Chapter 7

I sat stunned.

"Pardon?" I must have sounded so stupid as I was just looking at him.

"I would like you to come with me, Mrs Kerrigan."

"Why?"

"The Senior Partners at my firm would like to talk to you."

"About what?"

"I think the Senior Partners would like to discuss that with you, but I know they would like to talk to you about a mutually beneficial arrangement. However we need to go."

He walked towards me.

"Our mother is not going anywhere. Leave now." A commanding voice spoke behind me. It was Beth.

She walked infront of me and to my astonishment she had a sword in her hands. I presumed it was one from the weapons cabinet.

"Ah, you must be Beth. The eldest daughter."

Another voice joined in, "And I'm Kate, I think my sister asked you to leave." Kate stood tall next to Beth, they were a very formidable sight, side by side.

Lindsey smiled. "But I think you misunderstood this was not a request."

Two men came from somewhere behind Lindsey. I saw Finn and Liam come out of the hotel. They too were walking towards their sisters, not as in fear but ready for a challenge. The four faced Lindsey McDonald, together.

"Oh and the brothers join too." Lindsey smiled, "How like Angel you are, this will be interesting."

And then the next few moments were all a blur. Lindsay stepped towards me. Kate moved very quickly and punched him, it must have had some power behind it as he staggered back and really looked surprised as though he was not expecting such force. The two men came forward and Finn and Liam were on them with Kate. Lindsey recovered came towards me again and suddenly he had a sword at his throat. My eldest daughter did not flinch or move the sword.

"Angel has trained us exactly what to do in such a situation. Do not be fooled. If you threaten my mother or any of my family I will not hesitate to use this." And to my utter amazement Beth pushed the sword slightly so indented into his neck and a slight trickle of blood appeared.

Lindsay coughed and put up his hand. The fight that was going on in the background was like a kung fu movie except it was my children that were fighting. I was watching as though in a dream. Kate, Finn and Liam were doing extremely well, really fighting as a team and they seemed to be delivering far more kicks and punches than the other two men. However they were on the receiving end of some as well and I stood up ready to go over to them. What I would do I didn't know but when Lindsay signaled the men stopped and came to him.

"I am sorry I couldn't persuade you to come with me. Perhaps next time." With that he smiled and began to leave, pausing, he turned and faced me, "We shall not underestimate your family again."

All I could hear was the deep breathing of Kate, Liam and Finn getting their breath back.

A few moments passed and everything seemed to be in slow motion. Beth went to see if they had gone, sword still in hand. Liam, Kate and Finn came over to me. Finn had a bruise on his cheek and Kate had a cut lip. Liam was uninjured.

"Mum are you alright?"

I looked at my wonderful children and as Beth came up to join them I burst into tears."

"Mum!" Finn came over and put his arm round me," Are you OK?"

"What just happened? How did you know? How could you fight like that? It was real. I don't understand."

The children seemed to be taking is far more calmly than me. I was a wreck. Liam came and put his arm round me as well, "Let's get you inside for a cup of tea." We went into the kitchen then Beth put the kettle on and got some cool packs and put them on Kate's lip and Finn's cheek.

Even after we had a cup of tea, I still felt as though I had a knot in my stomach.

The children were still really on an adrenaline high discussing the fight and complimenting each other on what moves they made.

"Mum we are OK." Beth came and sat next to me.

"You were all amazing. You were like super heroes. I was pathetic."

"Mum we wouldn't have you any other way." Smiled Kate, "you're our Mum and we love you and you are not pathetic, but you will never be combat ready and we know that but that's not who you are."

"Perhaps I should have quoted times tables at him or told him which wash to wash his tie in." I suggested. The tightness in my chest was receding and it began to strike me how amazing all my children were during the incident. "I can't believe you were so wonderful and knew what to do and appeared so professional and a mean fighting machine."

"There were only three of them." Suggested Finn.

"Yes but they were adult men – and well, and well you're not."

We sat around and talked. For the first time, it was the children talking and me listening.

We heard noise from the basement and Angel and Wesley appeared in the kitchen.

"What happened?" asked Angel coming to me, "Are you alright. Who was here?"

"How do you know?"

"I can smell other people and I can smell adrenaline."

Beth told Angel what had happened. He listened without interrupting.

I could see he was getting angry. Although when he spoke he was very calm.

"I am so sorry that this happened." He looked at me. He then turned to the children.

"This shouldn't have happened, but I am very proud of you." You defended and didn't attack."

"Well," Kate said softly, "I did punch him on the nose."

Angel looked at her, "You were provoked, you saw him trying to take your mother." He paused, "Did you hit him hard?"

"Yes." She answered.

"Good." He smiled.

At some point during the discussions and recreation of the fight, Cordy, Gunn, Wesley and Fred came in.

They added to the conversation. It was in the middle of all this that David and Lorne came into the kitchen.

The story was told to them again and David came over to me and put his arm around me asking if I was alright. I nearly burst into tears again when I saw him, but Beth was very intuitive and answered the questions for me.

Lorne suggested we all went into the foyer and called up the pizza take away as he thought people would start to get very hungry very soon. There was much discussion of who was having what. I noticed Angel going over to David and David leaving with Angel. I knew where they were going. They were going to Wolfram and Hart. I feared for David but I was convinced that Angel knew what he was doing and he wouldn't take David if he was going to be in mortal danger. Angel wanted to show David what he was going to do about what had happened and David would want to be there.