"It's about time," Cordelia said when Kellie, Gunn, and Angel returned, "I got supplies for face masks and we can paint our nails."
"That's not really my thing," Kellie said.
"You held me at gun point," Cordelia said, "Now it is your thing. Besides, how often do you get the chance to really clean up on the run."
Kellie looked at Angel and Gunn for rescue.
"Just go with it," Angel said.
"It's your best option," Gunn said as Cordelia ushered Kellie upstairs.
"First off, shower," Cordelia said when they got to room, handing Kellie a towel and shampoo, "That's non-negotiable. You reeked when we brought you, but now that you've been down to the sewers."
"If you promise to leave by the time I finish showering," Kellie said
"No," Cordelia said, "You're not getting out of this. Think of it as giving me some much needed girl time after working with all that testosterone here."
Who's fault is that?" Kellie replied, disappearing into the bathroom before Cordelia could do more than respond with a huff.
Meanwhile downstairs, Wesley inquired about Kellie's journey through the sewers.
"Any problems getting through the sewers?" Wesley asked.
"Some vampires showed up while Kellie was above ground," Angel said, "Nothing I couldn't handle."
"Except the one that snuck back around and you managed to stake before Kellie saw it in the tunnels," Gunn said, "I can't believe I told her it was wolves. Are we really not going to tell her she actually saw vampires the other night."
"Given Lorne's warnings," Wesley said, "I think it would be wise let Miss Kellie believe what she needs to believe."
"At least we know she can handle herself," Angel said.
"Against an army of mortal henchmen, sure," Gunn said, "But what good is her gun going to do against a vampire or some of the things that go bump in the night for that matter?"
"Buy her time," Angel said, "Bullets still hurt even if they can't kill us."
"If she becomes consciously aware of the existence of vampires and other creatures," Wesley said, "We have no idea how devastating the consequences of that could be. As Angel said, she seems very capable. I suspect given how clear Lorne received her destiny without singing and the accompany warnings, we may be her only exposure to this world once we send her on her way."
"Should we really just not prepare her if that's not the case," Gunn replied.
"Then she can deal with that truth then," Wesley said, "As it stands, given her ability to so easily believe she hallucinated the vampires when Angel found her, I don't think she's in a place where she can easily accept that truth. Her human problem is certainly traumatic enough to deal with."
"Fine," Gunn said, "But I want it noted I don't agree with this. One day her bravado in the face of danger won't turn out pretty if whoever she's up against turns out to be not human."
"Maybe it won't ever be an issue for her," Angel said, "As Wesley seems to think might be the case."
The next morning
"Any luck getting any more information on our guest?" Angel asked Cordelia the next morning.
"She still refused to talk," Cordelia replied, "At all. Well except to tell me that she couldn't talk and paint her nails at the same time."
"So she did paint her nails," Angel said.
"Well, yes, and had a face mask," Cordelia said, "But the point is she just wouldn't talk. What girl doesn't want to talk over painting nails."
"Girls that have been on the run from a psycho for an indeterminate amount of time," Angel said, "And carry an equally indeterminate amount of weapons."
"You are not helping," Cordelia said, "Even Buffy could paint nails and would enjoy girl stuff."
"You realize she gave into the nail painting and other girly stuff for the sole purpose of not answering any of your questions," Angel said, "She picked her battle with you."
"It wasn't very nice," Cordelia said as the phone rang.
"Hey," Angel said.
"We really need to work on your greeting skills," Cordelia said, "It could be a paying customer."
Angel ignored her as he listened to the voice on the other end of the phone.
"Angel, I looked into that person you asked me to," Willow said, "I've got to be honest that creep needs to be taught a lesson. Though I'm not sure why you're looking into him. He's like a run of the mill human creep, not the monster creep type we usually are looking into. All the files I managed to pull are just standard criminal human stuff. And that poor girl in Florida that he kidnapped and well.… It's so sad, she died in a monsoon storm going off a bridge in her car after she was rescued from him.
"Willow, just send me whatever you found?" Angel said.
"Sure, thing. Since it's all human related stuff can I ask what you're looking at this guy for?" Willow asked.
"He tried to kidnap the current object of his obsession," Angel said, "I happened to stumble across it. Although she had handled his goons by the time I got there. I just had to deal with the vampires going for the bodies."
"Wait the vampires went after the dead bodies or injured bodies?" Willow asked, "Eww."
"It's a thing for some vampires," Angel said, "Anyway, we're trying to figure out how stop this guy when he seems to have cops in his pockets from coast to coast."
"Couldn't you just go all fangy and grr on the guy?" Willow asked, "Throw him around a little bit. I bet he'd never look at any girl like that again."
"That would be the easiest thing to do," Angel said, "Lorne read her destiny and he's insistent we can't do anything supernatural to help her."
"What a party pooper," Willow said, "Voodoo dolls or a curse could be justified in this instance."
"I'll settle for something the cops can't sweep under the rug," Angel said.
"The e-mails I'm sending have information on said creep's businesses and off-shore accounts, shipments," Willow said, "Nothing police can legally use, but it's something."
"But information that with some good old fashioned investigative work might lead that way," Angel said.
"You'd be looking at Federal RICO and maybe drug trafficking charges," Willow said, happily, "The only problem is it looks like a lot of his activity is currently focused at the Canadian border, Montreal area in addition to Florida. Surprisingly, it looks like he has some shipments going through New York City next. Not sure if he's expanding or it's a one off."
"Not exactly convenient for us looking into it more," Angel said.
"Maybe you're not supposed to look into it," Willow said, "Maybe this is all you do for this girl he's after. Give her the information and let her do something with it. If she took care of her own kidnappers, it seems like maybe she can do something with this."
"You have no idea," Angel said, "She's is a walking, talking arsenal of weapons and attitude."
"Nothing you can't handle," Willow said, "Anyhow, those emails should be waiting for you. I have to get to class."
"Thanks, Willow," Angel said.