Sonny demanded. His face was drawn tight, indicating his extreme displeasure.
"Taking care of stuff." Sonny already knew this, seeing they'd just seen one another at the hospital a little more than an hour ago.
With a sigh, the smaller man leaned over and picked up a file lying on the coffee table in front of him. "Benny was just here."
Running a hand through his short cropped hair, Jason blew out a long breath. "Just spit it out Sonny. I haven't found Elizabeth yet."
"That's just it. Whoever she is, she ain't Elizabeth Webber." Shoving the thick file toward Jason, Sonny looked increasingly uneasy. "Elizabeth Imogen Webber died at the age of seventeen. In 1978."
A look of confusion passed across Jason's features. Slowly he took the file from his long time friend. "There has to be some mistake."
"Jase it's all there. So unless our Elizabeth is some kind of spirit..." Waiting for Jason to read the first few pages.
"This just isn't right." Flipping through the paperwork, Jason's face only darkened with every page.
"When Benny found the death certificate, he got in touch with a few of his contacts. Gave them all the information we have on her. Pictures, blood type, articles from the time he's been in the paper." If possible Sonny's already stone features tightened.
"And?" Already getting tired of Sonny's dramatics, Jason shifted his large frame impatiently.
"There was a match." Taking the half read paperwork from Jason's hands, Sonny flipped through until he found what he was looking for. "A girl out in California -."
"Elizabeth is from Colorado." Jason cut him off, his brain already rejecting the possibility that Elizabeth had lied to him. For the last four years.
"There's a chance her name is Tessa Hayden Walker." Sonny pushed a yearbook photo in front of Jason's face. The young woman smiling back at him was too hauntingly familiar. "More than just a chance."
"How can this be?"
"It get's worse." Shuffling again through the papers Sonny produced another page. "This is her death certificate. On the day of Tessa's graduation, her High School blew up. Elizabeth...or Tessa was inside at the time."
Looking down at the death certificate, Jason drew in a deep breath. "Then it can't be her. Maybe this girl was some relative of Elizabeth."
"There was no body Jason. The Coroner was going on hearsay. People saw her go in, but there seemed to be some chaos at the time. Sixty other people were also pronounced dead that day. Apparently they died before the explosion." Dragging a hand over his face, Sonny looked years older.
Slowly, Jason made his way over to the couch. Sinking down, he was already pouring through the pages. Spotting a few more pictures, his head shot up to look over at Sonny. "I've seen this guy."
Quickly handing the page over to Sonny, Jason continued. "I was at Kelly's earlier today, asking Elizabeth a few questions. He was a customer there."
"Really?" Sonny's brows arched. "How did Elizabeth act around him?"
"Like she would with any other customer. Polite. She did ask him if he was new in town. He said he was looking for somebody."
"Check him out." With a nod, Sonny scratched his cheek. "I don't know how I feel about Elizabeth lying to us. She knows way too much about our business."
"What are you saying?" His eyes narrowed.
"Nothin'." With a careless shrug of his shoulders, Sonny crossed the room to the large picture window that looked down on the twinkling lights of Port Charles. "I just don't like surprises."
"You don't think Elizabeth. . ." The words wouldn't form. Right on the tip of his tongue, Jason shoved his hands deep into his pockets, ignoring the way his mouth went dry and his throat tightened. "I'm gonna try and find this Rupert Giles guy. See what information he can give us."
"Jase wait a minute." Turning back around to face the room, Sonny's mouth was pinched. His eyes looked sunken in. "I know in the past I have jumped to several wrong conclusions before. Find Elizabeth, bring her back here. I want to hear her side of things before I make a decision."
Even though he knew Sonny really wanted to believe what he was saying, Jason could already see that Sonny's mind didn't need to hear Elizabeth's words. "I'll be back."