Thank you one and all for all of the lovely reviews, most impressed…
Twice Lucky
Angels and Demons
Chapter 2: Ripple effect
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Spike was smoking again, this time in the front lobby of the hotel. It had been a week since they had arrived and already the trio were making waves. Angel had taken out several important clients of evil, yes evil, as in non-human evil type law firms with actual demons. And to think her father had said they were a bunch of evil S.O.B.s.
She grinned as she made her way down the stairs, marvelling at the old dirty and dusty banister. The Hyperion had been something in its day, right up to the point that the paranoia demon had decided to take up residence. After the good morning sir this is your wakeup call, with a freaking shotgun, the place had never been the same since.
Spike was still staring out the doorway, a haze of smoke trailing around him like an enthral aura. She hit the ground and padded over in her flip-flops. The vampire didn't so much as twitch, although she was certain, one hundred percent certain that he knew she was there.
"Anything good on TV?"
"Nope."
Cordellia nodded quietly as the Brit continued to stare outside, watching as the early morning traffic rolled by. She stood there, watching as well, fascinated by the people who walked back and fourth. One woman on her mobile, yapping away to some poor soul, another munching on a bagel, while another managed to dodge his way through the crowd while reading a newspaper.
It was life Jim, but not as she knew it. Cordellia sighed, "I'm going to make some coffee, want some?"
For a moment Spike said nothing, the cigarette clinging to his lips like it was glued there. He raised his hand and pulled it out and blew the smoke towards the doorway. He nodded ever so slowly.
She walked over to the machine, took it to the sink and turned on the tap. The makeshift kitchen finally had water.
"Oh thank god."
She turned the tap on and with a groan of annoyance it finally spurted out water in small gushes, after a full minute it finally gave up the ghost and let out a steady stream. She washed out the old coffee granules from the jug and filled it up. When it was full, she went back to the coffee machine and poured the water into the proper place, emptied the filter with a 'yuk' and dumped the dried out coffee beans. She then tore open a new bag and poured them into the new filter, put it back in and breathed the scent of fresh coffee.
She flipped the switch and the light turned red to show it was heating up, she grinned as slowly, ever so slowly it began dripping the dark liquid gold that had kept many a Starship captain awake, not that she would ever admit to Xander that she knew that, her secret shame.
"Smells good," Corde let out a little squeak. She would've thought that she would've been used to that by now, after all living amongst slayers, Xander and vampires, meant that she should've been able to at least get over the fact that yes they were damn sneaky.
Spike had finally decided to move and was standing by the counter, "Getting donuts love?"
She smirked, "Not yet, keep an eye on the coffee pot while I get changed and then I'll get us some."
Spike chuckled, "And the donuts pet."
"Keep dreaming sunshine," she said with a feral flash of teeth, and walked a little bit more quickly up the stairs, the chat and banter giving her a bit more of a bounce in her step. It was funny, she missed that, Buffy was downright testy when they fought, but Xander, she twirled a lock of her long brown hair in her finger; he always seemed to come back with a good and sometimes witty reply. She liked that about him, he never took it personally.
"Morning Angel." She said quickly as she passed him in the hallway, the vampire looked up and smirked.
"Morning."
She pushed the door open and stood on the edge of the entranceway, she looked at him sideways and studied him for a moment.
It was hard to believe that nearly a hundred years ago, he'd been wallowing in self pity and the faeces of human kind, living in the muck and dirt and living off rats. Now he looked different, stylish, his hair was clean, bushy…happy. His eyes twinkled with amusement, something she hadn't seen in them since she'd met him. His clothes were also clean, and not covered in demon goo for a change.
He wore leather pants, a t-shirt and a long dark trench coat similar to the one Spike wore, although, Angel hadn't taken his off a dead Slayer. She grimaced, as that was gross on many, many levels.
"Hey Angel…" The vampire nodded, "I'm getting donuts, want some?"
"Sure, grab me a bagel while your there."
She chuckled and watched as he jumped off the top of the stairs instead of walking down; falling to ones impending doom was always an easier way to reach the bottom.
She got washed, changed and put her make up on. If she was going out into the middle of LA, there was always the opportunity that she might get spotted and thrown into stardom, hell she wanted to look her best.
Once ready, she slipped on some decent walking shoes, no way was she wearing sneakers, grabbed her bag, and wallet. She looked down at it and smiled, Xander had been generous, very generous, and yet she had no idea why, he had topped up her bank account and given her cash for spending. She shrugged, not willing to kick a gift horse in the mouth. She then went to the stairs, bounded down and bid adieu to the two vamps who were chatting and drinking coffee.
"She's in a good mood," Angel mused as the scent of the coffee lifted to his nose. He breathed it in and let it fill his dead lungs.
"Yeah."
Angel nodded. "What's gotten into you?"
Spike frowned and looked at his sire, "What are we doing here?"
"Building Angel investigations…"
"Which is a good start mate," Spike turned around and eyed the smaller looking man standing in the doorway.
"Who are you?" Spike asked with a slight growl.
"Names…"
"Allen Francis Doyle, a Brachen Demon." Angel said with a knowing smirk, the demon flinched and nodded.
"Aye mate," he had a definite Irish twang to his voice.
"Francis?" Spike said with a snort. "What sort of a name is that?"
"One me mam blessed me with, show's my feminine side."
Spike chortled. "So what's a Demon doing here?"
"Half demon mate, and I'm here to lend a helping hand." Doyle decided to change the subject before he got into the nitty gritty details, besides, he wanted to wait until Cordellia arrived. "Way I see it, you hail from the motherland, Angel."
"That I do…"
Doyle smiled and ran his hand through his short brown hair, "that coffee fresh, could do with a cup at this time of the mornin'."
"Sure is," Angel got two cups and poured some coffee, one for Doyle and one for Cordellia when she got back from donut shopping. Doyle walked up to the counter and took the cup, lifted it to his nose and breathed it in, savouring the moment.
"Aye, small piece o' heaven right there." He smiled and took a sip of it, and winced when the scolding liquid touched his lips.
"Watch out its hot…"
Doyle frowned at the bleached blonde vampire. "Thanks for the advice mate."
Spike chuckled.
The doors banged open and sunlight streamed in, Cordellia strolled in, sunglasses on her face and several bags in each hand. Both vampires growled at the smell of freshly cooked donuts.
"Who's this?" She stopped dead when she saw him, if it'd been one of the vampires it would've been funny. She looked at him over the rim of her glasses. "Visitor, paying customer or someone one of you two need to kill."
"Yes," Spike pulled out a packet of Marlboro lights, "No, considering the last option."
"Hey!"
"Well you are a demon mate and we normally kill those."
"True," Angel said in agreement. "Although I didn't kill Whistler."
"Ah, so it's your fault bad clothing day is still alive."
Angel smiled broadly at Spike, "yeah sorry 'bout that."
Cordellia meanwhile had made her way over the counter, put her shopping bags in one pile and breakfast bags in the other. She pulled out the bagel, which Spike smelled and made a grab for.
"Hey!"
"See I knew he'd do that," Cordellia smirked, and pulled out another bagel and handed it over to Angel, who nodded his thanks and gave Spike an evil glare.
She then pushed the box of donuts onto the table. Doyle grabbed one of those and smirked, taking a bite and smiling. When he was finished he took a sip of coffee and cleaned the sugar off his face.
"Right, way I see it, you know a lot more than I do."
"Yeah," Angel pulled out a large folder and placed it on the counter top with a thud, Doyle grinned and looked it over.
"Which explains how you know what you know."
"Yup." Angel nodded, "But we still need you, a contact to the powers that be isn't something to be scoffed at."
Doyle chuckled. His eyes twitched, his head swam and he would've slammed his head against the counter if Spike's hand hadn't been there.
Groaning, Spike helped him up.
"Well mates, look's like we got our first mission…"