Chapter 4 - New Day... New Life?
After watching Lindsey drift off for a while, and once he was sure the kid was asleep and settled, Angel sought out his watcher to see what the man had discovered.
As always, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce was easily found sitting in his usual corner of the library/study. His worn leather chair surrounded by books, scrolls and other types of documents, piled so high that if they fell, they would most probably crush him.
Wesley was clearly immersed in his research when Angel entered the room, so he took care not to startle the watcher when he made his approach, making sure to make a sound to compensate for his lack of breathing. It was only after he scuffed his feet a bit as he made his way across the room that Angel finally opened his mouth to announce his presence.
"Wesley…"
"Huh?"
On hearing his name the watcher glanced up, wiping the tired expression away from his eyes with a quick clean of his lenses.
"Oh Angel, come here and take a look at this would you?." As the watcher spoke, he flipped back a few pages in the oversized, hide-bound book, before passing it over to Angel's stretched-out palm.
The text handed to him was written in a language foreign to the vampire, but the illustrations at least were clear in their depiction. "It looks like a man turning into some sort of large cat."
"Yes, a panther I believe. And I'm pretty sure that our Lindsey is a type of Lycanthrope, or in layman's terms, a werecat."
"So, he's like Willow's friend, the one that turns into a wolf during the full moon?" Angel questioned.
"Kind of... Not exactly."
"Not exactly?" Angel tilted his head in question. "I don't understand, what makes him different other than one goes woof the other goes meow?"
"Well," Wesley smiled at the vampire's humorous response before explaining more fully. "It appears that, despite their similar names, werecats are very different from their wolfen counterparts, in quite a few areas, actually. The first being that they can change whenever they choose, they don't have to wait for the full moon, nor do they have to change during it. Another difference in lore, is that werecats are not made, they're born. It's believed to be a trait passed down through blood, however, it doesn't manifest very often. And in fact, the last known case was over a hundred and fifty years ago."
"So, is this why Wolfram and Hart came after him? Because he's so rare." Angel questioned, feeling as if he was finally grasping the situation.
"Most probably. Although I did read something…" Wesley sighed as he quickly dismissed the thought, turning his face away to clean his glasses. "I don't know. It may or may not be important. I need some more time to really go over it."
"Ok, Wesley. Keep up the good work."
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At first, Angel didn't know what had drawn his attention so suddenly, but as soon as he did, he was launching himself from his chair and onto the side of the bed.
"Lindsey!"
In front of him, the boy's small form turned restlessly under the covers, arms shooting up to his head as if shielding himself from some unwelcome attacker, as tiny mules escaped from chapped pink lips.
It was clear that he was trapped in some viscous kind of nightmare, but what could a kid so young have in his subconscious, that would cause him such terrors?
"Come on Lindsey, you need to wake up."
The vampire tried to rouse the young boy, but the nightmare wouldn't let go of its grip on him. And whilst he tossed and turned, Lindsey's little chest jumped up and down clawing for air as if he were drowning under a wave of fear and anguish.
"Lindsey, please wake up for me."
The pleading tone of Angel's soft call must have reached the little were somehow, as the tossing suddenly halted and a set of eyelids gradually fluttered open.
"Mr Angel?"
"That's right. Are you alright, Lindsey?" The vampire's voice was softer than normal, as careful hands reached up to push sweat-soaked hair from the young boy's face.
"I'm ok. I just… get scary dreams sometimes. It's ok."
"What are they about?
"Lots 'a things." The kid shrugged before his shoulders folded in on themselves and his body sunk further into the bed. It was the softest thing Lindsey had ever felt. Not scratchy like his worn blanket, or hard like the bare kitchen floor. And so, he couldn't help but take comfort from it as he continued to describe his nightmares. "I dream about scary monsters, evil people and dark places... I dream of mama and daddy leavin' me again, letting the bad man take me." That last part came out mostly as a whisper, but heightened hearing could easily pick it up.
"That's got to be tough on you. Does anything make them go away?"
"Uh-huh..."
"What's that then?"
"My Kitty." Lindsey smiled as he spoke, just a soft little grin, as a glimmer of hope sparkled in his eyes. "Sometimes he comes into my dreams and protects me from the bad people that want to hurt me. But only sometimes."
"Well, I guess that's something."
…
Looking through the slight gap between his curtains, Angel could see the sun was well on its way to rising.
"Come on Kid, let's get you up and your teeth brushed."
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Lindsey came bouncing down the stairs later that morning, teeth brushed, and hair freshly washed as he pounced merrily off the bottom step. He was shortly followed by Angel who then guided the young cub to the hotel's kitchen area, where Wesley was waiting with a fresh pot of coffee warming in the percolator.
"Morning, Lindsey," the watcher called out. "You look refreshed. Did you manage to get your teeth brushed ok?" He was answered with a beaming white smile and an affirmative, "Uh-huh."
"It was fun. There was all this foam in my mouth, and it tasted really nice, but Mr Angel told me not to swallow it."
"That's nice… So what would you like for breakfast? We have toast, eggs, bacon, sausages, or there's some cereal in here if you would prefer that instead." As he spoke Wesley turned slightly and pointed to the thickly cut sausages already sizzling on the grill, next to a few other pans filled with all the other enticing foods the Englishman had offered.
And, Oh My God! The smell was nothing like Lindsey had ever smelled before. All these delicious scents mingling in the air as he turned his nose up to take a sniff. It was more than he could ever dream of, not having a point of reference on which to base his imagination.
But then again…
"I'm ok, Mr Wesley. I don't need anything."
With concern radiating from his harsh features, the vampire's head shot up from the newspaper he'd been focused on. "Lindsey…" The look matched perfectly with the soft tone of his voice.
"Kiddo, you can't not have any breakfast. It's the most important meal of the day." And even if that wasn't the case, Lindsey certainly needed whatever sustenance the team could pack into him. "Come on, at least have some eggs."
"But I don't normally have breakfast?" It was a scrunched-up brow that revealed the kid's confusion, as he looked helplessly up at the adults standing around him. "Only Mama and Daddy get breakfast... Oh and baby Sarah because she cry's a lot. Mama says it cost too much to feed alls of us."
"Well, ummm..." And with that Angel was lost for words. Still, the vampire took a plate from the counter and started filling it with the scrambled eggs he was sure the young boy had been eyeing a moment ago. "We have enough money, Lindsey. You don't have to worry about that. Just eat up for me."
It took a moment, but eventually, Lindsey did as he was told and slowly made his way through his morning meal.
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"Good morning, everyone," Cordelia announced approximately fifteen minutes later as she entered the room. At her sides, were Gunn and Lourne, who'd arrived at the same time as her "Good morning, Lindsey. Did you have a good sleep?"
"Hi, Miss 'Delia. Yes, I did, thanks you," The kid answered politely, before continuing, "I got t' sleep in a real bed with pillows and blankets. And now I'm eatin' breakfast." He then smiled up at her, with a big cherubic grin.
It was over that cheerful but slightly grubby face that Cordelia observed the others exchanging glances, indicating their desire for a moment of privacy.
"That's good… Hey Lindsey, do you want to watch some cartoons for a bit whilst us grownups talk?" The receptionist suggested, signalling the area in the lobby that was far enough away for hopefully even a child's sensitive eras. "You can take your eggs with you," she added seeing his careful grip on the still-unfinished plate.
"Okay, Miss 'Delia."
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"So, have you decided what are we gonna do with him yet?" Gunn had barely waited for the kid to move just a few steps away before launching into his question. His tone, as you could probably imagine, was unkind given his thoughts on the ex-lawyer.
"What do you mean?" And as always, it was Cordelia who was quick to respond, ready to jump to Lindsey's defence like many other poor lost souls.
"I mean… Are we sending him to an orphanage, or is there someplace special for cases like this? He's dangerous, Cordelia. He needs to be locked up for everyone's safety."
"You can't be serious. He's just a child, Gunn." Cordelia whisper-yelled, shaking her hands out in frustration. "We can't just send him away. He needs to stay somewhere we know is safe. Like here."
"You what?" The hunter looked aghast. "Are you forgetting the part where he worked for an evil law firm for years and tried to release Angelous on multiple occasions?" And just in case they forgot who he was talking about, Gunn waved at the 'dangerous ex-lawyer' sitting just in the other room. Who, to his dismay was lying quietly on the sofa curled snugly into a round little ball, trying to play the innocent act. "Damn'it, he just can't be trusted."
"There may have been some mitigating circumstances at play here." This time it was Angel sticking up for the lawyer, to everyone's surprise. His voice calm and collected as he pointed out some possible information that the others were still missing. "The fact is, Welsey and I don't think Lindsey had a choice in working with Wolfram and Hart."
Still, though, Gunn wasn't at all convinced.
"Oh, so he's finally managed to trick you with his sob stories. Let me guess, he pulled out those giant blue eyes and told you about his rough childhood that should excuse every bad thing he has ever done. He's not the only kid to have a tough upbringing, Angel, we didn't all turn to the dark side."
"That's not what I meant..."
"Forget it." Gunn snapped. "I'm going out for some air." And before anyone could say another word, the vampire hunter stormed out, leaving a trail of stubborn anger behind him.
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"Ok then… What have the rest of you got planned?" Angel asked, trying to belay the built-up tension.
"Well, I thought I might take Lindsey shopping. And get him some clothes that actually fit." Cordelia stated before turning to the green demon who'd been lurking awkwardly at the side. "Lourne, you up for a little excursion?"
"Always."
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As her little red car pulled into the strip mall's parking lot, Cordelia set the vehicle to park before twisting her body around to address the child in the back seat.
"You ready kiddo?"
The child in question was gazing out his passenger side window, awestruck by the sight of the large building in front of him, a smile spreading across his slightly flushed face.
It was all just so different, all morning new experiences waited around every corner. New tastes, new smells, even new textures caressed his skin as his hand gently stroked against the soft car seat that had been specially brought for him.
Lindsey was eagerly waiting to explore this new place, bouncing with barely contained excitement. And lucky for him he didn't have long to wait before his small body got lifted from the car and carried toward the building.
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They'd only just stepped inside the warmth of the building, Lourne veering off to find a coffee shop that could provide a decent brew, when the young cub stopped suddenly. His hand reached up to grip Cordelia's jacket, tugging down on it to get her attention.
"Miss Delia..." Lindsey bit his lip for a second, clearly anxious about asking his question. "Why does Mista' Lourne have to hide his face like that? Is it because he's green?"
And well, it wasn't the first thing that Cordelia expected to hear from the boy, but in all respect, it was a fair question given they hadn't explained Lourne or his appearance to the young child. And the fact that he'd been forced into a disguise was probably confusing to Little Lindsey. Although, he did seem to grasp the situation all on his own.
Still, she should probably explain a little more.
"Well, you see Lindsey, most people don't know about people like Lourne and Angel. And so, seeing them can make them confused or scared. I guess it's the same for you and your tiger."
"Kitty," Lindsey corrects her quickly.
"Right... If people saw you turn into your kitty, they might get frightened not necessarily because it's scary looking, but because they didn't know why it was happening. Do you understand what I mean?"
As Cordelia spoke a thoughtful look appeared across the young boy's brow, scrunching the skin between the hairs into a tight ball. "I think so..." his voice turned quiet. "Is that why Mama and Daddy made me hide all the time? So I di'nt scare people."
"Probably."
Her response earned a low hum from the boy, his face still marred by that pensive expression.
"I don't mean to scare people."
"I know, sweetheart." Cordelia knelt down to gently lay her hand on the young cub's head. "Because you're a good kid."
And as Lourne finally appeared around the corner, two piping cups of coffee perched on a tray next to a small carton of juice, she slowly stood up, offering out a hand as did so.
"Right. How about we get to this clothes shopping? What do you say?"
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With the kitchen cleaned and his bedroom returned to its previous state, Angel made his way down the long winding staircase, before heading towards the makeshift library where his watcher was waiting for him.
"How's the research coming, Wes?"
"Good, I believe I may be making some headway." Following a long night spent searching the shelves and pulling down every book that even mentioned lycanthropy, Wesley had taken a quick nap in the corner of his study before waking up to prepare breakfast and returning to his task at hand. "However, I think I might need Lindsey's help to sort through some of this stuff. It's hard to tell which of this is fact or fiction."
"Do you really think he can help with that?" The vampire asked, pushing himself off the doorway he was leaning against, his body angled forward in question. "He is just a kid now; he may not know that much about himself."
"It's worth a try. I mean, I'm still trying to sort fact from fiction. But what I've read so far does suggest that our little Lindsey may have some serious magical power."
"Really?"
"Yes. In fact, according to some historical texts I found, Lycanthropes go all the way back to the Egyptian Pharos. Many of the greatest rulers at that time apparently owned their own werecat, who helped them achieve their power and success."
As he spoke, the watcher moved across the room, over toward an ancient-looking book, bound in leaves and preserved in some kind of rosin. He then flipped through the pages until he found the exact passage he was looking for, handing it over to Angel for inspection.
"I'm not sure how though. The book doesn't really go into detail beyond what is written there, and the only other writing I found regarding magical abilities, just states that the 'lycanthropes hold a great power. One that they wield for their chosen master only in order to protect and serve their needs.'"
"So pretty vague as always," the vampire sighed.
"Of course."
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"Angel, I wanted to discuss..."
"We're back."
Before the watcher could finish his sentence, the door to the main lobby swung open with Lindsey bouncing in just a few minutes later. His cheeks were powdered with white sugar, and a huge chaotic grin vibrated on his lips.
"We had such a great time," Cordelia continued to remark, as she and Lournes carried numerous bulging shopping bags, which represented only a small portion of their total purchases.
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It had been roughly two hours since the three of them began their shopping expedition, going from clothes store to clothes store, picking out a small wardrobe for Lindsey, before moving on to toiletries, and finally books and toys. It was at that last shop that the tiger cub spoke up for the first time.
Before now, he'd been practically glued to Cordelia's side, too anxious to venture away from his guardian's firm grip. But something had caught the boy's keen eye, enough so that he stopped for a moment and even took a few steps away from presumed safety.
"You ok, Kiddo?" Cordelia asked, noticing the cub's strayed attention. However, he didn't answer her, just turned back ready to follow wherever she led.
"Lindsey, if you've seen something you like, you can ask for it." Lourne tried to encourage the boy, not letting him leave until they received at least some kind of response from the kid. And, although he still seemed reluctant to, Lindsey did point to something on a nearby shelf.
"Is this what you were looking at?" Cordelia reached for the small plush tiger cub, its fur white with black stripes, and eyes a bright blue colour. "Is this what you want?" She then asked, thinking how cute the teddy was, and kind of reminiscent of another creature they knew.
"Yes please," Lindsey answered shyly, his head tucked firmly against his guardian leg.
"Ok then it's yours."
And with that affirmation, a happy smile spread across the surprised boy's face.
After that, the boy pointed out a few other things he liked. Not much, just a couple of books and some sweaters that he liked the feel of. But truth be told, the tiger cub could have had so much more.
Because Cordelia would happily buy him anything his heart desired and charge it to her boss' credit card. But the kid looked a little overwhelmed by it all, what with all the noise and the colours, and he seemed completely content with the white cuddly tiger he was currently snuggling with, whilst they waited for the demon as he fetched the car.
Still, maybe there would be one more thing Lindsey might like…
"Hey, would you like a doughnut?" Cordelia asked, watching as the young boy rubbed at his stomach whilst chewing on his soft yet broken lips. She realised he was probably hungry, a growing boy needing a lot of fuel and such, but knew that Angel would want him to have a proper meal back at the hotel. So maybe just a snack would do? "I heard this place sells some really good ones."
However, she wasn't expecting to hear what she did next.
"What's one of those?"
"Uh- a doughnut. You've never had one?" She watched as Lindsey shook his head, another growl rumbling from his belly, this time one that she could hear as well. "Umm, well it's a bit like cake I guess." Still no recognition. "It's something sweet that you eat, but only on special occasions."
"Is now a special 'casion?"
And well…
"I guess it is. I mean, it's not every day you get to start your life all over again, is it." Lindsey paused for a moment, really thinking about the rhetorical question's answer, before shaking his head vigorously. "Thought so. Come on, then." Cordelia smiled brightly, tugging the cub down the street.
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"Hmmm." Angel frowned down at the messy child in front of him. His electric blue eyes shining brightly up at the vampire, as he tried to rub the powder from his face. "Had a little treat, did we?" He asked, licking his finger only to blanch at the overly sweet taste of sugar.
"I got to try some... Umm, what's was they called again?" The kid asked, looking over to where his guardian was now dropping bags onto the watcher's workspace.
"Doughnuts." Cordelia chuckled, taking the boy from Angel's hand and wiping some powder from where his young tongue couldn't quite reach it. "Lindsey had never had them before, so we got a couple of different ones to see which was his favourite."
"Oh, so you brought us home a kid on a sugar high. Perfect." Angel smiled, sarcastically.
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Setting the bags where Lindsey sat on the floor, Lourne and Wesley knelt down to the young cub and let him show them his new clothes with excitement. He was particularly thrilled to talk about how warm his new sweaters felt, and how he liked all the bright colours, especially red, blue and purple.
Whilst that was happening, Cordelia had taken her boss over to the other side of the room, where their conversation couldn't be easily overheard.
…
"Look, about Lindsey..."
"I know what you're going to say, Cordelia. I still haven't really had a chance to think about it."
"He needs a home Angel, one that will protect him better than his first one did."
"And you think that's here, with us?"
"Well yeah," the young woman's voice rose with assurance. "It's not like there isn't enough of us around to keep an eye on him. And he needs someone that can teach him about what he is and how to use his gifts, which I'm sure Wes will happily take point on once he's learnt some more."
"That's not all there is to raising a kid, Cord. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't want the little cub here." And honestly, he was kind of warming up to the little guy, "But they're things to consider. Like school, bedtimes, and making sure he eats right. Can you honestly say you know anything about that?"
"No... But I'm willing to learn because that boy deserves it."
"And what about the other stuff?"
"What 'other stuff'?"
"This is Lindsey McDonald, remember. Even with mitigating circumstances, I can't help but think he enjoyed the power. It was the way he smiled in that courtroom whenever he got one of those monsters free, like it was his greatest mission in life. And trust me, there's no faking that kind of deep-seated happiness."
"So what? We just give up on him? Angel, I can't believe..."
Cordelia was just about to go into this whole speech about second chances and how many they've had, when the sound of giggling suddenly echoed from the front across the room. And as the vampire looked up, Angel couldn't help but smile at the sweet image he was confronted with.
Lindsey was still sitting with the watcher, now wrapped in a red sweatshirt with a familiar cartoon face sewn into it. The pair were laughing as they played peek-a-boo with the young boy's teddy, Wesley stopping for a moment to tickle Lindsey's tummy.
"Cordy, I don't..."
"He's just a kid Angel-cakes," Lourne spoke softly as he strode across the room. "No matter what he was before, right now he is just a child."
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Meanwhile, across LA in a penthouse office...
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"How could you let this happen?" Manners slammed his palms into large glass desk in front of him, a few papers shifting from the sudden draft he caused. The woman standing on the other side was trembling slightly, scared of facing yet another punishment for her failures.
"I don't know what..." Lila tried to explain herself, telling him that she hadn't been at fault this time. But she was quickly interrupted by the still-fuming Holland.
"He's a vital piece of Wolfram and Hart property."
"It wasn't..."
"And I picked you especially to keep an eye on him."
"I'm so sorry, sir. Whatever you want, I'll do it to make up for this mistake."
If there was one thing that Lila had learnt during her time working for the demonic law firm, it was when to give up the argument and start grovelling. And it seemed to work as the other lawyer started to breathe normally in an attempt to calm himself down.
"What exactly happened? Where is Mr McDonald now?"
"I'm not sure of all the details..." Lila started. "But well according to the meeting notes, the plan was to lore Angel to the warehouse using a fake vision and then convert the vampire to his Angelous state using a cursed box from one of the archives. It was one of the new hire's plans, and personally, I think it was a little simplistic. However, it probably would have worked, If Lindsey hadn't shown up and taken the vampire's place."
"He did what?"
"In the cursed box. After discovering what was going on, Lindsey ran on foot all the way to the warehouse but he was too late when he got there though, so he pushed Angel out of the way and got sucked into the item in his stead."
"Really..."
And as if a sudden madness had taken over him, Manners started quietly laughing to himself, a hand coming up to rub across his bolding head.
"Sir...?"
It was rather unsettling, especially as the chuckling got louder and louder, transitioning from a slight mania to full-blown hysteria.
"Sir, I am unsure what the box's purpose was, and it is no longer in our possession. And I am afraid that without it, we will not be able to discover what the box has done to Lindsey, or how to reverse it."
"Oh, I know exactly what it's done to our boy." Manners recovered, wiping tears from his eyes as he straitened his suit back out. "In fact, it may just solve our recent problems we've been having."
"Sir?"
"You said you no longer have the box. Do you know where it is?"
"I believe Angel picked it up before he left."
Manners sighed, still with a light smile on his face, whilst rubbing his hand across his jaw. "Well, that's not ideal... Still, I can work with this."
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After grabbing a very healthy lunch for the young cub, the team continued to play with Lindsey before moving into the lounge area to watch cartoons about a rambunctious cat and mouse. The boy that everyone was focused on was currently sitting in Angel's lap, his eyes transfixed on the screen as he sat pretty nicely for a five-year-old.
The rest of the adults spread themselves around the room, passing the time by either watching the TV, or finding other forms of entertainment.
"Have you found anything yet?" Cordelia called over to Wesley who was nose-deep in one of his beloved books, the watcher looking up as soon as he was addressed.
"I've got a bit of an idea, but I need some more information. Actually… I thought Lindsey could help me out with that. Only if you don't mind that is." That last part was targeted toward the small boy as he tugged on the vampire's shirt to show him what the cat was doing on the TV. He stopped, however, smile beaming as he realised what was being asked of him.
"I'll help, Mr Wesley," the kid nodded enthusiastically. "Bestest I can."
"Great." The watcher nodded, he then turned his attention to the telepathic demon. "I was wondering whether to start with a song. It could give us some answers about what happened with Manners without putting too much pressure on the kid to remember things."
"Guess it won't do him any harm to try." Shrugging casually, Lourne agreed with the watcher's idea and assumptions "OK Lindsey, I need you to sing a song, so I can use my telepathy to get some information. Can you do that for us?" Lorne asked, sitting up so he could focus his entire gaze on the little cub.
"Ummm..." Lindsey looked up nervously, fidgeting in his seat whilst the adults all circled around him.
"What's up, Kiddo?"
"I don't think I know any songs."
"None at all," the demon questioned. "No nursery rhymes or anything?"
"Nuh-uh." The kid looked sad, a tremble marring his lips as he started to bite down on them. "I'm sorry..."
"Oh, no it's ok." Lorne stumbled, wanting desperately to wipe the harrowed look from the young cub's face. He was trying to think of another way to get the information they needed, that wouldn't make Lindsey feel pressured or unhappy again, when a brilliant idea crept into his mind. "Tell you what. How about if Angel taught you one, would you sing for us then?"
"Maybe..." Lindsey looked, thinking about it for a moment before nodding his head again. "Yeah, I think I can do that."
"Angel..." Pause… "Well don't just stand there. Sing something, but make sure it's simple so Lindsey can learn it too."
"What, oh yeah. Umm..." The vampire froze for a moment, rubbing a hand across his face in thought. "Ok Lindsey, just repeat after me.
...
Row, row, row your boat
Cough cough
"Gently down the stream
Merrily merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream"
…
As the final note of the rhyme faded away, the entire group stared at the vampire, their mouths agape, as though they had just witnessed a brutal murder.
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"Mr Angel sir," The youngest of the group was just uncovering his ears when he looked up at Angel, a sorrowful facial expression covering his face. "I don't think you sang that one right." It was then that the vampire noticed, two little tiger ears curled in on themselves, as a cute black button nose scrunched up in displeasure.
The overall look had the watcher of their group almost chuckling as he stated, "I thought you didn't know any songs, Lindsey."
"I don't, but... That sounded really bad, and I don't thinks it meant to… Sorry." He then added, so as not to offend any adults in the room with his bad manners.
"Well, I can't argue with that logic." The demon laughed, picking the half-human, half-tiger cub into his arms. With a large yawn, Lindsey curled up into a tiny ball, his striped tail wrapping around his body as he succumbed to his sugar crash. "How about we leave the singing for a while? It looks like this little guy is in need of a nap."
And with nods of agreement, Lourne started to make his way upstairs.
However, before he could leave, Angel gripped the demon by the crook of his elbow stopping him for a moment. "You were right, Lourne," he spoke softly, looking down at the delicate package nestled carefully in his friend's arms. "Lindsey needs to stay with us."