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The Princess, the Lawyer, the Pixie, and the King of Pain -- by Echo
Rating: PG-13
Description: Set after the season finale of ANGEL. Lindsey, the one handed wonder, digs into a certain former cheerleader's past, and gets more than he bargains for.
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. I also don't own much else, so the sue thing? Quite pointless, actually.
Cordelia sat at the bar waiting for her date. She tapped her foot, not with the beat of the music, out of frustration. He was supposed to meet her an hour ago. In the back of her mind she knew she'd been stood up, but she refused to go back to her apartment. Between Angel, Wesley, and Dennis, she was going crazy. Ever since she'd had her never-ending vision-a-palooza, they'd been reluctant to let her out of their sight. She got that they worried about her, she really did, but dammit, she needed space.
"I can't believe he let you out of his sight." A voice slurred next to her. Cordelia turned and found herself staring right into the big blue eyes of Lindsey McDonald. A very drunk Lindsey McDonald. He had his right arm stuffed in his coat in a way that reminded her of Napoleon. His left hand rested on his empty glass.
"Well, if it isn't born-again boy on his quest to fall back off the white hat wagon. Don't you have some murderers to set free?"
"Not today." He chuckled.
"And I notice you're still sitting here, so I'll leave." She tossed down a couple of dollars and slid off the barstool.
She walked out of the club and was halfway down the street when she felt him next to her again. Literally. He was so drunk he stumbled into her. "Hey! Watch it!"
"Sorry."
"What the hell are you doing?"
"I'm walking you home."
"I can take care of myself."
"It's not safe."
"And you are?"
He laughed. "You're hysterical."
"That wasn't my intention. I was going for sarcastic bitch. I must be losing my edge." She turned and stalked away.
He was about to laugh again when he was grabbed by the neck from behind. Cordelia heard a noise and thought he must have fallen. She wasn't expecting to see a vampire trying to take a bite out of him. She gasped and fumbled in her bag. She pulled out her stake and her small vile of holy water. She flicked the lid off the vile and threw it in the vampire's eyes. He screamed and let go of Lindsey, stumbling back a step. Just enough for her to move in and stake him. He turned to dust, and she coughed. She turned to look at the lawyer. He was staring at her with his mouth hanging open. She fanned her hand in front of her in an effort to clear the dust.
"I'd shut my mouth if I were you. Vamp dust? Not a yummy flavor."
He mouth snapped shut. He just stared.
"What? Do I have something hanging out of my nose?"
"Huh?"
"You're looking at me like I've got the biggest, juiciest, booger you've ever seen hanging from one of my nostrils. What's your trauma?"
"You just staked that vampire."
"Duh. I've staked a few vampires before. Hello, used to hang with a slayer here."
"Really?"
"Yeah, what? Angel the only one of the gang you did reasearch on?"
He just stared at her.
"I'm more than just vision girl, law boy. Cordelia Chase, Sunnydale High class of 1999. There's your start. Let me know what you find."
She turned and walked off into the night.
Cordelia walked straight through her apartment to her bedroom and fell on the bed. The sun was just coming up. She hadn't gone straight home. She gone to an all night coffee shop. She'd stayed away on purpose. Space. Now she was so tired she could barely even form a coherent thought. She heard him come in the door. After working with him for almost a year and living with him for the past few weeks, he wasn't able to sneak up on her as often as he used to. Either that or Angel was getting incredibly unstealthy.
"So where were you?"
"Sitting."
"With whom?"
"No one. Everyone. Go 'way. Sleepy."
"Cordelia, you said you'd be home well before dawn."
"Angel, I'm a big girl. I can stay out all night if I want."
"I was just worried."
She sighed at the tone in his voice and rolled onto her back. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to be alone. Surely, you, of all people, understand that one, broodboy."
He grinned. "Next time just ask me to go out. Don't flee your own apartment."
"And I'll call if I'm gonna be late, Dad."
He chuckled and turned to leave saying something that sounded a lot like "Mouthy bitch.".
@@@@@
He was looking at it. He'd had a copy sent to him. The 1999 Sunnydale High School Yearbook. He flipped through it to her picture. She was smiling brightly. It listed her activities as cheerleading, talent show, 1997's May Queen, and Crime Club. She was voted most likely to be famous. He thumbed to the index in the back and looked to see what pages it listed her on. She looked different in these pictures. Her hair wasn't quite as long, and she was dressed to kill. He'd never seen her dressed as she was in some of these pictures. Designer clothes, not a hair out of place, make-up perfect. He flipped to a page and saw her with her arms around a boy with dark hair. Next to them were two other girls - one obviously blonde, a short boy with spiked hair, and an older guy with glasses. The caption read 'Sunnydale High Crime Club, X. Harris, C.Chase, B. Summers, W. Rosenberg, D. Ozbourne. Sponsored by school librarian, R. Giles.' He wrote down each of the names. He was pretty sure the only thing missing from the picture was Angel. This was the group the vampire used to run with before he came to LA. One of the girls in that picture had to be the slayer, but he wasn't really interested in the slayer. He was interested in the cheerleader.
The phone rang. Cordelia turned down the TV and grabbed it.
"Hello."
It was the last voice she expected to hear. "So do you still talk to Mr. Giles, Willow, Xander, Oz, or Buffy?"
"How did you get my number?"
"You answer my question. I answer yours."
Angel walked in and noticed the way she was gripping the phone. "Cordelia, who is it?"
Lindsey heard his voice through the phone. He knew Angel was staying with her. "You didn't tell him did you?"
"I am now." She hung up.
Angel was staring at her. "Are you okay? Who was that?"
She took a deep breath. "You remember when I went out and stayed out all night a few days ago?"
"Yes."
"Well, I, uh, staked a vampire that night."
"What?! Why didn't you tell me that?"
"There's more." She didn't say anything.
"Well?" He was getting agitated. She could tell.
"The vampire was trying to snack on Lindsey McDonald."
"Lindsey McDonald, the Wolfram and Hart lawyer?"
"No, Lindsey McDonald, Ronald's brother. Yes, the lawyer!"
"And you waited to tell me this because..."
"I don't know."
"Is that who that was on the phone?"
"Yes."
"Was that who your date was?"
She scowled at him. "Yes! You caught me, Angel! I'm banging the bad guy behind your back! Will you just give me a little credit here, dammit!" She folded her arms across her chest and turned away, pouting.
"I'm sorry I just-"
"Became jump-to-conclusions guy? Don't have to tell me that. I was there."
"I said I was sorry."
"Well, I'm still mad here, so go away for a little while and give time to get over it."
Angel sighed. Sometimes he just didn't get her. If this was what being part of Cordelia's family was like, maybe he wanted to be a friendless hermit. He walked to the table and sat down.
Gunn grinned when he saw Angel walking his way.
"Hey man, what you need now?"
"What makes you think I need something?"
"You don't come 'round unless you do. I hated to say the word 'used', but there it is." He grinned at the vampire. "So what's it this time?"
"You remember the brunette from the hospital?"
"How could I forget?" He grinned wider. "She's gorgeous."
"She's also like a sister to me." Angel glared.
"Right." Gunn quit smiling. "What about her?"
"I want you to follow her. Keep an eye out for her."
"So you want me to babysit again? Come on, man."
"Not exactly. I think someone might be stalking her. I want you there in case something happens. She had to stake a vamp by herself the other night. I don't like the idea of that."
"I might get to stake some bad guys? Oh, well in that case. I'd be happy to help out."
"Willow was the one that cracked the code to the disks Angel took from Wolfram and Hart."
Cordelia jumped when spoke. He slid into the booth across from her in the small diner. "What?"
"Willow Rosenberg. Red hair, green eyes. Girlfriend named Tara."
"You keep away from her." Cordelia practically growled.
"Whoa, down, tiger." He put his left hand up in front of him. " So she cares about Willow."
"I care about her. She's my friend."
"She wasn't always."
"Always isn't now."
Gunn watched as the lawyer slid in the booth across from her. Cordelia, Angel called her. He'd only see her, never spoken to her. He'd been the one that watched over her when she was in the hospital. Angel cared about her, treated her like she was a fragile thing, but the glare she was giving that lawyer told Gunn she was anything but fragile. She looked like she was gonna jump up and rip his head from his neck at any minute.
He walked into the diner and took the booth next to theirs. He made sure the lawyer didn't see him. Gunn just listened. Damn, she had fire, and she was pissed off about something.
"What about Xander?"
"What about him?"
"Care about him the way you do Willow?"
"Xander was my boyfriend. He's a good friend now. Of course I care about him."
"Buffy?"
"She has her moments."
"Mr. Giles."
"Who needed a father when you had Giles?"
"Oz?"
"Who didn't love Oz? He had this thing about him. Even more wordless than Angel. Oz could say more with an eyebrow. It was disarming. He just made you feel comfortable."
"You sound like you have a thing with this Oz guy."
"Sort of. We shared a painful moment." She rubbed her left side absently.
"That's right. You were in the hospital almost two years ago. Your side was punctured."
Her eyes flashed anger. "Or you could say because of some stupid blonde vampire and my boyfriend's inability to keep his tongue out of his best friend's mouth, I ran up some decrepit stairs, fell through them, and a steel rod tried to break my fall. Didn't work out too well for me. And neither did anything else after that." She grabbed her bag. "I'm done here."
She got up and stormed out of the diner. Gunn got up a few seconds later and followed her.
Lindsey sat there stunned. Well, now he knew not to talk about that accident. It obviously held deeper wounds than the one in her side.
Cordelia was panicked. She knew someone was following her. She thought about what Buffy would do. She'd never admit it to anyone, but in scary situations a lot of times she asked herself what Buffy would do. The bluff she'd done with the water when Angel had gone all 'Angelus' came to mind. What would the slayer do now? She whip around and demand they come out, that's what.
"Ok, I know you're there. Come on out. I'm so not in the mood to be stalked right now." Her voice sounded a lot braver than she felt.
Gunn jumped when she spoke. He thought he'd been being pretty sneaky. Well, she did hang around Angel all the time. Gunn got the feeling Angel was pretty good at the 'blending in the shadows' thing. He stepped out where she could see him, his hands in the air. He tried not to move too suddenly. She'd never met him before and didn't know he wasn't an enemy.
Cordelia watched as a tall black guy stepped out of the shadows. He walked closer. His hands were in the air, and he was moving very slowly like he was trying not to scare her. He was young. He was bald. He was as tall as Angel, if not taller. He was very cute.
"Who the hell are you?" She spat out.
"I'm a friend of a friend of yours."
"Oh?" She was getting ready to attack or run. He couldn't tell which.
"Name's Gunn."
Cordelia relaxed. So this was Gunn. "So you're the one who locked Angel in that meat locker."
He laughed. "Yeah. I'm also the one who watched your hospital bed while Angel went after the guy that put you there."
She smiled at him. That's when they heard the growl. Gunn grabbed her and shoved her behind him. He pulled a small crossbow from somewhere on his person. Cordelia wasn't sure from where, but his clothes were so baggy it could have come from anywhere. She reached into her bag and pulled out her stake. She screamed when she was grabbed from behind.
Angel took off running in the direction of the screaming. His gut was twisting, not because someone was screaming, but because he recognized the voice of the screamer. Cordelia. No one screamed like she did. Angel skidded around the corner just in time to see her drive her stake through the back of a vampire that had Gunn pinned to the ground.
"Are you ok?" She held out her hand to him. Gunn took it, and she helped pull him to his feet.
"Thanks."
"Oh please. I only got two. You got the other four."
"What happened?" Angel sputtered. Cordelia was in his face in an instant. She started poking her finger in the center of his chest. Hard.
"How DARE you have him follow me like I'm some THING that can't be trusted!"
"That's not why-"
She shoved Angel away with both hands. Gunn just stood there, his mouth hanging open. He'd never seen anybody switch gears so fast in his whole life.
"YOU'RE AN ASSHOLE!"
"Cor-"
"I'M NOT STUPID! I WILL NOT FALL UNDER HIS CHARM! I CAN BE TRUSTED! I CAN WALK ALONE AT NIGHT! I DON'T BREAK SO EASY!" She sunk to her knees as she started crying. "I don't break..."
"Cordelia." Angel dropped to her side. It was bound to happen sooner or later. She'd never really dealt with all that had happened in the past few weeks.
"I'm the nastiest girl to ever walk the halls of Sunnydale High. I'm a bitch. I don't care about them. I don't."
"What are you talking about?"
"I taunted him, and he knows them all now."
"Cordelia, what are you talking about?"
"He even knew Willow's girlfriend's name."
Angel stiffened. "Who?" But he knew the answer.
Gunn stepped next to them. "What do you think he's plannin' with this information?"
"Planning? Oh God. All my fault."
She started shaking. Angel swept her up into his arms. She wrapped her fist in is shirt. He started walking. He turned to Gunn. "Well? You coming?."
The younger man fell into step alongside the vampire.
Angel opened the door and was greeted with the biggest smile he'd seen in a long time. He was glad she hadn't been too busy to visit.
"Willow." He snatched the slight redhead up in his arms.
"Hey, Angel. I missed you too, but, uh, still have to breathe here." He let go of her and she giggled. He noticed the blonde girl behind her, looking at the ground.
"And this is..."
"Oh, Tara, Angel. Angel, Tara, my girlfriend."
Angel smiled. "I'm glad to meet you, Tara." He held out his hand. Her tiny hand was trembling when she placed it in his much larger one.
"N-n-nice to meet you, too." She looked at him for two seconds then her eyes darted away. She tried to pull her hand away, but he held fast. She looked back up at him. He smiled. She stopped trembling instantly. He released her hand.
"Come in ladies.
Willow and Tara walked into Cordelia's apartment.
"Wow. This is nice." Willow was looking around the room. Her eyes fell on the two men sitting on the couch. They both stood instantly. One she didn't recognize, the other she did, but he was different from the last time she saw him.
"Hello, Willow." Wesley said. He crossed the room to her. He had on khaki pants and a gray t shirt. His hair was sticking up. He suddenly looked very human to her. Not at all watcher-y.That's what was different. He stiffened slightly when she hugged him.
"I'm glad Faith didn't permantly damage you." The concern in her voice was staggering. Wesley found himself hugging back. Then the guilt hit. Once upon a time, he'd been ready to sacrifice her to stop the mayor. He was suddenly very glad that hadn't gone his way.
Gunn just watched. This was the Willow he'd been hearing about from Cordelia, Wesley, and Angel. She was stunning. And tiny. He couldn't get a grip on the fact that this tiny woman held as much power as they said she did. And the other girl - just as pretty. If all Angel's female friends were this hot, he was in some serious trouble. Willow turned her green eyes on him.
"Hi, I'm Willow." She held out her hand. It was very delicate-looking.
"Gunn." He took her small hand. "Good to meet you, finally. I've heard about you."
"Lies. All of it." She grinned, and he laughed. She was cute. "That's Tara. " She nodded at the blonde. She let go of Gunn's hand and pulled Tara over. "This is Gunn, and this is Wesley. He was Buffy and Faith's watcher after Giles got fired."
"Oh." She smiled at Wesley.
"He also used to dress a lot stiffer. Suits and stuff. And we didn't like him much. Especially Xander."
Angel laughed. Wesley blushed and Tara smiled at him. "Oh."
"He's ok now though."
"Willow!"
Willow looked up two seconds before she was engulfed in a tight hug. "I missed you too, Cordy, but air, once again an issue."
Willow and Cordelia had taken off to talk. That left Tara with Angel, Wesley, and Gunn. It also left her incedibly nervous. She couldn't stop shaking. She had no idea why she was so nervous. It's not like the three of them were growling at her or anything. In fact, they'd gone out of their way to be nice to her. There was something about the apartment that was making her uneasy.
She went to the bathroom to spalsh some cold water on her face. She bent over the sink and rubbed the cool water over her eyes, nose and mouth. She stood straight, and her eye caught somehting over her left shoulder. Tara screamed and jumped away pulling the shower curtain down as she fell into the tub. She hit her head hard on the edge. She remembered hearing him say 'You can see me?'. She was thinking 'Yeah. Right THROUGH you.' just before she blacked out.
Angel was feeling bad. No matter what he did, Tara had not gotten comfortable after Willow left. It put him on edge. He didn't want her to be afraid of him. Gunn and Wesley had tried to talk to her. She'd stuttered so badly you could hardly understand her. And the longer Willow was gone the worse it had gotten. He thought maybe she was uncomfortable with strangers, but she'd been ok when Willow and Cordelia were here. He knew Willow had told her he was a vampire, and she'd been around Spike before and been fine. Cordelia had told him the blonde witch was the least likely to be taken in by Spike. She didn't put up with even a minute of his posturing and attitude. Cordelia related all tales of Spike. She relished it. Ever since she and Willow had been talking, he'd never lacked for tales of the Hellmouth. He sort of liked it too. It let him be there without actually being there. He knew all about them. Which is why he didn't understand Tara's behavior.
The scream that echoed in from the bathroom had all three men on their feet. Angel was the first one to the door. He flung it open, and his gut twisted at the sight before him. Willow was going to kill him.
Lindsey watched them. They were sitting in a booth in the diner drinking coffee. The May Queen and the net girl. The two of them were talking with animation he'd never seen on live people before. And he had to admit Willow Rosenberg looked better in real life than in the black and white still he had of her. He'd been told she had very red hair, but that description had not done her justice. They were both beautiful. The princess and the pixie. He could watch the two of them all night.
"So what are you doing here?" Cordelia fiddled with her napkin.
"Angel called me. He said you were upset about something. Thought you might need to see a friendly face."
"He's so stupid."
"Why do you say that?"
"Not that I'm not glad you're here, I am, but he and Wesley are all the 'friendly face' I need."
Willow laughed. "He sounded upset. He said something about you being mad at him all the time and misunderstanding his intentions."
"He's smothering me."
"He's worried about you, Cordy."
"I know, and with good reason, I might add. I'm just not used to it."
"What do you mean?"
"All this attention. You'd think Cordelia Chase would revel in it, right? Wrong. Maybe the one from high school would have. You know what I mean. Your parents were the same way. Xander's too. No brothers, no sisters. No concern. Giles was more of a father to me. Buffy's mom more my mother. I've never had an overprotective big brother, and I guess I'm not used to it."
"Graham's the same way. It's obnxious."
"Graham?"
"A friend of Riley's."
"How is Riley? Still smarting from the ass beating Angel gave him?"
"Now, Cordelia-"
"I'm sorry. I just get so mad about it. He just attacked. And I know it didn't look good from where Riley was standing, but Angel had some bruises when he got home. I guess I'm a little protective too."
"I just wish I could have seen it."
"Willow!"
"Oh come on, Cordelia. Angel's an awesome fighter, and I've seen Riley hold his own. Not that I'd want them to do it again or anything, but it might have been interesting to see. You should have heard what Buffy said Riley called Angel."
Cordelia stiffened expecting to hear a string of derogatory names. "What was that?"
Willow giggled. "Mr. Billowy Coat, King of Pain."
Cordelia stared at her, then broke down into gales of hysterical laughter.
Tara opened her eyes slowly. There were three faces peering down at her. Then she saw the fourth. She sucked in air and tried to back away. Angel grabbed her arms.
"It's ok. You're safe here. We won't hurt you."
"W-who are you?" She wasn't even looking at him.
"Tara?"
"What are you doing h-here?" She paused. "R-really?"
"Is she high or something?" Gunn asked. "How hard you think she hit her head?"
"Do they know about you?" She smiled. "Oh, w-well that's ok, Dennis. Y-you just scared me."
"Dennis? Good Lord. She can see him?" Wesley said to Angel.
Tara's eyes snapped back to the live people in front of her. "S-sorry if I s-scared you."
"You can see Dennis? Hear him?"
"Yes. H-he's standing over by the door." The three men turned to look at the door.
"Excuse me, but who the hell is Dennis? And why don't I see him by the door?" Gunn asked.
The two of them walked out of the diner arm in arm laughing. They had no idea Lindsey followed them. They had walked several blocks when Willow stopped.
"Did you hear that?"
"Hear what, Will?"
The next thing Cordelia knew someone had grabbed her by the hair and yanked her backwards. She screamed. She heard Willow scream. She felt teeth graze her neck, and she panicked. She sent her elbow backwards. She almost smiled when she felt it connect with flesh. The hold on her head was released. Cordelia spun around, digging in her bag at the same time.
The second her scream hit the air, Lindsey had taken off. He didn't know why. He couldn't explain his desire not to see them hurt. He just ran for the two of them. His enemies.
Cordelia held a wooden cross out in front of her as she dug for her stake and holy water. She looked up just in time to see a body collide with the vampire in front of her. They crashed to the ground. She turned to see Willow struggling in another vampire's grasp. She hurled the bottle of holy water at him. It busted on the back of his head. He screamed and let go of Willow. The redhead pulled a stake out of her jeans, and two seconds later he was dust. Cordelia turned back to the two on the ground. She noticed the vampire had the upper hand and was moving in. She drove her stake through his back. When the dust settled, she was staring into Lindsey's wide eyes.
"Lindsey?"
"Are you alright, Cordelia?"
"What are you doing out here? Are you trying to get yourself bit?" She put her hands on her hips. "You're stalking me, aren't you?"
Willow laughed. "Friend of yours, Cordy?"
Cordelia snorted. "Not likely. He works for Wolfram and Hart."
"Ewww, a lawyer, and worse, an evil lawyer."
"Is there any other kind?"
"Hey!" He said causing them to look back down at him. "I'm right here, you know."
"So you are. Question is, why?"
Lindsey just laid there peering up at the two of them. His sources had told him all kinds of things about these two girls that his mind refused to wrap around. What they had fought. Who they really were. Who they really ran with. How good the two of them really were. Good guys. White hats and all. And all he could do was lay there in his black villian's cape because he'd made his choice and it was way too late for him.
"Earth to law boy. Come in, Lindsey." Cordelia was snapping her fingers at him.
Willow leaned down next to him and the scent of apple blossom hit him full force. He also got a little lavender in there. "Maybe he hit his head, Cordelia. Let's put him on his feet, ok?"
"Or not."
"Cordelia."
"Willow, he's the bad guy."
"If he's so bad, why did he rush in here playing the hero just now?" Lindsey was wishing he knew the answer to that one himself.
"Because he's sneaky like that." Willow glared at her. "Ok, fine." Cordelia bent down and helped Willow pull him to his feet.
"Oh no." Willow touched her hand to Lindsey's temple. "You're bleeding."
"Good. Maybe he'll bleed to death."
"Cordelia!"
"Fine. We can take him home and clean him up, but YOU are explaining to Angel why we're patching up one of Satan's lawyers, got it?"
"I have no problem with that."
"DON'T YOU TAKE THAT TONE WITH ME, WILLOW!"
"YOU DON'T HAVE TO YELL, ANGEL! I'M NOT DEAF!"
Everyone looked from one to the other. They'd been going at it for a solid ten minutes. Willow had been pretty mad about the knot on Tara's head. Angel had been pretty mad about Willow and Cordelia pulling Lindsey McDonald into the apartment. They gotten an 'Oh shit.' from Gunn, and a 'What the devil are you doing with him?' from Wesley. Angel had growled. He'd also refused to let any of them leave the room. He'd been about to pitch Lindsey back out the door when Willow blocked his path. Now they were having some sort of a bizarre stand-off.
Cordelia looked at the lawyer out of the corner of her eye. He looked like he was in pain. She got up and headed for the kitchen.
"Where are you going?"
"Look, Angel. He's bleeding, and I won't have blood on my sofa. I'm going to clean him up if you don't mind."
"And if I do mind?"
"Look, don't get all growly with me, mister. We're here to help people, and technically, he's people. Barely, I know, but still. If you can keep Faith in your bed, I think I can dab at his cut on my couch."
She stalked into the kitchen. Willow continued to glare at Angel. He continued to glare back.
"Well, on that note, I think I'm 'bout outta here. See you guys later." Gunn darted out the door before anyone could stop him.
Cordelia walked back in with her first aid supplies. "What was that?"
"Mr. Gunn made his escape, which I'm considering myself." Wesley said as he got up and walked to the guest room.
"Tara, if you're tired, you can take my bed until those two are done with their staring contest."
"Thank y-you."
"And Dennis won't bother you. Right Dennis?" The lights flickered.
Tara got up and walked to Cordelia's bedroom. Cordelia sat next to Lindsey on the couch. He winced when she started dabbing at his cut with a wet cloth. It stung. He tried to move away. She grabbed his shoulder.
"Hold still, you big baby."
"Thank you."
"For calling you a baby? Oh, anytime."
"No, for saving my life."
"Oh please."
"What?"
"Don't even start. I'm not gonna fall for it, ok?"
"Fall for what?"
"Your-" She cut her self off with a gasp. Angel and Willow turned to them.
"Cordelia?"
She moaned and pitched herself onto the floor. Lindsey dropped down beside her. Her eyes were open, but she wasn't seeing anything in front of her. He put his hand to her face. She clamped hers over his and closed her eyes in pain. Angel was on the other side of him. He took her other hand. Willow wrapped her tiny hand around both of theirs.
"Cordelia?"
Her eyes flew open. "Angel?"
"I'm right here."
She looked at the three faces looking down at her. She felt Lindsey try to pull his hand away. She tightened her grip on it. A strange look passed over his face when she did.
"Want me to get you some aspirin?" Willow asked.
"Yes, please."
"What did you see?"
Cordelia looked at Lindsey. "Him."
"Are you sure this is it?"
"Yes, I'm sure. Knock please. It was the address in Willow's book."
"I feel stupid." He knocked on the door.
"Well, if it's any consolation, you look stupid from here."
"Thank you."
"Anytime, soldierboy."
"What?" Angel was gaping. He knew it. He couldn't help it.
Cordelia looked at Lindsey. "You're in danger."
Someone knocked at the door.
"Are you expecting company?" Angel stroked the side of Cordelia's face.
"No."
Angel got up and went to the door. Willow followed. Cordelia sat up. She let go of Lindsey's hand. He was amazed at the emptiness that washed over him when she did. She pulled herself onto the sofa and patted the cushion next to her.
"Now, where were we?" She started to bandage the cut. "Oh yes. I'm not gonna fall for your big sad puppy eyed charm guy routine."
"My what?"
"Your little act to get me to trust you because you're so charming and sad looking. Not gonna work. I've both been there and done that. Literally."
"It's no act. I am charming."
"Cute. Very cute."
"I get the feeling you don't like me."
"You're getting the right feeling then."
"So what did you see?" He moved a piece of hair off her forehead. His hand lingered on the side of her face.
"Short version? You. Dead."
Angel flung open the door a was greeted with a strange sight. There was a big guy on the other side with a book tucked under one arm and a rat perched on his shoulder.
"Graham?" Willow said. "What are you doing here..... with Amy?"
"The weirdest thing is going on, Willow. Can we come in?" He was almost shaking.
"Sure."
He shuffled in. Angel and Willow followed. When they got back into the living room Lindsey and Cordelia were just staring at each other. His hand was on the side of her face. Not moving. Not talking. Just staring. Angel growled. Graham turned.
"You're not human."
"So?"
Willow immediately jumped in between them. "No. Absolutely not. You WILL NOT do this. I'm not as strong as Buffy. I may not be able to put either of you in the hospital, but you try it, and you will be sorry."
"Try what? What's going on? Who's he?" Cordelia asked.
"Uh, Graham kinda didn't know Angel was a vampire."
"Graham?" Cordelia stood up.
"That's him?! That's the guy?! That's Angel?!"
"You wouldn't be a friend of Riley's by any chance?" Angel stepped closer. He had a very ominous look on his face.
"STOP!" Willow shoved them apart.
Amy sqeaked and nearly fell off Graham's shoulder. "Whoa!" He grabbed her. "You ok, ratgirl?"
"Fuck you." She snarled.
"I'm not into beastiality."
Willow, Angel, Cordelia, and Lindsey stared. He was talking to the rat.
"Um, Graham, were you just talking to Amy?" Willow had that look on her face.
"Yeah."
"And you went crazy when?"
"No, I can understand her. That's the weird. You know you brought her over for me to watch while you and Tara were out of town and I kept hearing this voice and I thought I was crazy but then I figured out it was Amy and we decided to come here because she knows how to reverse the spell and she's so tired of being a rat and did I mention how creepy and weird this is?"
"I think that's the most I've heard you say ever."
"Can you do it? It's kind of a pain in the ass. She talks a lot. She's driving me cra- OUCH!" The Amy rat had bitten his ear.
"Sure, I guess, but no glaring at Angel. He's a good vampire."
"Like Spike?" Graham sneered.
"Spike doesn't count. He's in his own category of evil. I'm gonna get Tara. Be nice." Willow headed for the bedroom.
Angel turned to Cordelia. "So Lindsey's in danger? I say we ignore this vision."
"And thank you for airing our dirty laundry in front of an almost stranger. But since you strted it, I'd like to take this time to remind you of Faith. What was it you said? We're not in the business of giving up on people? We can't just arbitrarily decide whose soul is worth saving and whose isn't? If we can help psycho killer girl, we can certainly help evil lawyer guy."
"Fine. But don't come crying to me when you have to cut off his other hand." Angel stormed out of the apartment.
"Well." Willow was standing there with Tara who looked like she was still asleep. "What do you say we finally take care of a certain girl's ratty condition. Then we deal with the impending problems of Mr. Lindsey."
"Why?" Lindsey was confused. They all looked at him.
"Amy doesn't like being a rat." Willow answered. Lindsey quirked an eyebrow at her. "Oh."
"Didn't you learn anything researching us? We're little helpers on the side of good. It's what we do. We help those in need, and like it or not, you need us." Cordelia smiled at him, and Lindsey suddenly knew he was getting a second chance. He needed to make the right choice this time. His life just might depend on it.
"YES!" She was quite naked and she started dancing.
"Um, Amy?"
She just kept dancing, her dark brown hair swaying evey which way. Lindsey's jaw had dropped the instant she seemed to materialize from nothing. And wearing nothing. If anyone had told him a week ago he'd be sitting in his enemy's living room watching a naked girl dance, he would have, well, he didn't know what he would have done, but he sure wouldn't have believed it.
Graham eyes were following her every movement. Who knew Amy the rat was so hot? She'd been annoying as hell ever since he'd been able to hear her. He just couldn't believe she was dancing around the room naked, but he supposed he'd do that too if he'd been trapped in a rat's body for over a year.
Cordelia tossed a blanket over her. Amy tucked it around her like a toga. She kept dancing. Suddenly, the radio clicked on.
Cordelia scowled. "Dennis."
"H-he just figured she might want some music to go with her celebration dance." Tara added.
"Who's Dennis? I meant to ask earlier, but in all the drama, I forgot." Lindsey asked.
"He's my ghost."
"Your what?"
Amy pulled Graham up and tried to get him to dance with her. He just glared. Amy spun around with her arms in the air.
"When did Amy become a full-on Drusilla-like loony?" Cordelia asked. "Because I sure don't remember her being this loopy in high school. The dancing's way creepy."
Amy threw back her head and screamed in pleasure. Two seconds later the door got kicked in.
To be continued...
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