Sight Unseen – Chapter 10
Natalie's body jerked and almost fell to the ground. Doyle caught her and tried to shake her to wake her up, but it didn't work. Connor and Doyle dragged her cautiously and carefully laid her on the sofa. As they scrambled to revive her, Connor pressed down on her chest as Doyle bent down slowly and pressed his lips to hers as Angel and the rest of the gang stared at the scene before them through the hallway.
"Well Angel, I guess you were wrong on a number of different levels," Fred pointed out. Cordy scowled at the display before her and Angel just shook his head and sighed, putting his hands in the air as if he were going to surrender.
"Oh, there are many levels alright," Angel muttered under his breath.
"It sort of takes care of your suspicions," Wesley added with a cough.
"That little SLUT!" Cordy whispered loudly as everyone in the hallway looked at her in surprise. "She gets two men taking care of her when she's unconscious and all I get is a song and dance of people staring at me when I get a vision. That is soo unfair!" Cordy murmured in anger as she stepped into the room to reveal herself to Doyle.
"Having fun, hotshot? Are you taking advantage of a romantic moment or something?" Cordy asked, fuming as Doyle slowly lifted his head from Natalie and then bent over her again. Connor stepped between Cordelia and Doyle as if to protect Natalie from Cordy's deadly glare.
"Little busy here, Cordy," Connor replied gently. "I can see that," Cordy answered abruptly.
"She's bleedin' and not breathin', Cordy. Are ye both satisfied now? Doyle exclaimed, looking from Cordy to Angel and back to Natalie again with mere worry and coolness in his deep sky blue eyes.
"Check her neck!" Cordy exclaimed as she stepped anxiously a few steps away from the girl.
"Why? Are you afraid she may come back to bite your ass?" Gunn questioned with a lifted eyebrow. Cordy glared back at him.
"She's not bitten. That would require a lot more blood," Angel cut in as he paced back and forth, feeling guilty and helpless.
"That's what you think, Dad! Take a closer look," Connor fumed, huffing at Angel and giving him a look of accusation.
"Is this yer way of gettin' even with her, Angel?" Angel looked upon Doyle with surprise. "It doesn't take a rocket scientist ta know 'hat ye were unsure of the girl," Doyle added with firmness and feeling behind his voice.
"You couldn't possibly think I was the one that hurt, Natalie. That's impossible. You guys all have seen me looking for Wesley's book," Angel replied, defending himself and glancing at everyone's grave faces. There was a long pause.Angel turned to Lorne who had been unusually quiet throughout the quarrel in the office.
"Do I look like I have stupid stamped across my forehead, Cupcake? You have been acting nothing but weird around that poor girl and don't get me started on your frustrated humming when you were web browsing for Count Dooku. That only spells
T-R-O-U-B-L-E, trouble that's right here in Los Angeles. Don't want to burst everyone's bubble, but Angel cakes is in that in between place," Lorne concluded, dabbing his forehead nervously with his handkerchief. Everyone froze in place and glanced at Angel and then back at Lorne.
"I can't say I've se'en him doin' anything in me visions," Doyle replied, scratching his head and feeling a little shocked as he took a quick glance at Natalie who was still unconscious on the coach beside him.
"Or at least the Powers haven't showed you anything yet. They have been known to be a little tricky. Plus they were blocked last time, remember," Fred answered.
"Not under my calculations, Sweetie. As far as we're concerned the Powers are playing cat and mouse with us and we are the mice," Cordy groaned as she slumped onto a cushioned chair next to the coach with her head in her hand.
"Cordy's right," Doyle replied with a sigh.
"I'm what? What was that again? Say it louder and slower for me one more time," Cordy asked smugly.
"You are right. We obviously can't trust the Powers and it's beginning to become harder to trust Angel too," Doyle commented as he slowly looked up cautiously at Angel.
"So what's the in between place, man? Can we fix it?" Gunn wondered as he looked back at Lorne for guidance.
"The in between place is where a vampire experiences slight hallucinations like he sees evil where there's only good and vise versa. In this place he could slide into becoming Angelus and when you try to kill him he instantly changes back into Angel. It's a state of mind," Lorne informed them as he searched the liquor cabinet next to the coach.
"Wow! That's interesting. It's like he has a chemical imbalance and looses track of thoughts and therefore it causes his mind matter to break into two where you don't know who's who," Fred stammered in awe.
"Right…Ach! Don't we have any tequila in here?" Lorne looked at her strangely and turned back to the liquor cabinet in disappointment.
"I'm not bad. I didn't do anything!" Angel fumed quietly, rolling his eyes.
"Uh-huh. There's the first signs of denial. Let's chain him up!" Wesley replied heatedly.
"Cordy? A little help over here!" Angel retorted as Wesley and Gunn glared at him. Connor grunted and shook his head, folding his arms.
"I don't want another episode with Angelus," Cordy raised her hands in defense. "So yeah, leave me out of this, buster."
"Why aren't you guys listening to me?"
"It's a matter of pride, man. You need to let the girl face her challenges. This is the 21st Century and she is a big girl," Gunn answered. "Instead you turned on your innocent in her time of need," Gunn stated, gesturing towards Natalie on the coach.
"But I didn't do it. I didn't do anything!" Angel huffed as he paced back and forth in the living room.
"I think we're going to go for a little walk, Angel, my man. We need to talk big time," Gunn patted Angel's shoulder.
Lorne steered Angel towards the elevator, putting his arm companionably around Angel. Before entering the elevator, Lorne turned around and with his other hand and secretlypulled out a black liquid filled vessel. He looked at Connor who glanced at the vessel and nodded as he and Wesley and Gunn followed Lorne and Angel into the elevator. The elevator slowly closed bringing a trail of anxiety in its wake.
Many hours earlier
"At last I found the secret to the vampire powers," Count Dooku said with a laugh as he guided a dark maiden into Darth Sidious' lair.
"You're lack of skill grieves me, Dooku. These creatures are mere annoyances and distractions from our original plan to steal the lives of Senator Becky and Natalie away as Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi and Young Skywalker watch them die. NOT to deal with the likes of them and their kind," Sidious snapped at Dooku, his eyes flashing in anger.
"But Master she is the connection to them. She has dark power and it would be in your great interest to take it," Dooku insisted as Sidious placed a hand out towards Dooku and started to choke him. The Dark Lord brought his Apprentice falling to his knees as the dark woman laughed at the spectacle. Sidious released his grip and slammed Dooku to the ground.
The woman jumped up and down, clapping with glee at the scene as if it was WWE entertainment.
"Do it again! That was fun. Naughty boy needs a spanking. There are magnets in your hands!" The woman exclaimed her eyes sparkling with darkness and mischief.
Dooku coughed and stood up finally, dusting himself off.
"This is Drusilla. She is a vampire who can see the future just like we can see through time," Dooku introduced Drusilla. Drusilla curtsied like a school girl with a doll on one arm.
"I am Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith. You, my dear, are a treasure. Take her doll, we have much to discuss," Sidious said with pride. Dooku tried to gently take her doll, but the woman hissed at him, showing her fangs.
"What a lovely lady. I think we should keep her," Sidious said with an evil laugh.
"Miss Edith will join the tea party too. She promises she won't bite," Dru whispered cupping her hand over her mouth and giggled to herself. Darth Sidious raised an eyebrow at Dooku.
'I said she had the gift, but unfortunately she is also crazy' Dooku whispered to Sidious through the Force. Sidious slowly smiled. It was a smile that touched only his lips. He nodded.
'I think we can do something with this gift after all.' Sidious mentioned through the Force and laughed out loud. Drusilla frowned and watched the two faces in wonder as if she was experiencing a tennis match.
"It's not very nice to keep secrets. I hear voices echoing in your heads. Tsk-tsk. Bad manners! Whoosh goes the sound of voices passing like the sea. Back and forth, back and forth," Dru started to close her eyes and swayed back and forth as she hummed a tune to herself.
"Yes. Well done, Dooku. Good! She will be our guide in this world," Sidious boomed as he guided the girl further into his newly spacious dark lair.