Disclaimer: All characters and things from ANGEL and BUFFY belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. If they aren't on the show they belong to me.
Summary: A different turn of events after Season 1 Episode 12 "Expecting" A/C pairing
CHAPTER 45
"What do you mean it will change our lives?" Jessica asked.
Lilah sighed. "It's all about choices."
"Don't we know it..." Angel said, folding his arms.
"I can help you get break the spell to get out of here so you can save Cordelia." Lilah said.
"And in return you want …" Angel knew there was a catch.
"The Senior Partner's want that thing inside Faith destroyed. It is a threat to them." Lilah explained.
"Because it wants to make the world pure and happy." Fred realized.
"That's right." Lilah continued. "If that thing does what it wants there will be no evil left on this earth, Wolfram and Hart will no longer exist."
"Don't see a problem there." Gunn said, leaning back into the wall.
"Well, we do." Lilah shot back. "Killing that thing in Faith is the only way to ensure our role in this world."
"So you are going to help us save Cordelia, only so Wolfram and Hart doesn't go belly up? The very same company that took my kids from me, gave Cordelia the blister and burn visions that almost killed her, brought Darla back from the dead…" Angel said.
"I get it. We're enemies." Lilah rolled her eyes. "But if you want any chance in saving Cordelia you're going to have to cut this deal with us."
"Do it, Angel. We save Cordy and continue fighting Wolfram and Hart, nothing new there." Gunn said.
"Actually, you wouldn't be fighting Wolfram and Hart, because you would be Wolfram and Hart." Lilah corrected him.
"What are you saying?" Jess asked.
"I mean, you kill Faith and you do the Senior Partner's a big favor, they want to reward you. They want to give you the L.A. branch office to run however you would like." Lilah said.
"What?" Angel, Gunn, Fred, Wesley, and Lorne asked at the same time, all shocked.
"You'd run Wolfram and Hart. Well, the office would be yours, and all the materials that come with it, you can use them however you'd like." Lilah said.
Angel shook his head. "Absolutely not. We're not turning evil to save Cordelia. I'm not going to run a company that works to keep demons on the street."
"No one said you had to run it. I just need one signature from someone in this room and that binds all of you too us." Lilah said.
Angel looked around at the group who were all standing their ground firmly, shaking their heads. "No." Angel told her. "We'll save Cordelia our own way."
"You sure?" Lilah looked at Jessica who immediately seemed to panic.
"I'm gonna go see if…if the windows upstairs are locked too." Jessica said, quickly making her way upstairs.
"Lilah, get out." Angel said, and then turned to the rest of the group. "Let's figure out a way to save Cordy."
Lilah vanished, and the rest of A.I. immediately hit the books.
Connor tied Cordelia up to a pipe in the warehouse while Faith got everything ready to perform the spell. She was in another part of the warehouse, a few rooms down, and told Connor to keep an eye on Cordelia while she was getting ready. Connor did as he was told and took a seat a few feet away from Cordelia, who was now crying silently. She knew Connor could smell the salt of her tears like his father but she refused to give him the satisfaction of hearing the sobs escape her lips.
After watching Cordelia for a moment Connor walked over to her with a bottle of water. "Stop crying, and drink this, you'll feel better."
Cordelia looked up at the boy she had once thought to be her son, maybe not by blood but by love, with bloodshot eyes. "You chocked me." She managed out. "Water isn't going to fix that."
"Little sips will." Connor offered her the bottle again.
"Get away from me." Cordelia gasped, holding back tears.
Connor sighed, putting the cap back on the water bottle. "I wouldn't do this if there was any other way to save you."
"Connor, I don't know what Faith told you but she lied to you. Sweetie, look at me, you know it's true." Cordelia said as calmly as she could. "Look inside of yourself, your not a bad person, Connor, don't do this."
Connor shook his head bitterly. "You're the liar!" He threw the water bottle, hitting Cordelia right in the face, before making his way out of the room.
Jessica paced her room for a moment, deciding on what she should do. She needed to save her mother, that was her main concern, right now the consequences of whatever actions she was about to take did not faze her. She would worry about them when the time came.
Jess could feel Lilah's presence behind her even before the lawyer said a word.
"What's up, Lilah?" Jess asked, turning to face the dead woman.
"Boy, Angel really did pass his genes onto you. You've got the vampire senses." Lilah smirked.
Jessica was in Lilah's face before the lawyer could blink. "Vampire speed too."
"I see that…" Lilah said, seeming uncomfortable.
"So you can help save my mom?" Jessica asked, folding her arms across her chest.
Lilah nodded. "If you agree to the deal."
"I agree." Jess said. "Whatever you want, as long as I can get out of here and save my mom."
Lilah nodded, pulling a piece of paper from her pocket. "We just need you to sign this paper saying you are singing everyone in Angel Investigations over to the company."
"Okay." Jess said.
"You have to sign it in blood." Lilah said, holding a small, sharp object shaped like a pen.
Jess nodded, taking the object from Lilah and stabbing herself in the hand with it, then signing the paper Lilah had.
Lilah smiled as she looked down at Jessica's name on the paper. "Good to have you on board, boss."
Jessica just nodded, like she had decided before, she would worry about consequences later. "The windows and everything?"
"Open. The Spell's been taken off. Now, after you save your mother, a limo will be there to take you and the rest of Angel Investigations over to the new office." Lilah told her.
Jess nodded again, quickly making her way downstairs.
Connor entered the small room of the warehouse that Faith was setting up everything in. He found that she had drawn some type of circle on the ground and was lighting candles up all around it.
"Are you almost done in here?" Connor asked, causing Faith to jump at the sound of his voice. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
"It's cool." Phony-Faith smiled at him. "And yeah, I'm almost done."
"Okay." Connor looked down at the ground.
Faith could tell something was wrong with him. "What's wrong, Connor?"
Connor shrugged. "I just don't get why no one at the hotel would believe us that Cordy is the evil one."
"Because Cordelia was a good person, and they all loved her very much. No one wants to see something bad happen to someone they care about." Fake-Faith explained. "But trust me, Connor, after we do this spell, they will all understand."
Connor nodded with a slight smile, he felt good to be helping Faith save the world.
Jessica ran down into the lobby causing the rest of Angel Investigations to jump at the sound of her.
"Where's the fire?" Lorne asked, looking up from some papers.
"The spells off." Jess said, making her way to the weapon closet.
"What? How?" Angel was confused.
"I made the deal with Lilah." Jess said, taking a deep breath.
"You what?" Angel was taken back. "Why? She's evil!"
"It's the only way to save mom." Jess explained. "I signed us over to them."
"Jess, that's a big thing, you don't just do that to us without talking about it." Angel was trying to hold is anger back.
"I know, but I didn't have a choice and we've run out of options. I'll deal with the repercussions of this when I have to. If you guys hate working at Wolfram and Hart that much then I'll just fire you, not a big deal." Jess said, making her way to the door.
"Fire us?" Fred asked.
"I signed the papers, I'm the boss." Jess explained.
"Well this is going to be awkward." Gunn said.
"Look, we can fight about it later, but right now we have to save my mom." Jess said.
Angel nodded in agreement; they would all deal with the repercussions of Jessica's actions after they rescued Cordelia. "Let's move." He said, taking a sword from the weapons cabinet and following his daughter out the front door.
Faith and Connor entered the room they had tied Cordelia up in. Cordelia was against the wall, trying to remain calm, but Connor could smell the fear coming off of her. He couldn't bare it, he couldn't look her in the eye, so he kept his eyes glued to the ground. Faith on the other hand, seemed almost happy to find Cordelia so distraught.
"We're all ready for you in the other room." Phony-Faith smirked down at Cordelia.
Cordelia looked up at the shell of the girl she used to know. Sure, she and Faith had never been close, but still, this thing that had taken over Faith was far worse then anything Cordelia could have ever imagined. "Why are you doing this?"
"I told you why." Faith knelt down in front of Cordelia as Connor untied her hands, still holding them firmly in place so she wouldn't be able to move unless he forced her too. "That baby inside of you is evil." Faith placed a hand on the hump of Cordelia's stomach.
"Really? And, see, I thought you were the evil one." Jessica's voice rang from behind Faith. "But hell, what do I know? I need flashcards to stay up with this group."
Faith turned on her heel, quickly, to see Jessica with a sword in her hand, in the doorway.
"How did you get out?" Phony-Faith was shocked. Her spell should have worked.
"Oh please, like locking us in that hotel was really going to work." Jessica snorted. "Try again."
"Fine." Faith stood. "Connor, get Cordelia in the other room, when I finish with your sister, I'll be in."
"You can't hurt Jess…" Connor started.
"Go Connor." Faith was growing impatient.
"No, Connor. Stay a little." Jess grinned, as she looked up at the ceiling to watch Angel fall from the rafters, right onto Connor's back, knocking him to the ground, and forcing him to release Cordelia.
"Angel!" Cordelia fell into his arms, grasping onto his shoulder like it was the last thing on earth.
"Dad, get mom out of here." Jess said, raising the sword up to Faith.
"You can't take her!" Connor said, grabbing at Angel, but Connor was forced back down as Gunn, Wesley, Fred, and Lorne entered, all holding weapons of their choice. Gunn and Wesley quickly pinned Connor to the cold ground, immobilizing him.
"Looks like it's just me and you, whoever you are." Jessica smirked at Phony-Faith.
"Fine by me." Faith jumped up onto the rafters.
Jess quickly followed her, and found Faith directly over the room they were just in. Jess looked down to see Connor still on the floor, fighting to get up, and Angel picking Cordelia up, with Lorne and Fred at his sides. "So, what? You were going to kill my mom and then unleash goodness onto the world?"
"Something like that." Phony-Faith said. "Now it looks like I'm going to have to kill you, your mom, and the rest of your family to unleash my ways onto this world. The best part is, people won't even care you're missing. People won't care about anything."
"Because they have no free will." Jessica was piecing everything together in her head.
"You are a smart one." Faith grinned at her. "We could have been such good allies."
"I doubt it."
"True, you've got that stubborn streak in you a mile long, just like your father. So ignorant."
"Yeah, and yet I'm the one with the sword, and you're standing there with nothing." Jessica smirked, raising her sword to Phony-Faith's neck.
"Well then, I guess I should get all weak in the knees right about now, huh?"
"Sounds like a plan."
"I'm thinking no." And with that Phony-Faith released a ball of fire from her hand, throwing it directly at Jessica and knocking her off the rafters, down onto the floor, right next to Connor.
"Jess!" Cordelia cried, starring down at her daughter's lifeless body.
Faith jumped down next to Jess, picking the sword up that had fallen from Jessica's hand when she fell, and holding it to Jessica's throat. Jessica lay their, completely unconscious.
Faith looked up at the rest of Angel Investigations, her eyes locking on Angel's. "Let Connor go, or I'll kill Jess."
"Faith, don't!" Connor pleaded for his sister, under the pressure of Wesley and Gunn. "Jess didn't do anything."
"She doesn't understand." Faith pulled Jessica's limp body up, pressing the sword deeper into Angel's daughter's neck. "None of them do, Connor. You have to trust me."
"Connor, don't listen to her." Angel said.
"Why shouldn't I?" Connor spat at his father. He was all torn up inside, he didn't know what to listen to anymore. "You have me pinned to the floor! Why should I listen to you?"
Angel was about to answer, when he realized Connor was right, he didn't have any reason to believe his father.
"You listen to him, because he's not the liar in this room." Jessica's head snapped up, as her face morphed into the demon that dwelled inside of her father. Her sudden snap back into reality threw Phony-Faith off long enough for Jessica to rip the sword from Faith's hand, and then throw the slayer's body over her shoulder.
Faith quickly got to her feet, giving Jessica two good kicks to the stomach.
Jessica countered, flipping over Faith and knocking her in the back, forcing the slayer to her knees. Jess then moved around to face Faith, putting the sword to the slayer's throat. "I know Faith's in there somewhere, and I'm sorry I'm going to have to do this to her."
"Jess no!" Connor pleaded.
"I'm sorry, Connor." Jessica looked down at Phony-Faith. "Looks like this is your end."
"You really think you can kill me?" Phony-Faith chuckled, as blood ran down from her mouth. "I'm to powerful for you, I'll squash you like…"
Pony-Faith never got to finish her sentence, as Jessica plunged the sword into the slayer's body.
"No!" Connor burst out, freeing himself from Wesley and Gunn's grip as Faith's body fell over into a pool of her own blood. He looked back up at Jessica, shocked and desperate. "You killed her."
"Connor…" Jess started.
"No." Connor shook his head, tears falling from his eyes. Everything in his life was falling to pieces all around him. Faith was the one good thing he had ever had, and she had been taken away from him, by his own sister no less. He clenched his jaw, wiping the tears from his face. "Everything Holtz said you would do is happening."
"What?" Jessica was confused.
"You're just like Angelus, just like he said." Connor shouted. "I should have killed you when I had the chance!"
"Connor, don't…" Jess tried, but Connor was out the door before she could even blink.
"I'll go talk to him." Angel said, setting Cordelia down. He didn't look Jessica in the eye however, he couldn't. He had just watched his own daughter kill a human, a slayer, sure, the thing inside Faith had been evil, but Faith was still in there, and Jess knew that. She would have to live with the fact that she had taken an innocent life, along with the life of that thing inside Faith, for eternity.
"Let him go." Jess said coldly, looking down at Faith's body. "We don't have time to go after him."
"What?" Angel asked, confused.
"We have a limo to catch." Jess said, making her way to the door.
"A what?" Cordelia questioned, looking around the room.
"A limo." Gunn told her. "Jess signed us up for a new job."
"What are you talking about?" Cordelia said, trying to make sense of everything that had just happened, as her eyes fell on Faith's lifeless body.
"Crazy-Let-Me-Take-Over-Faith, locked us in the hotel so we couldn't come to save you. Lilah made a house call in the middle of it-" Gunn started.
"Lilah's dead." Cordelia said, rubbing small circles on her growing stomach, and trying to think of anything except how Jessica had just killed the body of the slayer she had once known. It was an image Cordelia felt would be burned in her mind forever.
"Yeah, well, she came back." Gunn said.
"With a deal." Wesley added, also starring down at the body of the slayer he had formally been assigned to as Watcher. He had failed Faith in so many ways.
"What kind of a deal?" Cordelia's voice lowered, unsure if she wanted the answer to her question.
"The Senior Partner's wanted that thing inside Faith dead because it wanted to bring pure happiness to all of the world, meaning Wolfram and Hart would no longer exists, so they made a deal with Jess, that if they broke the spell Faith had put on the hotel so we could come and save you, and kill Faith, then they would reward us with the L.A. branch of the firm to run however we'd like." Fred told the other woman.
"And Jess took the deal?" Cordelia was shocked.
"Well, they offered it to all of us." Angel sighed, taking his eyes away from Faith's body. "Jess was the one who took the deal, however. She's the boss."
"This is way to much to take in." Cordelia's eyes filled with tears. "First, Angelus, then evil Faith, then Jess just killed Faith! Is anyone else a little distraught over the fact that my daughter just became a killer, and is now going to become CEO of Hell on Earth?"
"Cordy, Jess did what she had to do." Angel told her.
"And now we do what we have to, we screw Wolfram and Hart and get back to the hotel." Cordelia said.
"We can't." Angel sighed. "Jess signed a contract, we are all bound to Wolfram and Hart."
"Or what? They kill us?" Cordelia rested her hand on the hump in her stomach.
"Do you really want the answer to that question, sugar?" Lorne asked.
Cordelia sighed, feeling Angel's cold hand rest on her shoulder. She couldn't even begin to comprehend everything that was going on around her. Her life had seemed to do a complete turn around the past few months, everything she thought to be real, and solid had been shifted and changed. She turned to Angel, leaning her head into his chest. "Jess said something about a limo?"
Angel nodded. "Outside. Come on." He led the group out of the warehouse, carefully avoiding the door that Faith's corpse lay in front of. He didn't want to have to deal with the fact that Faith was really dead, and that Jessica's had been the killer, all to save the world. It didn't seem fair to the vampire.