CHAPTER TWELVE
" Seeing Angel's soul all floaty like that kinda makes me crazy," Fred said.
" Yeah, it's not forever, sugar plum. We're just borrowing it." Lorne reminded her.
Wesley opens the safe door, and holds his hands out to Cordy. She handed him the receptacle.
" Don't drop it," Fred said anxiously.
Wesley put the receptacle in the safe, closed the safe door, then closed the picture over it, concealing the safe.
" Angel is gone," Wesley said to everyone.
" I can't believe...it's done," Cordy replied.
" Taking out Angel's soul. Putting it in a jar. I hope we know what we're doing." Gunn said.
" If Angelus knows how to destroy the Beast, it's all we've got," Wesley pointed out.
" Yeah, otherwise, permanent midnight." Lorne agreed.
" He's dangerous. I know. I've seen it. But we're doing the right thing." Cordy said.
" I really hope so." Abigail said, who had been quiet throughout.
They watched the whole exchange between Wesley and Angelus and Abigail cringed most of the way through it. Angelus had been vicious towards him but he never wavered. She really admired for Wesley for that.
" The creep," Fred seethed and Lorne patted her on the shoulder.
" Sticks and stones," he said.
All of them were on watch throughout the night should anything went wrong. Even Abigail and Lorne took shifts.
Lorne's turn to watch Angelus, although he's not happy about it.
" That Abigail sure is cute," Angelus said watching as the tall, green demon walked towards him. Angelus could see the scar on his forehead from when Lilah nearly sucked his brain out.
" I can see why you dig her," Angelus gripped the bars of his cage,
" there's a few things I'd like to do to that body." He leered.
Lorne didn't flinch, " You aren't going to be getting your hands on her." He said calmly.
" And you aren't either, am I right Lorne?" he asked conversationally, " You haven't had her in quite a while. Not since…well in months actually."
Lorne stiffened at that, " It's none of your business," he told him sharply.
I'm getting to him, Angelus thought wickedly, " Abigail hasn't touched you…she doesn't talk to you the way she used to." He paused, " She and Angel have been getting closer these days. She's been talking to him a lot more. He's even spending quality time with her."
" They're just friends. He's been giving her a few lessons on how to defend herself." Lorne muttered. It's all lies…don't let him rile you.
" You should get used it Lorney," Angelus went for the jugular, " It appears she doesn't need you anymore. Not as much as she used to."
Lorne snapped at that, " Shut up." He warned Angelus. " Just shut the hell up." This is what he wanted. Lorne thought in despair, to get you all worked up by playing on your emotions. And the sad part is…it's true. She doesn't need you anymore.
He walked closer to the cage and Angelus chose that moment to grab him around the neck, making him drop his tranq gun. Angelus kicked it out his reach and squeezed.
" As soon as I get out of here, I'll give Abigail what she really needs…and make you watch." Lorne's eyes rolled and his world was growing dimmer.
He heard a whizzing noise and a tranq dart just missed him. Angeles's hand dropped away and Lorne collapsed, wheezing.
Abigail ran down the stairs, " Lorne, you all right?" she helped Lorne up but he shrugged her off.
" I'm fine." He scowled. Angelus chuckled as Lorne rejected her,
" Lorne always end up being saved. It's getting to be quite a nuisance."
" Shut up," Abigail hissed to Angelus.
" He's the weak link. Doesn't like to fight the good fight, always volunteering to stay at home. What use is there for you Lorne?"
" Don't listen to him Lorne," Abigail glared at Angelus. Given the chance, she'd kill this creep. But they needed him. " Tell us about the Beast."
Angelus laughed, " And what makes you so sure I'd tell you," he sneered, " unless you're willing to give me a little something in return," he said, raising his eyebrows suggestively.
" You're a pig," Abigail said and shot him in the chest with another tran dart. This time the vampire without a soul, collapsed to the floor.
" You should have just ignored him Lorne."
" It's kind of hard to ignore him," Lorne pointed out, still reeling over his conversation with Angelus.
" We need to talk," Abigail said after a moment of silence.
" What's the point? We've said all we needed to say."
" No, we haven't. Or at least, I haven't. You need to know what went on at Vegas."
Lorne looked up then, surprised, " You really want to talk about that?"
She nodded, " and I've been thinking about us the past few days and realised something."
" What?" he asked softly.
" I've missed you," she said and then did something that surprised them both. She put his arms around his waist and pressed her mouth against his for a long, lingering kiss.
" Abikins-I've missed you to. I hated being apart from you. Not knowing where you were or if you were ok. Especially with what has being going on."
" I'll move back home. Tonight. After I've told you everything." She paused, " but you're not going to like what I'm about to tell you."
" I'm all ears sugar pie," he said as they sat down on the bed.
