The night sky was littered with stars, in the distance the sound of a dog yapping could be heard, and even further the sound of a rather large clocktower sounding off the time, ten chimes, ten pm.
The ground was wet with the evening's rain, which had finally stopped, though the smell of the wetness was still in the air, clinging almost like a blanket in and of itself. Nocturnal animals were astir, skittering and flying here and there, however there was one nocturnal animal that did not make a sound. A nocturnal animal that did not even leave a mark on the wet pavement, a nocturnal animal that was not seen at all.
"Giiiles…. Giiiiiles.. Rupert Giles, this is your alarm service calling." The sound of chains could be heard gently clinking together as the man in bed did not even stir a single bit, a soft snort heard, is all that came from the prone man.
A sigh, a look of exasperation on the ghostly visage of Doyle, he shouldn't have been there, shouldn't have been doing this. However Doyle had always been a sucker for Cordelia and this was no different. "You owe me." He muttered under his breath before he got right up next to Giles' face. "WAKE UP!"
Rupert Giles sprung to his feet halfway awake and even less dressed. "What!" He spun around looking towards the being in front of him, in the dark moonlight he was able to make out the form of a man but that was about it.
"Oh god put on some pants!" Doyle spinning around quickly. "That's going to be an image that will forever be burned into my mind." His hands coming up scrubbing at his face.
The sleep addled ex-Watcher looked upon Doyle for a moment as his hand moved out to turn the light on. He looked towards the man in the brown suit and the chains, putting on his glasses though his nudity he does not cover up. He stared to the peculiar looking man, before he finally spoke. "And just exactly who are you?" His mind already calculating the distance from a weapon in case it was needed, ignoring the man's plea for him to cover it up.
Doyle blinked a few times, right. He didn't know who he was… Hmmm now how to do this, he thought for a moment and shrugged his shoulders, best to be honest. "I'm a spiritual guide, who's come to tell you, that you are needed in Los Angeles toot sweet." Trying to avoid looking below Rupert's face.
Giles looked towards Doyle a moment, before sitting down. "I…see. A spiritual guide sent to tell me to go to Los Angeles, where Angel, or perhaps even Angelus has taken over the Wolfram and Hart law firm. Why am I not convinced?"
Frowning, Doyle thought for a moment, wondering what in the world would Cordy do at this moment.
"Like seriously what is your damage? The Rupert Giles –I- know wouldn't just let the end of the world happen while sitting on his keester doing nothing about it. No siree Bob, It's as if you got.. soft when you became older." Giles glancing up at Doyle as if he had just gone starkers. "Fine! I know Cordelia Chase, and the boys in LA could use your help, I think you owe it to them after letting poor Fred die."
Doyle walked over to lean against the window, watching Giles, hands resting in front of him, lips pursed. Seeing the range of emotions running the gamut on the poor sods face, it almost made Doyle feel guilty. Almost. Not quite. Though still wishing he'd put on some clothes or something.
--
Foyer at the Hyperion
--
The foyer of the Hyperion hotel had fallen quiet after the outburst from Spike, several hours earlier. Now the remnants of the afternoon sun filtered in through the glass in the doorway. Lorne was catching a small nap on the loveseat that was in the middle of the lobby, able to finally rest his weary head after such a long and very intrusive night –and- day. Angel sat at the front desk, unable to go back to his office where Eve's prone body was just a true and morbid reminder of the past night, the past night that Angel had put all his hopes and dreams; only to have them crumbling down on him like quicksand that was about to choke him alive. Wesley was reading over a leather bound book, it seemed as if death had not stopped him from researching, and this time it was a cure for Eve, to bring her back to the world of the living, instead of the coma like state she was in. Illyria was sitting there, watching him, though her mind seemed to be a million miles away.
"Wow, who died?" A young man's voice was heard coming from the front door, it was Connor, Angel's mis-begotten and then lost son.
Angel raising his head a moment, he stood up. "Hello Connor." He tried to smile, however it just did not seem to stay on the brooding vampire's face.
"I'll ask again, who died?" His feet bringing him down the steps of the Hyperion and fully into the foyer. He glanced over towards Illyria curiously a moment, his head tilting. She was watching him as intently as he was watching her.
"No one died. It's just been a long night and day, son." Angel added the son on a little weaker than perhaps he should have, lying had come so easy to him before, and now he found it unbearable to do. He had lived a lie for so long, since his time of taking over Wolfram and Hart, he couldn't do it anymore.
"What aren't you telling me?" Connor finally looked back to his father, as Wesley raised his head from the book. "The end of the world lie didn't go over too well, neither did this one. What's going on?" Connor moved to sit down on the edge of the couch Lorne had passed out on, and put his elbows onto his knees.
"Wesley died last night, fighting a warrior's fight." Illyria answered the half blood. Strange how he called Angelus father, she had never heard of vampires siring actual children.
Connor blinked, then blinked again as he stared towards Wesley. "If he's dead then why is he sitting there?" A logical question in the mind of the young man, he had vague memories of Wesley, of Fred who this blue hair chick looked like.
"If we knew that, we'd be able to have more answers as well. It seems I have been returned for redemption. How are you Connor?" Wesley looked towards the man now, who's shock was registering on his face as plain as day.
"I'm okay, thanks." He then would look to Angel. "I thought you said everyone made it."
"Well technically…they did." Angel shrugged a shoulder helplessly.
Connor shook his head a little bit, as he glanced back towards Illyria. "You look a lot like… Fred…but different."
Illyria's eyebrow arched faintly, before she spoke. "Winifred Burkle was my vessel so I could come onto this plane of existence." The words were cold, un-emotional, causing the half blood to flinch, as well as Angel and the man she was sitting next to, Wesley.
That's when the front door opened up widely, Connor turning around to see a blonde chick who in his mind at least was rather attractive, carrying a bloodied man. The man looked familiar, however he didn't know his name.
"Kaya what happened? Were you attacked?" Wesley standing up, asking a question in a tone of a father perhaps talking to an errant child, moving away from the book he was reading through to head towards her.
Pausing as he noticed blood on her face as well.
"We… uhm.. uuuh…" Kaya blinked a few times, looking down to the unconscious Lindsey then up to Wesley. "Had a discussion?" The sheepish look on her face was as if a child caught with their hand in a cookie jar.
"Discussions are good." Illyria echoing Angel's words from earlier.
While Connor and Angel looked on in shock.
--
Earlier That Day
--
Kaya had been driving around the town for thirty minutes, looking for her Watcher, while Lindsey was blissfully quiet, then again he hadn't regained conciseness just yet. As she sat at a stoplight, she wiped the blood from her nose once more. With the tiniest of ridges popping up, she knew it was broken. However if it came from Lindsey or the headbutt she delivered to him, she didn't know.
"Oww.. What.. happened?" Lindsey's eyes finally prying open as he looked up to the blonde that was now driving his car. Trying to sit up he felt a sharp pain in his head.
"You tried to kill me and I knocked you out." She began to drive once more, not glancing over to him.
"What? I… Oh." The only words that came from his mouth for a long moment, as he finally pulled himself into a full sitting position, and he then rubbed the large goose egg he had on his forehead. Finally able to say something, "Where are we?"
"Just left the bookstore that Eric owns, he wasn't there." A sigh coming from her lips as she drove down the street, a hand coming up to wipe at the blood once more that dribbled from her nose. She had at least had the forethought to clean them both up afterwards.
"Oh." Perhaps for the first time in years, Lindsey was unable to find something to say, and actually felt uncomfortable. He wasn't sure if it was the fact the girl he tried to kill was now talking to him as if nothing happened, or the fact he got his ass handed to him by a girl.
"Feeling better at least?" She asked with a hint of concern as she stopped at a stop sign, finally glancing to him. He could see the dark bruising around her throat, which caused the man to wince faintly.
"Yea, hey…. Sorry, I.. I don't know what came over me." Tripping over his own tongue, it was hard to imagine that just a few years ago Lindsey was actually one of the slyest lawyers in LA.
"Happens. Always believed that you have to let it out one way or another, better me than some jackass who can't take a hit. Oh don't look so surprised, I goaded you, you took the bait. Happens all the time." Chuckling softly, the slayer looked at him for a moment. "Besides, you hit like a girl."
With that Kaya began to push the accelerator once more as she drove, the shocked expression on Lindsey's face damn near priceless, however she didn't have a camera.
For nearly another twenty minutes, things were going well. Of course the two car-mates didn't speak, but what was there to talk about? She was busy looking for her Watcher, and he was busy trying to wrap his mind around everything. Unfortunately, the only things he could remember were Eve and the story that Lorne had told him about this Slayer's past. Two horrible events, that he had a hand in, two lives ruined because of his involvement. The guilt that Lorne had felt was nothing compared to the guilt that Lindsey was feeling within that moment.
Then, those twenty minutes came to a grinding halt.
"God dammit!" Kaya's hands slammed against the steering wheel of the car as she was becoming more and more frustrated.
Unfortunately for Lindsey, he never did learn enough tact to not piss off a female at times. "You're so…cute when you're angry." The sarcasm dripping.
Kaya's jaw clenched tightly, her eyes flickering over towards him. "Get out of the car." Her eyes narrowing, anger over-riding her once more.
Lindsey smirked faintly as he got out of the car, thinking she would just scare him this time, there was no way she'd beat up on him just for being a smart ass. Unfortunately, there has been several times in his life that Lindsey McDonald has not been right. This is one of them.
As soon as Kaya rounded the front of the car she was on him, shoving him up against a tree, as they were stopped in a residential area now. "What the hell is your malfunction! Can't you go one single solitary fucking day without saying something that will piss a person off! No wonder why you chose to be a lawyer, you're fucking good at your job!" She was shoving him rather roughly, the bark was biting against his tender skin, her hands clutching at the shirt he was wearing.
Lindsey's hands reached up, holding onto her wrists. "What, you can dish it but you can't take it? What's the matter Slayer? Feeling all alone and weft behind because your widdle watcher ran away, hell I can't honestly blame him. Oh what are you going to beat me up again? Will that make you feel better?"
Kaya smirked. "I don't believe on beating up the same person twice in a row, but you? I may make an exception for." With that her knee connected right between the middle of his legs, as she let him go.
Lindsey came crumbling towards the ground, feeling the air surge from his lungs. As the Slayer began to walk away, however, Lindsey lunged himself towards her and tackled her to the ground. For several moments they were like that, wrestling and trying to pin one another on the ground, however this was not play fighting. Both were trying to inflict some form of damage to the other. It was almost like seeing two siblings fighting over who got the keys to the car that night.
A left punch thrown by Kaya that connected to his jaw, a knee to her kidney's delivered by Lindsey, both were taking their lumps and it didn't seem like either was going to back down. It seemed both had a point to prove, dominance over the battle of wits and body. However, no one ever said that they had to have brains.
Finally, both fatigued with exhaustion, their previous injuries having been added to, the two relented, laying on some poor woman's lawn panting heavily for breath. A slayer and a would be hero both winded from their physical arguments, if it hadn't been so preposterous, it could have been comical.
"You… Fight… Dirty." Lindsey was able to wheeze out, rubbing his sides with a wince.
"Didn't… ouch think…. Lawyers could brawl." Smirking as she tried to sit up. "I think you definitely made sure my nose was broken."
"Feel better?" Lindsey smirked as he closed his eyes, feeling the afternoon sun beating down on him.
"Shut up!" A hit to his arm as she began to stand, offering him a hand up, as he began to take it, she let go seeing him fall back down. "Now I do." Smirking at him for a moment, before erupting into a soft laughter, Lindsey doing just the same as he laid on the ground.
--
Hyperion Foyer
--
"Exactly how many times did you two do this?" Wesley asked, looking to the slayer as if she had gone starkers.
Kaya put the ice pack onto her forehead and shrugged. "Three, the slap fight in the car doesn't count."
Connor just looked to the blonde for a moment, then shook his head, moving to sit down away from her, but still watch her. She was intriguing, better than that one slayer he had met when he was still Angel's son.
"I… Don't know what to say about this." Angel shook his head, in all of his years the closest thing he had ever seen to this was Fight Club, and even then that wasn't as bizarre as this.
"Be thankful I don't have split personalities then." Giving a faint smirk to him as if she could read his mind, as she closed her eyes, slouching down onto the couch some, and resting the back of her head on the couch.
Angel glanced over towards Wesley, who was far too reminded of a certain rogue slayer for his own good, a grim look on his features, as he looked back towards Angel. His eyebrows arch while Angel shrugged helplessly.
--
England
--
"You didn't know did you?" Doyle asked the quiet and somber Rupert Giles as they remained in his bedroom. "You didn't realize that he was tellin' the truth…"
"No, I didn't know." Giles' tone was soft, his eyes were lowered as he held his head in his hands. "I didn't know at all, other than what we had been told. That Angel had sided with Wolfram and Hart, that's all we –had- to know, I couldn't allow for anyone to be injured by Angelus…Again." His tone dripping with sadness and self-hatred, his entire body showing a defeat in the beliefs that he thought were right.
Doyle rolled his eyes heavenward, then back onto Giles. "And so now what are you going to do? Mope, I don't think that's the type of man I've been told about. Now we could go and have some lovely Earl Gray and I could be on my merry way, however I don't think that's going to happen either English. So why don't we just get on our merry way to LA? Well, your merry way; I can't go there." Doyle shrugged his shoulders as he said those last words.
Giles brought up his head, looking to him for a moment. "Why won't you be there?" Perhaps, thinking this could still be a trap. "And how do I know this still isn't a trap?"
Doyle thought for a long moment, before he moved over towards Giles, not touching him but looking into his eyes. "You miss her still, Jenny Calendar, Joyce Summers, even Anya. You miss the women that have been in your life, that's why you avoid seeing her so much, Buffy. You know the little one, Dawn still misses you, misses the way you make tea. Or help her with her summer English course, the one she's failing. You asked for proof chief, don't give me that shocked look." Doyle's hand then moves up and touches Giles' temple softly, as he felt a warmth spread over him, a calm for a moment as he began to speak again, "I'm not meant to meddle with the Heroes. Powers that Be made a rule after the last time someone decided to do that. So now I just get to watch from up above, with Cordelia, who inspired me to come and talk with you."
Giles stared for a moment, before speaking. "Cor.. Cordelia Chase is dead? I only thought her to be in a coma?"
Doyle shrugged. "Those as we say, are the breaks kid. You loose touch, you don't know things anymore. I think you'll be surprised by quite a few things once it's all said and done. I suggest you leave soon, there's a redeye that can get you there, unless you have some nifty transportation device."
Even though Giles had not given an answer, he nodded his head at those words and stood up. "Yes, flying would be easier, though perhaps more problematic. I should pa-." Then realizing that he had not agreed at all, "Wait, I've not said I am going." He turned around looking to Doyle.
"Nah, but then again, from what I know about you… You are and that means Cordelia will get off of my back." Doyle gave a hopeful smile. "And could you possibly now put on some pants?"
"Yes, indeed." Nodding his head to Doyle's answer, before pausing turning to get something to put on. "Terribly sorry about that." As he then turned to speak to Doyle once more with the sheet around his waist, he saw the man had disappeared. "Oh… Hell."
--
Foyer
--
Illyria sat beside Wesley who was once more going over an old looking book, the pages worn and yellowed with time. While she watched this man, Wesley; she was reminded of the time apart from the others during battle, angered by the loss of him, and by the once god that she had not recalled until the very end, it had all been but a single and simple blur. There was a gnawing at the back of her mind, almost like a low toned hum no one else could hear that was causing her to become agitated. A faint grunt of annoyance coming forth from the once goddess as she shot up to her feet.
Wesley glanced up to her curiously, "Everything all right Illyria?" He asked, quietly closing the book once more. While the others who had been conversing quietly had also turned their attention onto her, curiously wondering what the blue haired one was doing.
"I am feeling agitated, I wish to hurt things." Coldly stated, as was per her normal tone, as she felt a sudden warmth spring from within, "I… think," a look of disbelief moving over her features, "I am not sure."
Angel studied Illyria for a moment, before looking to Wesley who had a most defined perplexed look upon his face. "You are not sure, Illyria?"
Shaking her head, she strode off without another word, returning back towards the courtyard in which she had found solace before.
"That was definitely…odd." Angel shook his head, before turning back to look at Connor who was watching Kaya as she was sat back, staring off into space.
"So, as you can see we're almost back to normal. Whatever normal is now." He replied to the man who was his child, sitting down beside him.
"I see that… Though I'm still curious how you got a Slayer to fight beside you. I thought they were all like gone in training or something?" Connor finally looking back to Angel.
"She's…special. Lorne brought her, thought we could use the help. She knows Gunn, but… I'm not exactly sure if she'll be sticking around. She doesn't seem to be able to work well with others, if uuuh, Lindsey's face is any sort of example." Angel had to chuckle faintly at that one.
"She's kind of hot." Connor said in such a manner, sheepish to be exact as he watched the blonde slayer once more. "Even with all those bruises."
Angel grinned even more quietly to himself this time. It seemed like father like son, especially when it came to Slayers.
As Connor realized Angel had been quiet for a while, he slowly turned his head to look at him, noticing that grin which caused him to raise an eyebrow. "What?"
"Nothing, Connor, nothing at all." He chuckled a little bit, and shrugged his shoulders. His son still giving him a look as if he didn't believe him. "I'll explain when you're older."
"Funny, Angel, really funny." Breaking out the actual name, which made him chuckle even more, knowing he got to his son, it felt good to be able to laugh.
Kaya was leaning over the front desk and looking over a map, trying to find exactly where Eric could have gone. It had made no sense it was as if he had fallen off of the face of the planet, which was distressing in and of it self.
The frown on her lips was growing ever more present as each minute slowly ticked away, with sharpie in hand she had marked off all the places she had looked already. It seemed futile for her.
"Having trouble?" Wesley asked as he moved to put the book up, glancing to the blonde Slayer with a hesitant gaze.
Kaya slowly raised her head, giving a small nod of it after a moment. "Trouble seems to know how to find me."
Wesley stood quiet for a moment, before speaking. "I see. Have you always been so… prone to anger?" Asking almost tentatively, as if afraid she'd attack him.
That caused her to pause, then chuckled softly for a moment. "No, I've not always been so prone to anger, and I'm not prone to anger now. I just realized that you have to stop sugar coating shit. I think having your life flashing before your very eyes has a way of doing that though. Don't you agree?" Her gaze meeting his, unabashedly.
"Yes, I would have to say so. However, I don't go around beating everybody up."
"Anymore. I've heard stories about you."
Wesley's shocked expression remained longer than it should have.
"Shit happens man, the thing is you gotta roll with it, and make sure it doesn't roll you over." Her blue orbs gazing upon him. "You know what I mean?"
"Yes, I believe I do, you are not one of those slayers who hurts innocents are you?" Unable to hold back that question any longer.
"Nah, I just don't believe all humans are innocent. Gangbangers, drug dealers, pimps, rapists, those are the worst demons of all, because they're human." Her eyes locking with Wesley for a long moment, speaking softly, "Because they are doing this to their fellow man."
Wesley just looked faintly shocked at such an outlook on life, at such a young age, as the blonde slayer began to walk away limping just faintly. He let out a soft sigh of sorts. He knew if her Watcher was not found, he would have to become a mentor of sorts, even if the Watcher's Council did not exist at this moment, and even if it did; he would be no member to it.
He had given up on the Watcher's Council so long ago; it meant nothing to him anymore. He owed them nothing, the Slayer's nothing, however he could keep telling himself this, he knew somewhere in his mind it wasn't true.
"God, what.. hit me?" Lindsey groaned from the bench he was sitting on, slowly sitting up, and looking over everyone for a moment, raising an eyebrow to his already swollen eye.
"That would have been Kaya, again apparently." Angel answered Lindsey, forgetting for a moment that he and Lindsey had not exactly been on the best of terms when he had left the hotel, then again when had they ever truly been on even odds before?
Kaya actually gave the now resurrected lawyer a grin, sheepish but prevalent in her entire exterior, as she too was not without her bumps and bruises. To Angel's chagrin, however, Lindsey grinned back, and chuckled some; until the pain in his ribs told him it was a bad idea and he held them.
"The girl hits harder than you Angel." Lindsey's eyes turned to him for a moment, giving a smirk.
"No way, no way can she hit harder than me." Angel stood up, as if his entire manhood had just been threatened in that one single utterance. Connor just looking on in a mixture of awe and shock, thinking these people had finally lost it.
"Wanna test that theory vampire?" Kaya stood up with a grin. "Or maybe I should just call you Mr. Brood, it has a better ring to it." Dropping the ice pack she began to walk towards him.
Wesley watched on, humored by this. Reminded of how Spike and Angel used to try and one up themselves, he felt for a moment something other than the loss that was brooding deeply within him at that moment.
"You wanna go Slayer? Fine, it's on. Unless you wanna heal fi-" Before he could finish the sentence a fist came flying into his face, his head snapping back, then forward once more. "Ow! I wasn't-" throwing a punch into the Slayer's bruised face, as her head snapped forward much like his. "-Finished yet, thank you."
"That's the deal with all you vampires and supernaturals, you like to talk-" Throwing a punch into his face this time, but at the same time, taking a step forward and hooking her ankle to his, tripping him up and sending him onto his back. "-Too much."
Angel looked up at the blonde Slayer and laid on his back still. He had to admit she was rather spunky and crafty when it came to her abilities. He kipped up and gave a small nod of his head. "That we do." With that he lunged to her, she jumped out of the way, landing on her foot wrong, as her knee twisted and she went down like a ton of bricks, holding her leg. "I didn't even touch you!" Angel turned, looking to her as he saw the pain in her eyes.
Moving over towards her, he crouched down, looking with a hint of concern. Wesley had also noticed this and began to walk towards them, Lindsey standing up with a hint of difficulty, in pain but also concerned; knowing the Slayer was a crafty one but that was a definite look of pain. "Kaya, are you all right?" Angel asked quietly, as he reached out to help her up.
Kaya glanced up to Angel, and took in a deep shuddering breath. Connor watched from his vantage point, confused about what just happened, and now amused himself about what he had just seen, recalling the sparring sessions that had taken place so long ago, another time, another life.
"I'm… Fine." She then tore open the knee of the pants she was wearing, and looking to the knee that was now swollen and painfully red. "Or, maybe not." Frowning as she saw that, she took in a deep breath, as she sighed. Not wanting to say the next words that came out of her mouth. "Could someone, please help me.. U-" Before she could even finish the sentence, every male in that room, aside from Lorne who was still asleep, were reaching out to help her onto her feet and onto a bench. She had to laugh at that. "Chivalry truly isn't dead." Settling her head back against the bench, and she closed her eyes. "You know…" She trailed off, and as the men in the foyer looked to her, they would see she had fallen fast asleep.
--
Spiritual Plane
--
"So…" Cordelia looked towards Doyle for a moment. "You're not going to tell me, are you?"
Doyle looked to Cordelia a moment, pursing his lips together and gave a shake of his head.
"Oh come on! Doyle that's not exactly fair!"
"Fair, fair she says! Coming from the woman who not only tried to get me to co-sign on a loan so she could go on a shopping spree, but also badger a poor sod to death to do meddling which we aren't to meddle! Come on now Cordy."
Cordelia's eyes rolled as she looked to him for a moment. "Fine! You don't have to tell me, I don't care anyways, as long as it worked."
"Fine."
"Fine!"
"Good."
"Good!"
"I'm still not going to tell you."
"Dammit Doyle!"
--
Foyer
--
The hours had finally and slowly ticked away to dusk, the time when the vampires could go out and hunt if they wished, or to just go out and live in a world without roofs until sunrise.
The slayer still slept on the bench where they had placed her, finally having tired herself out totally and completely, expending all of her energy doing her own version of counseling.
Lorne was finally awake and reading over a newspaper that he had been able to nab out of a machine just down the block, and sipping at coffee, looking a little better now that he had time to sleep.
Lindsey was pacing, quietly and to himself; seeming almost like a caged tiger. Going over the thoughts in his mind, and the guilt that addled him every single time he looked upon the blonde slayer.
Angel and his son were busy talking quietly in hushed tones. Connor had been offering his help, though Angel was still trying to push him away from this lifestyle. Of course the stubbornness of Angel's was seen in his son, who continued to argue the fact that his life was never going to be normal again.
Wesley continued to comb over the very few books that were left in the library of the Hyperion, the occult section had dwindled, most of it had been lost in the destruction of the Wolfram and Hart building. He was bound and determined to help Eve.
Illyria had quietly returned, and remained sitting down, though not saying anything to anyone and no one saying anything to her. It seemed as if the quiet and peacefulness was going to last for the rest of the night.
Seemed, being the key word.
The door to the Hyperion opened up, though no one had glanced up for a moment.
Rupert Giles walked into the Hyperion hotel, along with Willow, Xander, and Andrew.
Still, no one bothered to look up at the people who had entered.
Until the bag Giles had been carrying was dropped onto the floor, then heads rose up rather quickly, all except for the Slayer who at that moment was still blissfully unaware.
They all stared blankly at one another for a long moment, the tension in the room once more filling rather quickly,
"Hello Giles." Angel finally said, standing up, turning to look at the foursome that was standing there. "Time has settled on you…well." Trying to hold back the anger that he felt surging through him, Giles had denied them aide when Fred could have used it.
Willow's eyes had landed on Illyria but did not leave from there, stunned into silence.
"Hello, Angel. I wish I could say it was a pleasure." Giles gave a small nod of his head, as his eyes slowly began to scan over the room, landing only for a moment on Illyria, before landing upon Wesley and staying there.
"Xander, going for a new look?" Angel asked the one eyed brown headed clown that had always been a humorous thorn in his side.
"Hah hah hah, not funny broody boy, get groinal lately?" The barbs never seemed to end with these two.
Andrew rolled his eyes and began to actually move further into the foyer, glancing around for a moment. "There was word, that you could all use our assistance." Trying to act as mature as possible, though somehow Andrew could never be taken serious, no matter how hard he had tried.
"And who is it exactly that said we needed help?" Angel asked, as Lorne, Wesley, Connor, and even Lindsey moved to stand beside and behind him. "We didn't call you, we tried that once, you guys left us hanging." His anger showing in his voice, his entire body tense, arms folding in front of him to show his rigidity.
Willow slowly began to head towards Illyria. "Fred, my god I thought you were… Wait… Fred?" She asked quietly.
"That's not Fred, cupcake, sorry." Lorne answered her, as Illyria looked to Willow as if she had a second head growing out from her body.
"Oh, but… How?" Willow looked to Wesley to answer the question.
As Wesley's mouth was about to open, Angel spoke. "You see, there was this sarcophagus, Fred opened it, inhaled something and she began to get taken over. She was getting sick, she was dying, and nothing we could do could fix it. So we call Giles here, and what does he do? Say you're out of town, Will, and hung up on me. So why not just leave it there and go again Rupert." His eyes staying locked on the ex-Watcher. "You're not wanted. You're not needed, and when you were, you turned your back on us."
"Giles…?" Willow's voice was soft, yet pleading, asking so many questions in that one word.
"You work for Wolfram and Hart, of course we're not going to help you. D'uh." Xander shook his head in disgust at the vampire. "Why should we?"
"Because not everything you see, or hear is the truth." Wesley answered. "Perhaps, you should go."
"I'm sorry but we can't do that. We were told you needed help, and we are here to help." Andrew spoke, as if talking for what was left of the Scooby Group.
"Okay, who's the geek?" Connor finally asked.
"Well who are you?" Xander asked just as demandingly as Connor had.
"I'm Angel's son, who are you?"
"Son? I highly find that…" Xander blinked with his good eye, turning his head to look at Angel. "Son?"
Angel gave a small nod of his head. "Son, you know… Spawn, offspring, fruit of my loi-"
"Oh ew, come on!" Xander just shook his head, "don't need that mental image."
"Well isn't this the most dysfunctional family reunion I've seen." Lindsey murmured to Lorne, who just gave a small nod of his head in agreement.
"I'll ask you once more, leave, get out of my hotel. You're not welcome here." Angel bristled faintly, he was getting cranky.
"Why don't you all just shut up and let me sleep." Kaya muttered from the bench, as she opened her eyes for a moment, and then shut them again, mumbling under her breath, "Great more people."
"Angel, we can't go, you need us." Willow began to walk slowly towards him for a moment. "Don't be such a teenage drama queen." Pleading in the way that Willow only knew how, using phrases that tried to defuse problems.
Lindsey moved over, sitting beside Kaya and put the blanket that had been placed on her, up over her shoulders to keep her covered, and smoothed her hair gently for a moment, an act of kindness that would have surprised people if it wasn't already a surprising situation, one filled with tension and anger.
Lorne slowly turned to Willow. "So Helga, are you able to heal people?" Thinking of the poor Gunn who lay in his bed, still in so much pain, and trying to heal up.
Willow gave a small nod of her head, the shock of the entire thing was over-flowing. She was angered at Giles for not telling her that Angel had called, asking for help. Surprised about Fred/Illryia, and surprised to find out that things were more disastrous than she could have prayed for.
"Fine, Willow can heal Gunn then you guys are gone, out of here." Angel's jaw tensing, his voice rising, in annoyance, he was done with them.
"You can't really make us leave if we didn't want to go, Angel." Giles' eyes hadn't left Angel's face just yet.
"No, but I can make you leave, if it is the half blood's wish." Illyria spoke, with a menacing coldness that set them all back a moment. "In pieces." Adding the menacing threat.
That's when a grumbling was heard from the side of the room Lindsey had been sitting on, as Kaya had been sleeping. Kaya stood up slowly, and stared towards the new people for a moment, then to the others, before she smirked. "What is the stand off of the egos?" Looking back to the new people, "Listen, I don't know you, I don't –want- to know you right now, all I want to do is get some fucking sleep. If you can't handle that as mature adults, if you cannot get your dick waving under control I will throw you ALL out. Got it! I am tired, I am cranky, I am in pain. I have just spent the last almost twenty four hours fighting in one form or another. I have had to beat the piss out of one person three times today, not including the slap fight in the car to prove a point, I have had to get three moping sods from looking like emo wanna be cry baby whining Goths, I am out of cigarettes, wearing clothes of the worst angsty vampire I have EVER seen, and I am not above yelling very very loud to get my point across. My best friend is upstairs dying on a bed, and all you guys can think about is the past! Guess what guys the past is just that, the fucking past! You may all have issues, I am sure you all have fucking subscriptions, but the point is this. I am one tired, pissed off; sore Slayer who is not above beating someone's ass to prove my point, and my point at this moment is that I want to sleep. Sleep you know a four letter word that seems to be like a curse to most of you. So why don't you all shut up, settle down, and talk in nice quiet voices, or I will start to get angry."
It was so quiet someone could almost hear a pin drop within that silence as Kaya sat back down and covered up, putting her head off to the side, eyes closing slowly.
Xander blinked a few times, and then glanced to Giles. "You mean she wasn't already?"
Giles was in a state of shock at that moment, before he cleared his throat once, and spoke. "Very well then, how about we get some tea and talk?" His eyes glancing from Kaya then slowly towards Angel as he proposed tea.
Angel gave a small nod of his head, and began to head to the small kitchen area. "That…would work. Lorne show Willow where Gunn is, and uhm… Everyone else, keep your voices down."
Lindsey glanced over towards Kaya for a moment, and could almost chuckle about how it seemed she could be the voice of reason, even in a very interesting and rude manner.
"Is she always like that?" Andrew asked softly as she moved to sit down beside Lindsey.
"Wouldn't know, just met her. But she's got fire."
"And such an enchanting personality." Which caused Andrew to just get a look from Lindsey, while Xander moved over to begin to talk to Wesley and perhaps catch up on things.
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Hyperion Hotel Room: 243
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As the door opened up to the darkened room, Willow could smell death in the air, a smell she had learned while she had gone into the darkness, the black magick that had almost killed her and everyone else. Glancing towards Lorne for a moment, she swallowed and began to move inside.
"It may take a small while for me to be able to prepare anything that could heal him. We… may not have long."
Lorne frowned, looking to Willow as he then gave a small nod. "Do what you can buttercup, that's all we can do right now, is try." His voice soft as he whispered to her.
"You know, I ain't dead yet." Gunn muttered, his eyes closed, though his breathing was pained, forced, heavy.
"No but if we don't take care of you soon, you will be. I'll try not to poke too hard." Willow tried to ease his apprehensions as she set down beside him.
"What.. was with the yelling? I heard it all the way… upstairs." Gunn winced as Willow sat down, the pain soaring through him was great.
"Kaya asking nicely for us to remain quiet so she could sleep some." Lorne answered with a faint smirk on his ruby lips.
Gunn just grinned, his face was ashen, licking his lips as if he were parched. "That's my girl."
Willow frowned, as she began to take his vitals, murmuring softly. "Let's just make sure that you can tell her that yourself." As her eyes flickered up to Lorne, shaking her head a little bit, unsure if she could even save him.
Lorne looked down with a soft frown, as Gunn had gone back to blissful unconsciousness.