CHP7
Lilah.
The bitch came back to the living to tempt us. She offered Wolfram and Hart. The one thing we'd been trying to destroy and now it was being handed over…
"Is there a reason no one's re-killing the evil skank? 'Cus I'm all for getting my hands a little dirty…"
Because that's what I would have done. Killed her again and gone back to taking down evil but no one did. Neither did I. Nope, I just stood there listening to her talk and all I could think of was; I can have my life back.
I could use them to get my life back, my son. I could use the evil to my advantage and screw them over in the process… I don't care about me, not when there's so much more at stake and I'm not talking about the innocents here because lets face it; people get themselves in all sorts of trouble all the time. We need a little chaos to function properly; we need to suffer to grow.
"You want to give us your evil law firm? We aint lawyers."
"Or evil…Currently."
"Ever."
We've never been evil, not even with Angel going all dark or Connor… We're like everyone else, we're flawed and just because Angel's a Champion for the Powers That Be doesn't make him all white and perfect… but it was Lilah's smile that gave me a chill. She looked at me as if she knew-.
"And again, what's the catch?"
"You earned it. Think of it as a reward for ending world peace."
As if we weren't feeling like shit already. We did the right thing, I don't care what anyone says and I know they all believe we were right in taking down Jasmine but she had presented them with a beautiful lie…
"That's not what happened."
"No?"
"No. That's your job… or was."
I'm thinking it still is considering they're not letting her 'rest in peace'.
"World peace comes at a price. Jasmine understood that. She consumed, what? Couple dozen souls-."
"Now? Can I, now?"
I so wanted to get my hands on her and rip her head off but Angel wouldn't let me and I wonder; why did I need his permission?
I hate her.
Don't usually go with the 'hate' but I really do hate her. Ojala y se quemara en el infierno por eternidad and still that wouldn't be long enough.
"…She was moving east, probably towards Cordelia. If we find Connor…"
I tuned into Wesley's plan half way through. Mayahuel had woken up and come down stairs all panicked just as Lilah left. The girl was sorry and apologized to everyone and it was Fred who took her upstairs, calming her. I was still looking like a ghost with my dusty self and the faint burning in my shoulder was the only nagging reminder that I still had to go dunk myself in the healing bath.
"What do we do once we find her?"
No one had any idea of how to bring her out of her sleep so other than making her comfortable and keeping her safe… what else?
"Kid needs a leash if you ask me." Gunn stated coming into the office.
"Ever hear of knocking?" I grumbled feeling more than a little grouchy.
"We work outward in an ever-expanding perimeter."
"Ever-expanding perimeter? That won't take weeks."
"Are you going to help or gripe?" I threw Gunn a scowl seeing as he just plopped down in the chair and shot down ideas like he was coming up them.
"You've another idea; I'm ready to hear it." Wes cut in setting his maps aside and steadily looking at Gunn.
"Cant help thinking it might cut down the work load some if we got a little help, a few extra employees, or a turnkey, state-of-the-art, multi-tasking operation."
"You've hit your head one too many, chocolate boy." I stated though deep down I couldn't help wince because hadn't I been thinking the same thing. Hadn't I been planning to use evil to help me along? Who was I to judge them for having the same idea?
"You can't possibly think that's an option." Wes sat back in his chair looking thoughtful.
"Well, now I know it's an option, 'cause I was standing right there when the dead lady offered it to us. And don't call me chocolate boy." He ordered.
Like I follow orders, Ha!
"Then start making sense." I retorted already standing up. "Don't even." I warned Gunn who had his mouth open, ready for some smart ass comment. "You boys have a nice chat, and by nice I mean Wes, please talk sense to him. I'm heading up."
I headed toward the stairs thinking I was being two faced. I expected them to maintain their 'perfect' good guy roles while I was- what? What was I going to do?
"Anyone evil?"
I looked up halfway across the lobby to the hotel doors.
"Evil ghost looking Phade, maybe?"
I could only stare at them-.
"Los Angeles doesn't look that much different. Doesn't anyone clean up around here?"
I had to be seeing things.
"I'm- I- I'm." I looked behind me to the office were Wes and Gunn sat looking at the door. I pointed at the foursome still standing at the entrance hoping they could tell me I was seeing the Hell'sAngel's.
"Is that anyway to greet your hubby, Phade?" Gunn's widening grin said he'd heard them as well. I turned around so fast I could've gotten whiplash.
"Ryan!" I threw myself at him and thank God he was expecting that otherwise we would have ended up on the floor.
"Hey baby. You been busy." He ran a gentle hand over my face and the bruises barely hidden by the plaster.
"Oh, I uh had a little run in with the 'It' and I ended up going through a wall." I smiled a bit sheepishly because well it was just stupid! She threw me through a wall!
"Are we still-?"
"Nope. Connor took care of it. We're demon free." I replied and hopped of Ryan. "Now." I looked at Oded, Oz and Tripp who looked a little too smug. "What are you doing here?"
"Came to help take down the bad guy." Tripp replied with a big goofy grin.
"Hah, cuz I thought we had a plan. The plan where all of you stay put and isolated until we," and here I pointed at myself because lets face it, I'd been the only one working on killing 'it' until Angel and Fred got the gang back. "Got things under control."
"About that, you see we thought…" Tripp went off on a long windy reason why they didn't stay behind but I ignored it.
"Feel free to head up to your rooms guys. I got business to take care of." With a wink I grabbed Ryan's hand and pulled him up to our home.
"Business?" he questioned reaching around and scooping me up into his arms.
"Oh yes. A little healing and then… then lots and lots of business." I whispered feeling more than happy just then. I don't think I'd realized how lonely I'd been feeling when all the Jasmine fanatics were around. Now that she was gone and everyone was back to being semi normal it was good to have Ryan here.
He came for me.
Wow, he came here for me…
******
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"PJ." The voice on the other end was ridden with guilt. "PJ, I'm sorry. I didn't- I mean I did but I didn't wan-."
"Guy, chill little brother." I couldn't help the smile. Yeah, he hit me- fucking whacked me like- like- well I don't know like what but he got me good.
"I'm so sorry…" Guy said once more, he just kept mumbling his apology-.
"Mira cabron, ya cállate." I ordered in a stronger voice. "So you hit me. You weren't yourself, you weren't the only one. A lot of people ended up dead just be happy none of us were among them. You have Gia and the family's still here…" I couldn't help thinking Guy was gonna beat himself up over this. Hitting girls wasn't his thing and Dad would've kicked his ass if he knew… "Hey, you want me to tell Dad?"
"PJ! God you wouldn't would you? I didn't mean to-."
"Exactly, so shut up about it already." I cut him off. "It wasn't your fault but if you keep moping and whining about it I am going to tell Dad and believe me when I say I'll lay it on so thick he will take a belt to your ass, Guy." I knew I could do it, get Dad that angry he literally would pull out the belt not that I though he'd actually hit him with it but the threat, you know…
"You really are evil, Phade…"
"I'm your sister and I love you."
********
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I was going to do this on my own. It wasn't as if they hadn't been thinking about it because it had to be on all our minds, the possibilities… but what would happen when they found out? If I was the only one- Fred didn't seem the type and Wes- maybe he was too honorable to see the advantages here. Angel. What would he do? He was the Champion for good. Would he…?
I stood outside for a while, just watching them. They looked so normal going about their business. No extra appendages or weird color schemes on their skin… no visible horns on any of the ground floor gumps.
It was still dark when I entered Wolfram and Hart.
"So… can't say I'm surprised."
I didn't reply, I was here and I knew what I wanted. I strode up to Lilah wanting very much to take off her head. Instead…
"I'm here and I have a contract for them."
A slight arching of her brow was the only sign she gave of being surprised.
"Always read the fine print…"
"Too bad you're that stupid."
I wasn't going to be signing anything of theirs; I don't trust them not to screw me over and add something or hide it in the wording. My contract was clear and to the point.
We sat in a large conference room while one of their gumps read through my terms. It didn't take very long, ten minutes and then he was actually trying to deal with me.
I laughed as he started his spiel.
"Listen, I'm not interested in haggling. I wrote the fucking thing and I know what I put in there. If I wanted something else I would have put something else so either they sign or they don't. Get it?" there was a moment of silence before he turned to Lilah.
"It's your call, I'm done here anyway." she replied carelessly.
"Ms. Vartan." The lawyer sighed looking none to pleased before sliding the contract back towards me. He stood up ignoring Lilah as he walked out.
It was a moment before disappointment hit me but I wasn't going to let it show, not when the bitch was sitting right there, ready to gloat-.
"Well, looks like you got what you wanted."
"What?" I looked at her confused wondering at her stupid grin when I noticed the bright red signature at the bottom of the sheet.
"Shit…" I breathed.
They signed it.
They signed it and hadn't even been here to do it.
They just… signed it.
"Guess you want the tour now." Lilah stood up and waited by the conference room doors. I couldn't believe this. I was getting my son and everything else I had asked for.
All of it.
*********
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They were all here. I stood in the shadow of an alcove and watched them go off with their own tour guides. I'd already seen the place and been to my office. I was insistent on it being close to Angel, he's the Champion you know, if they were going to double cross us they'd be going after him first. I'd been reading the evil minions I came in contact with which turned out to be harder than I thought. I kept getting fuzzy pictures or out of sequence events that I didn't see the relevance to.
Finally it was just Angel
"…Just you and me, boss. Come on, Charlie. Let me show you around the chocolate factory."
"Mind if I tag along?" I came up behind him with a little smile. I was nervous to say the least but they had all come, he couldn't be mad at me for being here too?
"Phade?" he looked me over probably looking to see if I had turned evil but all he was going to find was me in my ivory colored business suit. Figured if they were evil lawyers I might as well go for something light and the heels were comfortable. I can run if I have to. "I didn't- ." he began only for Lilah to cut him off.
"Oh, she was the first one here. Didn't bother taking the limo."
I leaned closer to Angel throwing Lilah a scathing glare. "Thought they'd blow it up."
"Oh." Angel answered though I could see a smile tugging on his lips. He probably thought it was funny but I really did think they would have blown it up. We'd be out of their hair if they had…
Lilah showed us to Angel's office all the while blabbing. I was thinking of how to tell him I'd already made a deal because it was clear he still hadn't made up his mind. Maybe the others hadn't either but they were taking the tour. There's no harm in looking, anyone can look…
"What's it gonna do, huh? Drop me in a vat of holy water?"
"I was pushing for that but they went with the motor pool."
"Thank's but I already have a car."
"Uh, Ange-,"
"Now you have twelve."
"What am I going to do with twelve cars?"
I had a good idea of what he could do with them but first I had to do some coming clean.
"Ang-."
"Anything you want. That's the point, or haven't you been listening?
"I have and uh I'm done now."
"An-."
"Wait, I forgot to show you the best part."
Please don't let her blurt out my deal. Please don't let her blurt on my deal! But she didn't blurt, no she opened the freaking curtains and let the sun shine on "Angel!"
I could have made a grab for him, thrown him behind the desk before he had a chance to go 'poof'…
"You're not? Hey you're-."
"I'm not bursting into flames." And he wasn't. For a moment there I was thinking they were going with the killing part. Now more than ever I felt I had to stay close, as to what good I was gonna be? Well, I wouldn't know until I was needed. Wasn't I supposed to be here?
"Make that good bye. I'm not taking the job." Angel snapped and wasn't that just great? Our leader wasn't taking the job and here I had already made a deal.
"…oh, but don't worry. There's always 6000 more just around the corner… or up the coast."
I straightened hearing her mention of the coast. What could they possibly know about the others?
"Lay the blame on some one else hell bitch. We save the one's we can." And was I just talking outta my ass or did we save all the ones we could?
Could we do more?
"Sunnydale." He took the file she handed him removing a gaudy looking necklace. Another magical talisman. Didn't those ever go out of style? Suddenly my pocket started vibrating though I'm proud to say I didn't jump. See, I'm getting used to the tickle…
"Shit." It was Ryan. He was probably going to be a little upset I left him naked and alone without a word as to where I was going. I put the cell to my ear smiling as if he could see me. "Hi honey. You sleep-."
"Where the hell are you?" he grouched in his most 'I'm not happy' voice. "I wake up and you're gone and there's no one else around."
"Yeah, I kinda had to take care of some business-."
"Phade, if you-."
"No!" I looked over my shoulder at Angel who apparently wasn't paying attention to my suddenly raised voice. "No, Ryan. Not our business, business. This is something else and the rest of AI is he-with me. We're all together and as soon as I'm done I'll be home."
"Good." He grumbled only slightly mollified. Maybe it was the fact I wasn't alone that made him less grumpy or… "When you get home we have some business to take care of."
"Yes, sir." I murmured feeling a little heat creep into my cheeks. I hung up catching the tail en of Lilah's comment.
"…took the tour. Dead, not stupid."
"Ha, ha. Bite your tongue on that one?" hadn't she been the one not to read the fine print in her contract?
"What do you know?"
"About where Cordelia and your son are? Not a thing, but you could find out in about 10seconds. All you gotta do is pick up the phone, boss." She took it from its cradle and handed it over. Angel set it back and stood looking down at the dead woman.
"I'm sorry about what happened to you-."
"Not me." Angel spared me a dirty look before excusing us. He was going to leave and here I was still trying to tell him I was staying. Or couldn't I just go back to the Hyperion and pretend like I was still working there while secretly I'd be sneaking off to the law firm to take it down from the inside? Oh God, that was a headache just to think up.
"You sure they wanna go?" Lilah grabbed the ringing phone and answered it. Saved my ass from being discovered at least for the next couple of seconds.
"Angel." I tried not to sound fearful but let's face it I didn't want him coming after me if he thought I was evil. I didn't want him to kill me and I certainly didn't want to kill him….
"Cool! Is that high-def?" Angel asked turning away from me to the TV.
"Dios mio…" I sighed putting both hands over my face. This was not going well…
*******
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I followed Angel to the lobby where the others were already gathered. After the last couple of hours with Angel and dealing with Connor's melt down I was ready to go home. Ryan had called again to say my Dad would be arriving soon with the kids. I was so looking forward to seeing them and spending quality time with Sebastián.
"…Are you saying we should take the deal?"
"I already took it."
"Angel, wha- what?"
"You took the deal?
"Executive decision." Now those were words I was going to hate hearing. If you didn't know Angel was a vampire you'd think he fit into the corporate world quite nicely; he had the clothes and the look for it.
"I didn't think you'd-."
"Know a silver platter when he's handed one? I'm impressed with the lot of you. Team Angel, all growed up."
"Shut up Lilah." I'd been trying to stay back but she just talked way too much, hated the sound of her voice.
"Phade? I didn't see-."
"First one here. Beat your fearless leader to the signature so to speak. Didn't bother waiting for the limo-."
"Shut. Up." I repeated with more force.
"Is it taken care of?" Angel asked her completely ignoring the death glare or the curious looks I was getting from the rest of them. How was I going to explain myself when I still hadn't told Angel I made my own contract? Of course, now that Cordy was found and being taken care of there were other things needing to get taken care of. I knew exactly where I was going not that I would go if he didn't want me to.
"I'll meet you at home." I told them and walked out to my car. I parked it a couple of blocks from the firm, didn't feel comfortable parking in their garage.
**********
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"Mom!" hearing those words made my day. If I had to go battle a horde of tentacly demons that left me covered in slime I wouldn't care, not if I could come home to this.
"Sebastián!" the huge smile on my face only got bigger seeing my Dad sitting in the lobby with the others Hell'sAngel's. Mayahuel was beaming though Temoc looked like he wanted to run away but that could have been because she didn't let go of him. You couldn't blame her for wanting to keep her little brother close. He was all the family she had left.
"So where's everybody, Má?" Bastían tugged on my arm and I couldn't help be surprised at how strong he was. My son was eleven now, almost as tall as I was and that's saying a lot since I'm only 5'2". He was beginning to look like his Father, not something I particularly liked but Sebastián is not Dante. If I have anything to say about it he won't ever be like his Father. He's had two good examples of who a man is with my Dad and now Ryan.
"Papí!" I grabbed my Dad practically falling on him as I gave him a bear hug being careful not to break his fragile old bones. "Oh, I've missed you."
"Barbera." He retorted though he had the biggest smile I had ever seen on his face. "Se puede saber que fregados andabas haciendo?" he grumbled.
"Huh, what'd I do now?" I asked turning to Ryan.
"The hotel. Busted wall…"
"Oh! Papí, it wasn't my fault. I…" I didn't know what else to say. Quick, think of a lie, think of something but my stupid brain is blank! Blank, blank, blank!
"It's yours!" I blurted remembering the contract in my purse.
"His? What's his?" Ryan questioned half frowning. Maybe he thought I was bluffing so I wouldn't get my ass chewed out for busting some walls.
"Yeah, umm see I sorta got a new job. We all did." I put in quickly seeing their looks. "And I got the Hotel, well, I bought it sort of." Oh I wasn't making sense I could tell. "Look, the important thing is you," and I dropped a kiss on Sebastián's lips which he quickly wiped away. I could remember when he used to grab my hair and pull on me until I did give him a kiss… "Don't have to go anywhere anymore. You're all mine again."
"Really?" his face lit up with hope and at my grin he let out a whoop of joy he almost knocked me off the side of the chair I was sitting on.
"I have the documents in my purse. There's nothing he can do legally." I told my Dad and Ryan who both let out sighs of relief. This next part was going to throw them for a loop. "I made you both his guardians if something ever comes up and I can't be here…"
"Que? A donde vas?" my Dad questioned in a hard voice. He wasn't going to like my answer but neither would Mayahuel.
"Sunnydale. Tenemos que terminar lo que empesamos. Angel will drop us off..."
That set the mood for the rest of my visit even when I told them the Garzés kids would now be legal citizens and completely my Dad's responsibility.
"Yo que?" my Dad asked with wide eyes.
"Well, they asked me who was going to sponsor them and I figured it would be easier if you did it considering you're going to be their guardian as well. Andele, Papí. Que le cuesta?" I begged using my best Daddy's girl eyes and voice.
"Cool!" Bastían grinned. "Now we really are family. I get a brother."
"Ya ve, Sebastián esta contento."
He gave in eventually though I know he was just pretending. You can't have the kids thinking Gramps is a pushover and then we went and looked for a suite they could all call home.
The Winchester suite. It was across the hall with two large bedrooms and a kitchenette. There was only one bathroom but since it would only be the kids and my Dad… well, they'd just have to be quick. Dom, Oded and Tripp volunteered to take them furniture hunting while I sat down with Ryan and my Dad. I had to tell them what I had done and was going to be doing just as soon as I got back from Sunnydale.
"I don't get why you can't just let them take care of it." Ryan stated once more. He was having a hard time getting it through his thick head that I was going whether he liked it or not. I signed a paper, not like I signed my life away…
"Because I'm not leaving Mayahuel alone. Those kids are the last of their family and that preacher is going to want to kill her. I'm not handing her over without a fight." And I had this weird feeling the Caleb wasn't going to fight with me. He wasn't one of them exactly, one of the powers but he knew something… something about them and about me.
I wondered if he could see me…
*******
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