Chapter 9 - Monster's Don't Just Hide Under The Bed
"Angel, watch out!"
"Huh…!" The vampire looked up suddenly, quickly dodging the sharp claws that came swiping at his stomach just seconds before they made contact. "Damnit! Sorry."
"Man, get your head in the game," Gunn chastised, pushing his own opponent back so he could get a better angle for his attack. Even though bullets and arrows didn't do much to stop these things, they sure slowed them down quite a bit.
"It is… I am." The vampire shook his head, getting his mind back into the battle. "I was just thinking…"
"Well stop that and get to the head chopping."
"On it," Angel shouted, then pulling a machete from inside his coat he swung it hard toward the enemy in front of him, removing his head swiftly and neatly.
"Hey Gunn, lay off a little bit will ya?" Cordelia called out from where she was perched in the rafters, far enough away that she wouldn't get caught up in the battle, but still close enough to lend a hand if needed. "He's just worried about Lindsey. He's still not used to leaving the little guy."
"Yeah, I can tell. The man's got'n rusty."
Cordelia just rolled her eyes at the comment, throwing a weapon over to the watcher as he fought with the tangle of snake-like legs of an Abraxas demon. She then turned to ask, "Hey, Angel. You checked in yet?" her mind also wandering to the were-tiger and the demon watching over him.
"Not yet. You think I should?" The vampire questioned, easily getting distracted again. He didn't even notice the small but violent coming toward him until it tried to tackle Angel, attempting to take him out at the knees.
"Probably. It is getting close to bedtime."
"Ok. I'll do it - Shit!" Angel yelped, as a sharp beak-like mouth bit down on his ankle and wouldn't budge even with the hard kicks the vampire was using to try and dislodge his attacker. "I'll do it in just a minute."
This is what life was like now for team Angel, or at least it had been for the past month. Finally able to go on missions again, to fight the good fight as Wesley would put it, despite having a young child at home that needed looking after.
And all things considered, it was going quite well.
Yeah, at first there were some arguments. No one wanted to leave Lindsey for any extended length of time, especially during the day when it might disrupt his routine. And Angel in particular had to get over the fact, that he would be needed whenever a battle might take place, which was often, and so his turns and childcare were far less. But eventually, they managed to work out a rota, one that saw all of them getting at least some time with the little guy. Even Gunn, much to his chagrin.
After that, it was just a matter of acclimating to going on missions once more, even if there were added factors to consider.
Like how maybe it wasn't a good idea to phone home when tracking a rogue pack of werewolves, just in case the call got missed and returned at the worst possible moment. Or how sidetracked the team might get when thinking about the child and all the progress he'd made that day. It just meant that there were a few mishaps at the beginning, easy enough to rectify by agreeing to make one phone call home, right before bed. Unless there was an emergency, of course.
"Finally *sigh* thought those things would never go down." Wesley groaned, stretching out his back from where he'd hunched over for so long.
"You're telling me. At least you didn't get your kneecaps bit by one of the little bleeders." Gunn moaned right back, rubbing harshly on the spot where blood was staining his jeans. "Hey, Angel man." He then turned to where his friend was still standing over the pile of mini demons. "You up for some after-game drinks tonight?... Angel?"
The hunter's calls, however, went completely unreturned, as the vampire became distracted once again, this time by his cell phone. "Hey Lin. Pause. No, we got him. Did you have fun with Uncle Lourne? Pause. That's good." And if the non-response didn't hint enough, the look on Angel's face as he spoke gave Gunn all the answers he wasn't looking for. "Hey, I'll come read you a story as soon as I get back. Pause. Yeah, night cub."
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A couple of weeks later…
Tonight, it was Angel's turn to watch Lindsey, whilst the rest of his team (minus Lourne who needed to attend to his own business) went out on a routine patrol and client-finding mission. Of course, he'd checked in a few times, and vice versa, but things had been running pretty smoothly of late. Which was a surprise. And as a result, the group started to become more at ease and just rolled with the motions.
…
It was getting late, well late for a five-year-old, and the little were-cub was currently curled up on the lap of his favourite vampire, watching quietly as Tramp got adopted into his new family for probably the 100th time. It was the kid's favourite movie, but as the scene sped forward a year, a large yawn that displayed pointed little teeth stretched the were's jaw until he found himself snuggling further into the vampire's t-shirt, falling gently asleep.
"Time for bed I think, little cub," Angel suggested softly, nudging the kid slightly. "Come on, up you get."
Carrying Lindsey carefully down the hallway, the vampire reflected on their day together. God, it was good, but so hectic, and jam-packed with learning and playtime. It was no wonder that the kid was wiped out, probably too tired to stay awake even for a story, if the soft snores he could hear coming from his arms were anything to go by.
When he got to the child's room, Angel took his time putting Lindsey to sleep, brushing the soft brown curls out of his eyes.
"Night Cub. Sweet dreams."
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"Aaaaaaaaah…"
The loud cry echoed down the hallway, startling Angel out of his chair behind the desk and sending him sprinting in that direction. "Lindsey?" He called out, his feet pounding against the floor as he rushed into the kid's room without hesitation. "Lindsey, are you ok? What Happened?"
The boy in question was shivering quite violently under his thick covers, his body tensing as he pushed back against his headboard. Before he could speak to answer, the cub gasped, breathing through unsteady, chewed-up lips. "The monster came b-back t-t-to get me." He cried out. "He said he was g-going to take me. P-please, don't let it t-take me again."
And it was without even a moment's thought, that Angel firmly embraced Lindsey, reassuring him, "I won't, I promise."
…
…
…
It wasn't until a while later, as the cub curled further into his arms his face directed straight towards the moonlight, that the vampire really started to consider what the child had said. More precisely the exact phrases that he used.
What did he mean 'came back' and 'take me again'?
"Lindsey…?" Angel called out softly, not wanting to startle the poor boy when he was in such a fragile state, but needing to have this conversation now when it was fresh in his mind. He then gently asked, "What do you mean by, 'don't let it take you again'? When did it take you before?"
The boy didn't answer straight away, choosing instead to sit up a little so he could grab the plush tiger toy that had fallen further down his bed. After cuddling with it for a moment, and shifting into a position that felt comfortable for him, Lindsey eventually felt ready to speak.
"When I was in the dark place… before I got small."
"You mean, inside the box?" Angel realised. "You remember that?"
"Kinda'… Just a little bit."
"Oh, Lin. I'm so sorry." And with that, the vampire's mind became flooded with despair as he considered everything this small child must have gone through. He then gripped the boy tightly, swearing to himself that he would never let go, not for anything.
And he probably wouldn't have - at least for a few hours - but he realised that he needed to talk to Lindsey, the sooner the better. However, that would be difficult to do so with the vampire's thick, muscular arms lying heavily against the cub's ears. "Lin," he called out again, this time moving so the boy could face him. "I need to talk to you, but first I want you to know that whatever you tell me you are safe and I will never abandon you. You understand?" He waited for a moment to get confirmation, which he did in the form of a subtle nod. "Linny, I want you to tell me about the place and what you remember. Don't worry if it's not much, or if you get scared, I just want to understand what you saw and what happened to you. Ok?"
"Ok, Mr Angel."
And just like before, Lindsey took a moment to get completely comfortable before speaking, this time sprouting to little tiger ears on top of his head, and a black-tipped tail that he could hold onto like a security blanket.
Once he was settled, the were-cub started to explain…
"It was really dark, but not like nighttime dark, or when daddy would put me in time out in the cupboard. No, like the dark you can feel, inside…" Lindsey tapped gently over where his heart sat, shuddering suddenly as if an icy breeze had drifted through the room. "And at first, I thoughts I was alone because I couln't see nothin', and there was no sounds not even from me. But then I heard it growl… And I didn't see it still, but I felt it. It was slimy like a fish, with sharp point scales that left scratches on my arms. And smelly breath that puffed in my face."
"That doesn't sound very nice."
"It wasn't." Lindsey sighed shaking his head vigorously. "And then sometimes, it would talk to me, the monster. Likes it knew me. Like I'd been there before but I couldn't remember… I don't wants t' go back there, Mr Angel. It makes me scared."
And to be honest with you, Angel was also frightened, just by the thought of that place, let alone seeing it for himself like he almost had.
"Don't worry. Lin. I will never let that happen."
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After their talk it didn't take long to get the little were-cub back to sleep, the vampire tucking him back into bed tightly, this time with a nightlight to help ward off any monsters.
And with Lindsey now settled for what he hoped was the rest of the night, Angel crept quietly down the hall, back to the desk where he'd been working. He paused for a moment when he got there, staring intensely at the box that sat permanently in the corner of the room, before picking up his phone and dialling the second number on his speed dial.
"Wesely." Angel waited for a response. "I want this box destroyed."