Angel followed Catherine off the elevator and down the hall to a door at the very end. Catherine turned the lock and opened the door to an expansive loft. Angel noticed it was beautifully decorated in very soothing greens and browns. Catherine stepped in and the turned towards Angel.
"Come on in," she said opening the door wider to let him cross over the threshold. Angel stood rooted near the door as he took her place in. a spiral staircase in the corner lead to an upper level, which he assumed was where the bedroom was. The kitchen opened into the living room, separated only by a long bar top. The wall closest to the door held lovely wooden a glass cabinet displaying various swords. He could tell that most of the furniture was antique and originally from Ireland. Catherine shed her jacket and threw it on the back of chocolate colored leather chair.
"I'm starving, so I'm sure you are too. I've got some blood mix with, I think, otter in it if you want."
"Okay, I have to ask. Why on earth do you have blood in your office and home?"
Catherine smiled as she poured his blood into a cup and set it in the microwave then opened herself up a bag of chips.
"Earlier this year, I was looking for a hostess when this little blond airhead came in and applied. She was honesty about being a vampire and when I saw that you were a reference, I figured she couldn't be that bad."
"Harmony," Angel sighed shaking his head. Catherine retrieved the warm blood and walked over to Angel with it. He gratefully took and sat down on a loveseat facing the couch that Catherine plopped herself into.
"It wasn't till she tried to sell me out to some gang of biker vampires last month that I learned she had sold you out. So, some of the blood she had is still around."
"Did you stake her?"
"No, instead I referred her to some construction company in New York, where I think a Xander Harris works."
"You do know that's where Buffy works?"
"Really, I had know idea," Catherine said, feigning surprise, "Oh well, she' probably dust now."
Angel looked down at the cup and tried to get the questions in his head straight, not sure how to approach this.
"You know, you're the one who had all these questions, so why aren't you asking them now?" Catherine said while she munched on her chips. Angel took a deep breath and started asking.
"What's really going on here? Who is this Quinn guy?"
Catherine took a drink of her water. Just the mention of Quinn's name brought up a whirlwind of memories. Angel heard her heartbeat quicken and knew this thing was bigger than he thought. He never knew Catherine to be scared of much when they were younger. The eternal tomboy in a time when girls were supposed to be ladies. Only around the time she started training to be a slayer did she become discreet. That's when Catherine tried to fit in and when Liam lost interest, Angel thought. Catherine looked down for a moment the raised her blues to meet his dark ones.
"You know, everything lately has been all about me. Which is wonderful usually, but I think it's time to turn the spotlight. I have a few questions of my own. Like, what happened to the Circle of the Black Thorn? What about that whole sunshine prophecy-"
"Actually that's 'Shanshue'," Angel corrected.
"Whatever. I'm not answering anymore questions till you answer mine."
Angel shifted a little on the loveseat nervously. He didn't relish having to tell stories of his life. But with Catherine he knew he'd better. She had the strongest resolve of anyone he knew. Angel sipped his cup for a moment than began.
"Well when the battle was over, which you heard about, I told Buffy and everyone what had happened. Willow did a little investigating into the contract, hoping to find a loophole, and she did. You have to sign your birth name. This meant I should have signed it Angelus since they were going by my vampire birth. But I had signed it Angel, which is considered a nickname. So, the contract was null and void."
"Okay, well that explains how you got out of the contract, but what about the snowshoe thing."
"'Shanshue'. The Powers That Be decided that as punishment for trying to rid myself of my gift, I have to fight another apocalypse. But, Willow helped out there too. She fixed my 'Soul Restoration' spell and made it permanent. This way I'm unable to sign it over or get rid of it."
"So, with your soul permanent, that just opened up a whole lot of doors with you in the ladies department," Catherine said giggling. Angel smiled at the joke.
"Yeah, I'm such the ladies man."
"Well, what about Buffy. Your soul is here to stay, why weren't you the one marrying her?"
"Uh…things just weren't right. While I was gone, she became someone else and so did I. I couldn't just follow her around anymore. I kept thinking she was sixteen and treated her as much. But she did the same. Buffy wasn't used to me being the leader, so things clashed. Luckily we realized that it wasn't happening that we missed out chance. It's fine. The person she married really loves her and I know she's happy now."
Angel tried to contain the sorrow that still lingered from having to let Buffy go. Catherine looked at the vampire and saw the pain still lingering and felt bad for bringing it up.
"I'm really sorry Angel."
"It's alright Caty. You deserved to know."
"Wait. Did you just call me Caty? You haven't' called me that since I was thirteen or fourteen."
"Well I feel like I can call you that again if you don't mind," Angel said smiling.
"Actually, it's kinda nice to hear you call me that again," Catherine said returning the smile, "Okay then I guess it's my turn to tell you the woes of my love life. Or lack there of."
"So who's Quinn?"
"I met Quinn Douglas around 1900. I was doing a stay in England, by this time I'd been around awhile. When I found a vamp nest. I went to work when I was ambushed. I barely made it out when Quinn jumped in and rescued me. I was about to stake him, I knew pretty quickly that he was a vamp when he begged me to stop and let him explain. He said he was vampire who was cursed with a soul and was trying to repent for his evil ways, so that he may finally die and go to heaven."
Angel snorted at this and looked at her in disbelief. Catherine laughed at his look.
"Hey, I didn't know you got a soul. He must've been around when it happened. Anyways I bought. We were friends first. He really took his time building me up. We didn't even start 'dating' till about two years after we met. Then after five years of being together, he turned on me. I found out that Quinn belonged to the Fir Bholg, a group of lower demons that worship the Fomhoire. Quinn set me up to be sacrificed to the Princess of the Fomhoire. Apparently my body needed to be drained of its blood than drank all by the Princess in order to cross into this realm. Well, I escaped, barely with the help of some witches I knew and we've been battling over my blood ever since."
"Now when you say 'together', how together were you?"
"We had sex, Angel. A lot actually," Catherine laughed a little as Angel got a look of hurt on his face and rolled his eyes at the comment. "What's with the look?"
"Well, it's just that, we were still betrothed you know. At least I waited to go visit your grave hoping I could somehow get permission when I wanted to be with Buffy."
"Well, that's why I left you that message. I knew once I heard you got your soul back that you'd go by there sooner or later. I'm sorry I didn't let you know I was alive. First, it was because of the whole Angelus thing, then the whole thing with Quinn. It makes a girl kinda shy."
"I understand," Angel replied. They sat quietly in the room across from each other, letting things sink in. Angel knowing that Catherine was going to want to talk about the last time they saw each other. He wasn't sure if it was something he was ready to deal with. But a yawn from Catherine and a glance at the clock let him know she was done for the evening.
"It'll be light in two hours. You should head out," Catherine said standing. Angel rose from his seat and set the cup on the table.
"I'll see you tonight then."
"If you insist."
Angel turned and walked out the door. While riding down the elevator, he wished he had at least hugged her. Something he really wanted to do, but didn't know why.