CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
" What are you doing here?" Angel asked Lilah.
" Angel. What's the matter, ace?" Lilah walked into the lobby. Didn't think you were the only one that ever got to come back from hell around here, did ya?" Lilah cleared her throat, " Speaking of which, could I possibly get some ice water?"
Nobody moved.
" What are you doing here, Lilah?" Angel asked again.
" She's not here. It's not her. It can't be." Wesley said staring at his dead lover.
" There's a signed dollar in your wallet that says different." Lilah replied.
" It's a lie," Wesley said and walked away.
" Lah. It's a Lilah," Lilah looked around at the group and noticed one member missing. She'd deal with her later/
" You're the one with the preternatural senses. You tell him." Lilah told Angel.
" It's true, Wes. It's her."
" But how? She was dead," Fred frowned in confusion.
" She's still dead." Angel said.
" Vampire?" Gunn asked.
" Eww, please. Angelus drank from me, it's true, but like with most men, it was a one-way street. I was dead already. Besides, my Wesley made sure I'd be spared." She pulled down her neck scarf to reveal an ugly scar.
" I'm sure that's true", Wesley said as Lilah covers her scar up again.
" I don't get this. If she ain't alive, and she ain't a vampire, what in the hell is she?" Gunn asked.
" I'm just a messenger. That's all. They'll be sending me straight back to hell once I'm finished here."
" Who's "they"?" Lorne asked. He looked around for Abigail but she wasn't standing beside him. She had disappeared when Angel arrived earlier.
" Wolfram & Hart. The contract she signed with them extends beyond her death." Angel said.
" Standard perpetuity clause, I'm afraid. Always read the fine print." Lilah nodded.
" What's your game, Lilah?" Angel asked.
" No game. (shrugs) In fact, game over. (sits) Guess what? You win, which is why I'm here. I have been authorized to make you kids an offer."
" You can't possibly think there's anything we'd want from you," Fred scoffed.
" I don't think you'll want it, but you'll take it, because this is the offer of a lifetime… just not, you know...mine.
There was a long silence as the group pondered on what Lilah just offered them. Lorne looked over at Abigail and was surprised to discover she was no longer with the group. She wasn't even in the lobby. She must have snuck away at some point.
" You want to run that by us one more time?" Gunn asked finally breaking the ice.
" What was unclear?" Lilah asked.
" I think the part where you offered us Wolfram & Hart." Fred replied.
" Just the L.A. Branch." Lilah said.
" Just the L.A. Branch." Lorne chucked. He stood up, irritated, " Hi, from another dimension, what the hell does that mean?"
" Means we give. You win. We're moving out. The senior partners are ceding this territory to you, and to prove it, they want to give you controlling interest in our L.A. Office. You get the building, assets, personnel, letterhead, paper clips, all of it. It's yours to do with as you see fit."
" But there is no Los Angeles office of Wolfram & Hart. The beast destroyed it." Fred reminded Lilah.
" Oh, it's back, restaffed and zombie-free. We're bigger, better, and shinier than ever, and we want to give it to you."
" You want to give us your evil law firm? We ain't lawyers." Gunn pointed out.
" Or evil. (beat) Currently". Fred added.
" What we're offering you is a turnkey, state-of-the-art, multi-tasking operation. What you do with it, well,-" Lilah crossed her arms, " That's up to you."
" Why?" Angel asked.
" Well, I thought that was obvious. You earned it. Think of it as a reward." Lilah said.
" Reward for what?" Gunn demanded.
" Ending world peace."
" That's not what happened." Fred protested.
" No?" Lilah answered.
" Jasmine was creating a slave state." Wesley said.
" Right, where the slaves are full of giggly joy and love. Ugh, what a nightmare."
" She was eating people." Angel said.
" They knew what they were getting into." Lilah said.
" Her stomach?" Lorne exclaimed.
" World peace comes at a price. Jasmine understood that. She consumed, what? Couple dozen souls a day? Now weigh that against ending the suffering of millions." Lilah grinned widely, " but you fixed that."
" No, we didn't. I—I mean, we did, we—we fixed it, but not in the way that you're trying to make it sound." Fred stammered.
" Jeez, it's not like it was a criticism. Anyway, I'm dead and running late." Lilah walked towards the door. " Think about our proposal. If anyone's interested and wants the grand tour, there'll be a limo waiting outside just before dawn." She paused, " and hey... good job."
* * *
Abigail had gotten out of the bathroom, dressed when she felt someone watching her. She turned to see Lilah standing in the doorway.
" I thought you'd gone," Abigail said as a chill went through her.
" You saw what went on downstairs then?" it wasn't a question, they both knew the answer.
" Yes. What are you up to Lilah?"
" Me? Nothing. I'm just the messenger. And I'm curious, why did you leave before my big speech?"
" You already know why. Do I have to explain?" Abigail asked.
" Enlighten me."
" I didn't think the offer included me. Sure I'm Lorne's girlfriend but am I part of the group?"
" You've fought with the group…you almost got yourself killed by Angelus, not to mention killing vampires by yourself. You are definitely part of the group."
Abigail turned to pick up her nightgown, " I guess I am part of the group." She said and turned to face Lilah but she was gone.
* * *
Lorne found Abigail reading in bed as he got undressed and climbed in next to her.
" Where were you?"
" I've been here." She paused, " I was also visited by Lilah. So, what do you think? Should we join the tour?"
Lorne nodded, " Its only a tour. If we don't like it, then we wont take over Wolfram and Hart."
" I'm just worried-" she trailed off.
" That we'd turned evil? Won't happen sugar." He gave her a long, lingering kiss. " We really should take the vacation soon."
" We will. After the tour." Abigail promised him. " Get some sleep. Its only a few hours before dawn."
The alarm went off 2 hours before the sun rose. Abigail turned it off and got out of bed. Lorne was already showered and dressed and waited for her to do the same. They had coffee and a quick bite to eat before tip toeing outside. None of the others were awake yet.
" There it is," Abigail said as they looked at the limo, parked in front of the hotel.
" Well, here goes." Lorne opened the door and they climbed into the backseat. It was a stretch limo and could easily fit the whole group.
" Now we just wait." Lorne said putting his arm around her shoulders and drawing her close.
" Are you sure the others will come?" Abigail asked.
" I can almost guarantee it." Lorne replied as he bought his mouth down to hers.
* * *
Fred walked through the garden, rearranging her shoe on the way. She stopped in her tracks when she saw the limousine. Wesley started speaking, and Fred turned to see him standing beside her.
" I don't know how long it's been here. Since before I arrived." Wesley said.
" I thought I'd be the only one." Fred said guiltily.
" I thought for sure I wouldn't be, although I wasn't expecting it to be you."
" I just figured...well, if they are up to something—"
Gunn walked up to them from the shadows. " We should know what it is. I get that."
" Well, we three." Wesley said.
" Looks like."
" What are the odds the humans would be the most corruptible?" Wesley sad.
" Maybe we should just go back inside. What if Angel's right?" Fred asked.
" Yeah, but what if he's not? All we're gonna do is take the tour." Gunn said.
" Hmm. We go into this with our eyes open and our wits about us. There shouldn't be any—Wesley was interrupted by another voice.
" Surprises?" the others turned to see Angel lurking in the shadows. " What the hell," he said and opened the door to reveal Lorne and Abigail already inside, and kissing.
Gunn cleared his throat. Lorne looked up the see the gang staring at them.
" Oh, hey guys!" he chirped brightly.
