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"Where is he going?" Cordelia asked, "Connor, no, stay away from that"
Connor withdrew his hands from the large vase, as Lilah sat on her couch
"And give me one good reason why I should tell you?" she asked
"Because like me, you're a vicious bitch," Cordelia replied, "Well, apparently. I mean, how can a vicious bitch deserve the crown after taking a beating like that and lying low, crying in her dark room"
"I have not been crying," Lilah protested
"Your hastily applied mascara says otherwise. Now, tell me, Lilah, where is Billy going?" Cordelia asked
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Fred hurried along the corridor, looking over her shoulder for Wesley, so she didn't see who she bumped into. Luckily for her, it wasn't Wesley. It was Gunn
"What's going on?" he asked, helping her to her feet
"We have to hide now!" Fred cried, "Wesley's lost it!"
"In here"
They hurried into a room and started barricading it with whatever they could find, as Wesley stalked into the hallway, an evil glint in his eyes as he stopped before the door
"So why is Wesley acting like Jack from The Shining?" Gunn asked
"That man, Billy, he makes men evil. He makes them want to hurt women," Fred replied, "Wesley must have touched his blood while analysing it"
"You mean that blood on the rag downstairs?" Gunn asked, "The very same one I picked up and looked at?"
"Oh no"
"Let me out of here"
Gunn went to remove the barricades, but an axe blade sliced into the door. He jumped back, grabbing a block of wood and handing it to Fred
"Take me out. Knock me down," he demanded
"On your head?" Fred asked in a frightened voice
"Yes! Do it before I take it and bash your stupid head in!"
Just as Gunn moved at her, Fred took a mighty sweep, cracking him across the head and knocking him out cold, as Wesley kept chopping his way through the door
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"Billy Blim?"
Billy turned around to face Cordelia. She had dropped Connor off at Piper's house, before heading over to the airport where Billy was trying to get a flight out of LA
"Do I know you?" Billy asked, his eyes roving over Cordelia
"I'm Cordelia Chase. I'm the woman Wolfram and Hart tortured in order to have you released," Cordelia replied
"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. Do you want revenge?"
"On behalf of all those women you've hurt"
Cordelia rammed a taser into Billy's groin. He cried out, before finding a loaded crossbow aimed at his jugular
"I never even touched those girls," Billy said, "Besides, men are just as bad. They're willing to throw away so much for what's under your skirt"
"I'm wearing pants," Cordelia said
"Does that make you feel like a man? Make you feel superior?"
"Actually, I'm feeling superior because I have an arrow aimed at your jugular. And the irony of using a phallic shaped weapon? Not lost on me"
"So, where is your man?" Billy asked, "The one who got you pregnant? Or did he use you for his own pleasures? Use you like a whore?"
Cordelia pressed the bolt harder against his throat
"Don't even push me," she threatened
"You won't do it"
"Try me"
However, at that moment, a quick hand took her crossbow away from Billy's throat, as Angel stood in front of her, partially shielding her from Billy
"You saved me again," Billy cried
"I'm gonna kick your ass, you little twerp," Angel growled
"Angel, he can't hurt me," Cordelia said
"No, I won't," Billy said, pressing his hands to Angel's face
"Angel?"
"Should be fun. I've never done this to a vampire before"
"You know what your problem is?" Angel asked, turning on Cordelia
He raised his fist and swung, spinning around to crack Billy across the jaw
"People like him," Angel said, landing another blow on the half-demon
Cordelia smiled, knowing that Angel hadn't turned on her, as he continued to beat Billy up. The half-demon tried fighting back, but Angel countered or block his every move, hammering him with each powerful and swift blow of his own. Catching his leg, Angel spun Billy through the air. Growling in anger, Billy slammed his fists onto the ground, absorbing red energy into his body and making his eyes flash briefly
Angel went for him, but found that Billy was now matching and countering his moves. Cordelia took aim with her crossbow, but found it difficult to aim as the pair kept moving all over the runway strip
BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!
Billy seized up and felt limp, three gunshot wounds in his back. Angel and Cordelia looked over to see Lilah lower her gun, as she turned and walked away
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Wesley succeeded in shattering the door and entered the room, seeing that Fred wasn't anywhere in sight and Gunn was lying unconscious on the ground
"Wanna hear my theory, Fred? It's about how stupid you are. I've noticed that whenever you got scared and ran away, it was always to the darkest place"
He smiled as he stopped before a wardrobe. Gripping the axe, he swung open the door to see it was empty and that Fred was reflected in the mirror, standing behind him
"I also like to invent things," she said, "I'm sorry, Wesley"
"Yes, you are," he said, facing her
Fred pulled on a rope. On the other end was a small fire extinguisher that swung into Wesley, knocking him back onto a sheet, which was covering the hole in the floor. Fred hurried over, seeing Wesley unconscious on the floor below
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The next day…
"So, why didn't Billy's touch affect you?" Cordelia asked
She handed him a mug of blood and sat beside him on the couch with her coffee, one hand on her stomach, while Connor played before the pair
"His touch was all about hate," Angel replied, "When I was evil, I never hated my victims. I simply kill them for the pleasure. Never for the hate. All that, what Billy could bring out in us men, I lost that a long time ago"
"So, your evilness helps you keep your good grace. Vicious and valient, in a completely morbid way"
"I know. How are the others holding up?"
"Fred's fine. She'll only need that one extra therapy class now. Gunn's got a splitting headache and Wesley, well, he's broken up over the whole ordeal," Cordelia replied
"He'll be fine," Angel said, "In a few days, you'll see him back here and everything will carry on like before. It wasn't real. It wasn't Wesley. We know that and I hope he realizes that"
"I love it when you see the good in people"
Angel smiled and kissed her, before recling back to keep an eye on their son
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One month later…
The demon Sahjahn made his way towards the statue, carrying a small bowl of powder. He walked around the statue, throwing the powder upon it, while chanting a small incantation. Once it was done, he lit up a cigarrette and checked his watch. The whole room started to shake, as if an earthquake had struck and the statue started to crumble, breaking apart to reveal a man, as he fell to the floor
"Right on time," Sahjahn commented, "You haven't used your body in over two centuries," he said to the man, "Welcome to the 21st century. Angelus is here. You'll need some time to"
He was cut off when Captain Daniel Holtz swiftly rose up onto his feet, as if the bicentennial sleep hadn't affected him at all, a look of determination in his eyes
"Just tell me where he is," he said
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