He awoke with a violent surge, sitting up and grabbing his chest. He could feel nothing. No movement, no beating, just the all too familiar cold. Was it a dream he thought. Must have been. It wasn't until he spun and put his feet on the ground that he realized where he was. He had slept in a large bed, the center piece of a lavishly decorated bedroom. Antique wood furniture precision placed throughout. Beautiful oil paintings adorned the walls. The immense curtains, draped over the equally large windows, were aglow with the sunlight they fought to keep out. He tried desperately to gather his memories as he stood up. He remembered fighting Hamilton. A watchful observer might have caught the faintest of smiles as he remembered Connor, fighting side by side with him. The Wolfram and Hartt building collapsed, and then the alley. After that, nothing. Now here he was in a strange place in a strange, all be it very comfortable, bed wearing pants that were certainly not his own. He had been in situations like this before but the previous evening's events usually contained a lot more alcohol and a lot less fighting…ok maybe just about the same amount of fighting.
"Not quite a hangover but its one hell of headache aint it?"
Angel spun around to find Spike sitting a huge arm chair, a glass of blood in one hand and a cigarette in the other.
"How long have you been sitting there?" Angel asked
"Long enough. What was a dream?"
"Don't worry about it, what happened did anyone else make it?
"Not sure, woke up here, no way out but through the window. The falls reasonable but the sun…
"I know the drill Spike" Angel chimed in
"Well lucky for us someone else knew the drill too." Spike nodded towards the curtain covered windows while handing over the half empty glass of blood.
As Angel took the glass he took time to really look at his surroundings. What does he mean no way out? Then he saw it. What he thought was a simple wooden door was actually a large piece of metal painted up like one. No handle no nothing.
"Gwen?" Angel questioned in astonishment.
"Gwen? Gwen who?"
Angel ignored Spike's question and went to work searching the room.
"Who in bloody hell is Gwen? Care to fill me in here?" Spike continued questioning while Angel blatantly ignored him. "Well could you at least tell me what you're looking for?"
"A camera" Angel finally replied "She keeps the whole place monitored"
"Who?" Spike asked again. Just then, as if commanded by Spike's words, the door surged and creaked as it slid open. On the other side stood leather clad Gwen Rayden, with a slightly bruised yet beaming Charles Gunn right behind her.
"Good morning sleepy head." Gwen joked. "I was beginning to get worried, thought I might have done some serious damage."
"Nah, my boys are tougher than that" Gunn reassured her as he walked over to embrace Angel. "Good to see you both up and kickin."
"You to" Angel said with half a smile "what about Illyria?"
"She made it; she woke up a few hours ago and whent off somewhere."
"And you let her?"
"You ever tried to stop a former god from doin what she wants? Not easy."
"Good point, what about Lorne? Any word?"
"Nothing. But we did find Lindsay. Apparently he did his job and split. Just like he said."
Angel sighed as he spoke "At least he made it."
"Hello!" Spike broke in "Anyone care to fill in the totally lost vampire?"
Gunn spoke first, "Spike, I'd like you to meet L.A.'s own electric Queen, Gwen Rayden."
"Well I usually prefer princess but queen works" Gwen reached out her bare hand to Spike, he accepted.
"What exactly is an elec..." Spike was cut off as a slight shock was sent through his arm and up his spine. "Ah, gotcha."
"So like I said" Gwen took over "I hope I didn't do any serious damage."
"What exactly was it you did?" Angel asked
"Come on downstairs I'll get you some fresh blood" Gwen led them all down the large stair case of her apartment and into the kitchen as she told her story. "I heard through the grape vine that you guys took over the Wolfram and Hartt building. So after a year or so of not hearing from you imagine my surprise when a few days ago I got a call from Charley boy here just wanting to 'see how things were'" Gwen made finger quotes mockingly "So one nigh without saying anything I followed him, watched him kick the living dead out of about a dozen vamps then followed him to you guys. Didn't plan on butting in till I saw what you were up against"
"You electrocuted us." Angel broke in.
"I zapped the ground, amongst other things." Gwen explained
"The rain water covering the ground acted as a catalyst and you were able to bring everything down at once." Angel was beginning to see the full picture.
"I knew the vamps could take it. Luckily Gunn didn't get off the box he was standing on to quickly, being off the ground he was safe, and blue girl, well she just had the look of someone who could hack it so I took my shot. The Dragon, that was a little extra but hey, nothing I can't handle." Gwen's usual smug look crossed her face.
"How did you know I was a vampire?" Spike asked
"What was it Gunn called you? The 'fang brothers" or something."
"Oh, right"
"There's just one thing I don't get" Angel got very serious as he turned to address Gwen specifically. "WHY?"
Gwen's face turned visibly red as she looked down then at Gunn "let's just say I owed him one."
