Go TeamC/A
Title: Scary Monsters
Author: Liam
Posted at GT: 14-Jan 05
Rating: R
Category: Crossover with Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Content: C/A
Summary: When a series of bizarre murders occur in Sunnydale, Angel doesn't pay much attention. But when the wrong person is attacked, Angel rushes into action.
Spoilers:
Disclaimer: The characters in the Angelverse were created by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.
Distribution: just ask
Notes:
Thanks/Dedication:To my math teacher, MissKitieFantasticoI hope my new equation is to your liking.
Feedback:
Teaser“Do we need to kill this one?”
The man turned to his companion. She was standing above a young woman lying on the ground. “No, Jordan, we don't need to kill that one. She needs to be alive.” Jordan sighed in relief.
“That's good,” Jordan said. “I don't like that we have to kill so many people.”
Joshua finished slicing his victim's chest open with his knife. He began to pull out some of the young man's intestines from his gut and tossed them about the alley. “I know, Jordy, but some people need to die. They have to if we want to get his attention. But we will only hurt that one, okay?” Jordan nodded her agreement. She didn't like killing, but Joshua was right. Some needed to die if they wanted his attention.
Joshua finally found the end of the small intestine. He looked above him and tossed the intestine up and around a fire escape stairwell. He then wrapped a section of the boy's intestine around his neck, and grabbing the end, hoisted the kid up. A nice little noose. Joshua then tied the end of the intestine to a dumpster so that the boy stayed hanging.
“Jordy, you got that paintbrush?” Joshua asked.
Jordan reached around and pulled a paintbrush from her back pocket. Joshua took the item and stuck it in the boy's gut until it was soaked in blood. He found a clean section of wall and began to paint his message. After a minute, he smiled in satisfaction. That should get his attention.
“Can we go now, Joshua?” Jordan asked. “I'm hungry.”
“Yes we can,” Joshua informed her. “We just have one quick thing to do first.” He tossed the paintbrush aside and led Jordan out of the alley. Even though it was nine in the evening, there was heavy activity along the street. He cleared his throat before he shouted.
“Someone call 9-1-1! There's somebody dead in here!” That got everyone's attention. Dozens rushed towards the alleyway entrance and stood shocked at the sight before them. Joshua and Jordan slipped through the awestruck crowd hand in hand.
In the alley, Cordelia Chase roused from unconsciousness to see the body of her disemboweled cousin hanging limply above her. And behind him, written in blood on the wall was a short phrase.
LIAM
Cordelia slipped back into the darkness.
I AM CALLING YOU OUT
Part 1“There was another one?” Willow cringed.
Giles set aside his book and proceeded to wipe his glasses. The group was all gathered at the Magic Box. Word had quickly spread through town about the vicious disembowelment. It was the sixth murder in the past two weeks. But it seems this one had several key differences.
“Yes,” Giles said. “A young man named Peter Marks. He was sliced open and then hung from a fire escape, his small intestine used for a noose. Quite brutal from all accounts.”
“But this one is different,” Buffy observed.
“Absolutely. It seems that the woman wasn't killed. The police haven't released her name. Also, the message the police found seems to have contained a name. Plus the obvious fact this murder didn't take place in someone's home. It seems the only reason the police know it is connected is because of the matching handwriting. As it is, I have Spike doing some legwork as we speak. Hopefully he can rustle up some specifics.”
“Spike?” Xander asked. “Yeah, that's a guy whose info you want to trust.” The gang just stared at him for a moment. “What?” he defended. “I'm not the only one thinking it.”
True, Buffy thought. “Do we have any idea who is behind all this?”
“After reading dozens of Watcher Diaries, demonology manuals, black arts rituals, and other paranormal volumes, I can safely say nope.” Giles took a long sip from his cup of coffee. He didn't like being stumped, and right now, he was stumped.***
Spike pushed away the sewer grate and jumped up into the alley. He breathed a sigh of relief that the alley was cloaked in shadows. The last thing he wanted was to become a crispy critter.
His demon senses immediately began to tune into his surroundings. Sight, smell, and hearing all went into overtime. His nose was twitching at the vaguely familiar smell that permeated the alley. No, not the scent of urine. He'd caused plenty of victims to piss themselves before he killed them. This was human.
Spike shrugged the sensation off. He stepped underneath the fire escape. The smell of bowel was still highly prevalent. He then noticed the message.
“Liam?” That was Angelus' name. Suddenly that vaguely familiar scent came back to the front of his mind. He needed to get to the hospital. He had to see who this mystery woman was.***
Spike hated hospitals with a vengeance. To a human, scent was only a minor part of their existence. But to a vampire, scent was not only a major part of their life, it was also a great comfort. And hospitals, yuck, hospitals didn't have a smell. Unless you counted antiseptic and bleach as a smell. It was all so…sterile. And Spike didn't like that.
The vampire tried to be inconspicuous as he attempted to find out where the mystery girl was located. However, a pale-faced man in a black leather duster and bleach blonde hair could hardly blend in. The ICU desk worker was giving him strange looks. She was about to get up and confront him when Spike caught a lucky break. Her phone rang.
Shameful, Spike thought, to use company time to talk to your boyfriend. Oh well, he'd make the most of it. He silently crossed over to the wall where patient clipboards hung. Nope, nope, nope. He flipped though the clipboards, trying to find a familiar name. Nope, nope, Jane Doe? Possible. Nope, nope, nope. Looks like Jane Doe might be his best bet.
Spike replaced the clipboard just as the desk worker hung up the phone. When the young woman looked up, Spike was long gone.
Spike was only vaguely surprised to find Cordelia Chase resting in one of the hospital's overly hard beds. Her eyes were closed. Sensors were attached to her head and chest. She looked so small and fragile. She also looked like she had gotten the shit knocked out of her.
He entered the room quietly and stood beside the bed. Spike brushed back a few strands of her hair. Did Angel know she was here? No, he mustn't. Otherwise he would probably be camped out in the corner chair.
“Excuse me?” Spike turned to find a nurse standing in the doorway. “What the hell are you doing?” She looked ready to sick security on him. “Nobody should be in here. I'm going to have to ask you to leave.”
“Sorry love,” Spike apologized. “I just wanted to see how she was. I know this girl.”
The nurse's eyes widened at that. “You do? What is her name? She didn't have any identification on her.”
“Cordelia Chase. She's originally from here. Been in LA the past few years.”
“Does she have any family in town?”
Spike shrugged his shoulders. He didn't have a clue. “But there is someone in Los Angeles who would like to know she's okay. She is okay, isn't she?”
“She's been unconscious for the most part since she was brought in,” the nurse answered. “She's woken a couple times for short periods, but her body and mind is trying to heal. By the way, this person you're talking about, is it a husband or boyfriend.”
Spike shrugged his shoulder again. “With this guy, who knows? Listen, do you have a phone around here?”
“Use the phone at the front desk. And thank you for coming by. We were wondering who this poor girl was.”
Spike smiled slightly at the nurse and exited the room. When he asked to use the desk phone, the woman stared at him skeptically for a few moments until the nurse assured her it was okay. The vampire took the phone and dialed '0'.
“Hello, operator? Yes, I need you to look up a number for me. Los Angeles. Hyperion Hotel. Angel Investigations. Yeah, can you dial that for me? Thanks.” The phone only rang twice before a chipper woman answered.
“Angel Investigations,” Fred answered. “We help the helpless.”
“Yeah,” Spike drawled. “You wouldn't happen to be missing a brunette girl would you?”
“Cordelia is away visiting relatives, if that's who you are referring to. And as for me, well, I'm right here, but you probably knew that considering you dialed this number and I'm the one who answered and all.”
Spike sighed heavily. Angel really needed to hire better receptionists. “Yeah, well, tell Angel his girl is in a Sunnydale hospital unconscious. He might want to fetch her.” He nearly dropped the phone when the girl yelled out for Angel. “Whatever Angel pays you, it isn't enough.” He hung up the phone just as Angel yanked the receiver from Fred's hand.
“Hello?” Angel spoke. He heard nothing but dial tone.***
Gunn and Fred watched as Angel tossed a bag into his convertible. Gunn handed the vampire a cooler full of blood packets. Angel promptly loaded that up, then took the sword and hurling axe Fred held. It was only after Angel had all his supplies loaded that Gunn finally asked the big question.
“You sure you don't want us coming along?”
“Yup.” Angel patted his pockets trying to find his car keys. Fred reached into her side pocket and pulled them out. Angel caught them easily. “Somebody needs to hold the fort. Besides, I'm the only son of a bitch that gets to kill the cocksucker that laid a hand on Cordelia.”
“I don't mean to sound snooty or anything,” Fred interrupted, “but maybe you should learn to channel your anger into something positive. Perhaps you could internalize that anger and use it creatively. Perhaps by painting or sculpture.”
Gunn and Angel just stared at her. “You've been reading too many self-help books,” Gunn informed her.
Fred looked away in embarrassment. “Just because I want to maximize my potential.” She turned back to Angel and smiled. “Have a nice trip. Try not to kill too many people.”
“Uh, okay.” Angel stepped around to the passenger seat and hopped in. He fired up the engine, popped the clutch, and shifted into drive. “Take care. You know where I'm at if you need me.”
“Likewise.” The pair watched as Angel drove off into the overcast afternoon.
“You think he'll be okay?” Fred asked.
“Yup. He's Angel.”
“You think he'll kill whoever hurt Cordelia?”
“Yup. He's Angel.”***
“The woman is Cordelia Chase?” an astonished Giles asked.
“Yup.”
“And you called Angel?” Buffy shouted. “What the hell is wrong with you? We don't need him here. We can handle this.”
“News flash love. It's been two weeks and the situation has yet to be handled. Besides, don't you think calling Angel was the right thing? Don't you think Angel might be concerned?”
“Over Cordelia?” Xander asked. “Doubtful. There's only one person he ever cared about.”
“Xander, that's not fair,” Dawn admonished. “Just because she rightfully dumped you doesn't mean you have the right to be a meanie.”
“Yeah, well, I still think it was right,” Spike defended. “Anyway, if Angel has even an iota of feelings for the girl, he'll come down here, hunt down whatever demon or other nasty hurt her, and he'll kill it.” Spike snorted loudly and moved to light a cigarette before realizing how close to Dawn he was. “Plus, just because you're not anxious to see your ex-lovey doesn't mean the Poof can't help.”
“Okay, since when have you defended Angel?” Willow asked. “It's okay, I mean, cause Angel's a nice guy when he's not all broody or homicidal.” Her nose crinkled as she considered her statement. ““I'm not so sure now, because I don't think I've seen him any other way.”
The sound of knocking at the Summers' front door interrupted any further conversation. Dawn was the one who got up to answer.
“Angel?”
The vampire stood there and shifted about anxiously. “It helps when I'm invited in.”
“Oh, yeah, come in.”
Angel pushed past Dawn and strode into the living room. To the shock of everyone he immediately confronted Spike, ignoring all of them including Buffy. To his grandchilde he asked a simple question.
“Where is she?”
Part 2“Where is she?” Angel demanded.
“Hello Angelus,” Spike greeted. “How are you?” A sharp uppercut to the belly sent him sprawling to the floor gasping for air that he didn't need. “Still got a temper when it comes to your women, eh?”
“Angel!” Buffy shot up from her seat. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Angel didn't even acknowledge her presence. “Simple question, my boy. But then, you never were my brightest childe. Cordelia. You called our office with information. You will tell me where she is, or my bitch slapping hand goes into overdrive on your candy ass.” Angel moved to strike him again when Spike sputtered out his answer.
“Sunnydale General. Intensive Care Unit. Room 583. That's where she is.” Spike was actually shaking in fear at his grandsire's presence. This wasn't the souled Poof, nor was it the Angelus that tried to suck the world into hell. This was a demon that was seriously pissed off that someone he cared for might be hurting.
Angel delivered a vicious kick to Spike's gut on general principle. He then glanced at the awestruck crowd. “Sorry for the outburst,” he apologized. Before another word could be said he turned and left.
The silence was broken as Xander began to laugh. “Spike got his ass punked out!”
Spike climbed to his feet as he clutched his chest. “Yeah, I did,” he agreed. Xander immediately ceased to laugh. It was no fun insulting a guy when the moron agreed to the insult.
Buffy strode past all of them and grabbed her coat. She turned back expectantly to Xander. “Well? Get up and come on. You're the one with a car. Let's go after him.” Her tone left no room for argument.***
Angel nearly tore the ICU's swinging doors off hinge as he busted into the area. He grabbed the first person with an ID tag that he could find. That happened to be a young brunette nurse.
“Which way is room 583?”
“Sir,” the nurse shouted. “You can't just barge in here.” The look he gave clearly expressed that he didn't give a fuck. “Sir, if you do not calm down I will be forced to call security.”
“Cordelia Chase,” Angel growled. “I am here to see her.”
“Are you family?”
“I'm her boyfriend. Now which way is room 583?” Angel leveled this insolent nurse with his best death glare. The woman easily cracked and gave under the stare.
“This way.” Angel followed the nurse around a corner to the room containing his love. He was horrified by what he saw.
Bruises marred her beautiful face. She had a pair of black eyes and a busted nose. Angry cuts and bruises covered her bare arms. Sensors were attached to her head and chest. An inaudible growl emanated from his chest. His baby was hurt. He didn't like it when his baby was hurt.
“What happened?”
The nurse could clearly see the pain and anger in the man's eyes. He wanted to hurt whoever did this. “She was beat up pretty bad. She was found in an alley. She's been in and out of consciousness since coming in. Another body was found, a young man named Peter Marks…”
“Her cousin,” Angel supplied. “Do the police have any idea who it was?”
“No sir, they don't.”
Angel continued to gaze at his baby. “I'm going in there, and I don't wish to be disturbed unless absolutely necessary.” The nurse wasn't about to argue with a man who looked like he could literally rip someone's head off.
“Would you like a blanket?”
Angel looked down at the nurse and smiled slightly. He truly appreciated the concern. “No, thank you. And I'm sorry about the door thing. That was inappropriate of me.”
The nurse smiled back. “It's no big deal. Shows that you care. Listen, my name is Deanna. If you need something, come get me.”
“I'm Angel. Thank you again.”
Deanna excused herself so that she could make rounds. Angel turned his entire focus back on Cordelia. Quietly and carefully he crossed over to the bed and slid in next to her. He gently took one of Cordelia's hands in his own. An IV was stuck in it. Angel began to cry softly as he brushed back the hair from Cordelia's battered face.
“I'm so sorry, Cor. I don't like seeing you hurt. It scares me when you get hurt. It makes me feel like I failed you. And I don't want to ever fail you.” He stroked her cheek. “I'm going to hurt whoever did this to you. Demon, human, or otherwise. They are going to regret ever touching you.”
He curled his body around Cordelia, mindful not to touch any bruises. He inhaled the soft scent that was distinctly her. It comforted him somewhat. But it didn't reduce the murderous anger that wrapped around his heart. He drifted off into a fitful sleep, clutching Cordelia as if she were his teddy bear.
Outside the room, Buffy, Xander, Giles, and Willow watched in astonishment.***
A slight jostling of his shoulder roused Angel from his sleep. He hesitantly opened his eyes and found Deanna standing above him.
“It's morning, Angel,” she greeted. “I need you to get up for a bit. We like to change the patient's sheets around this time.”
Angel groaned as he stretched his taut muscles. He slowly slid from the bed and continued to stretch. A sudden question occurred to him. “I can't use my cell phone in here, can I?”
“No. We don't allow electronic devices near the medical equipment.”
Angel nodded. He expected that. “Anyplace in the building where I can make a call and get some coffee. Our friends back in LA would love to know how she is.”
“Sure. Head out of the ICU and take a right. There will be a lobby with a couple coffeemakers. I wouldn't suggest drinking it though. Hazardous to the health. But if your car bumper is rusted, then you got yourself a great solvent.” Angel and Deanna both laughed at the joke. “Go make your call. Maybe by the time you get back I'll be done.”
Deanna began to pull sheets from the closet as Angel left the room chuckling. He followed her instructions and made his way into the thankfully windowless lobby. He was about to pull out his cell phone when he saw Buffy and company asleep in the hard plastic chairs. Seeing it was just him and the Scoobies, Angel grinned evilly and silently approached the foursome.
“BUFFY! VAMPIRES!”
All four literally jumped a foot into the air and crashed to the floor. It took the tangled heap of bodies a couple minutes to disentangle themselves. They watched dumbfounded as Angel doubled over with laughter. For a fleeting moment, Buffy thought he might actually hurt himself since he was laughing so hard.
“Since when does talk, dark, and dead laugh?” Xander asked.
“It wasn't that funny,” Giles murmured, although he was intrigued at Angel's newfound sense of humor.
“It was kind of funny,” Willow thought. “To someone other than us.”
Buffy, however, wasn't in such a good mood. “Angel! What the hell do you think you're doing?”
Angel could barely talk he was laughing so violently. “Laughing…my…ass…off,” he finally gasped. “You…shoulda…seen…your face! It was like the MasterCard commercials. Priceless!”
Buffy still wasn't amused. This was not Angel. She whipped a stake from her back pocket and tried to press it to his chest. Angel saw it coming. He grabbed her wrist and chopped at the nerve in her right shoulder. The stake dropped to the floor due to the momentary loss of motor function.
“Now that's not nice,” Angel admonished.
“You're Angelus,” Buffy insisted. “Angel doesn't act like this.”
“How would you know?” he asked in an amused voice. “Because I'm not acting like a whipped pup? Maybe I've grown as a person.” He cut Xander off before he could say it. “Figuratively speaking of course. Now if you'll excuse me a moment, I'm going to get some nasty coffee and make a phone call.”
Angel released his grip on Buffy and went over and poured some coffee. He took a sip and cringed. “Sugar.” He poured a couple packets of 'Sweet and Low' in and tasted again. It was adequate. Angel then pulled out his cell phone and hit speed dial two.
“Cell phone?” Xander asked. “For an 18th century dude, he's doing all right in the 21st.”
The answering machine clicked on. “Okay, I guess you guys are out of the office. I'm at the hospital. Cordelia is pretty banged up. Call me whenever. Oh, I can't use my cell in her room, so leave a message on voicemail. It's okay, I finally figured out how to use it. You have to hit the button with the little envelope on it. So call me when you get this. Bye.”
He flipped his cell phone shut and rejoined the still awestruck group. “I want to know everything about her attack.”
“Very well,” Giles answered. “We have most of the information at the Magic Box.”
“Okay. I'll meet you guys there. I just want to say goodbye to Cordy first.” Angel wheeled around and jogged out of the room. He wanted to make sure his girl would be okay.
“It was easier when he was broody and Buffy obsessed,” Xander observed. “At least then he was predictable.”
Part 3“Mommy?”
The small blonde child cried softly. “Mommy? Wake up. Please Mommy.” The child stepped hesitantly towards her mother. The woman was lying prone on the bed as blood seeped from a vicious cut across her neck. Vacant blue eyes stared at the ceiling.
“Mommy!” the child cried louder. “Please Mommy! Wake up!” The little girl clutched at her mother's cold hand.
“Jordy,” a small voice called from behind her. A small brown haired boy stood there. He looked slightly older than the girl.
“Joshua,” she cried. “Why won't mommy wake up?”
Joshua approached Jordan slowly, his face showing his attempt to be stoic. “I don't think mom is going to wake up.” Jordan clung to her brother fiercely. Joshua just stood there as he continued to stare at their mother.
A loud crash sounded in the living room. Joshua shooed his sister into the closet and shut the door. Moments later, the intruder entered the bedroom. The little boy stared bravely, but the quiver in his voice betrayed his true emotions.
“Why?” he shouted. “Why did you do it?”
Jordan shot awake. She was trembling violently and tears flowed down her face. In moments Joshua was by her side to wrap her in his arms.
“Ssh,” he soothed. “It's okay Jordy.” His baby sister held onto him tightly, refusing to let go.
“I had the dream again,” she sniffled. “The one where we found mommy. When we found her…” Jordan couldn't even say the word.
“I know, Jordy, I have it too. I want you to look at me.” Joshua tilted her head up so that she was forced to look in his eyes. “I promise you. We will have our revenge. We will pay him suffer what he did to us and to our mother. I promise you.”
Jordan smiled softly and buried her head in his chest. “I know, Joshua. You always keep your promises.” Joshua stroked her hair softly, urging her to fall back asleep. He continued to hold on long after she did.***
Angel stared intently at the newspaper clippings and printouts. These were some incredibly vicious killings. The first five all had their throats slit in their homes. This final one was an absolute anomaly. It was completely different from the others.
“Angel?”
The vampire looked up from the papers to find the group staring at him. Slightly unnerved, he directed his focus on Giles. “Yeah?”
“Why was Cordelia in Sunnydale? And who is this man she was with?”
“Peter Marks is…was…her cousin. He was about the only relative that she could actually stand. He was a graduate student at the University of Missouri. He was in town on break. Cordelia decided to visit.” He turned his focus back on the papers. “These are very strange.”
“Indeed,” Giles agreed. “In the past two weeks, five women have been found dead in their homes with throats cut and lying in bed. As I'm sure you have read, the only connection with this last killing was the handwriting. I've researched every volume of demon methodology I have and cannot determine what is doing this.”
“What about these messages?” Angel asked.
Willow began to furiously type away on her laptop. She pulled up several files and turned the screen around for Angel to focus on. “I managed to hack into the police database and found photos.”
“Seems the last message really struck home, eh mate?” Spike asked. Angel ignored his grandchilde. Buffy didn't.
“It doesn't say anything about Angel,” she stated.
“No,” Angel said quietly. “But it does say Liam.” All but Spike looked at him in puzzlement. “I haven't used that name in several centuries. Not since I was human.” He glanced at the computer screen. “They all say about the same thing. Somebody blames me for something.”
“Really?” Xander drawled. “Strange. I've never known you to do anything wrong.”
“Suck me, Xander,” Angel snapped. “I'm trying to figure out who hurt Cordelia. If you want to be a little dick, just test my resolve a little bit further and see where it gets you.”
“Now that is it!” Buffy shouted. “You have been acting bizarre ever since you arrived here. What the hell is wrong with you?”
Angel's temper was being severely tested. He didn't need nor want to deal with Buffy and her group, but circumstances warranted it. Through clenched teeth he said, “Somebody that I care for very much is hurt. I just want to find whomever or whatever did it, and I want to kill them. Now I suggest you stop riding my ass, Slayer, or you will find that I can get extremely unpleasant.”
“Listen, I don't…” Giles shot a look towards Buffy that immediately silenced her.
“Buffy, may I speak with you a moment in private?” Buffy wanted to argue but Giles literally jerked her from the seat and dragged her to the back room. As soon as the door closed he snapped at her. “What the hell are you doing, Buffy?”
“What am I doing?” she answered incredulously. “What the hell is Angel doing? He's acting totally insane! You and I both know Angel, and that is not the way he acts! He is acting like a nut cake over Cordelia!”
“That is not our cause to question!” Giles said harshly. “Yes, it is true that Angel is acting bizarre from our perspective, but how many times in the past four years have we seen him? Who knows how he has changed since his days in Sunnydale?”
Buffy stared at him as if he had grown a second head. “Giles, please. For one hundred years he was a brooding and morose vampire. The only thing four years with Cordelia might change is adding insane to the list. Oh wait, it already has been added.”
“You're not understanding what I am saying,” Giles sighed. “Angel seems very protective of Cordelia. Like you were here in Sunnydale, Cordelia is the main woman in his life in Los Angeles. It only seems natural that he might transfer those protective impulses to her.”
“Good save, because for a minute there I thought you might say Angel actually had feelings for her.” She didn't notice the slightly nervous look that came to his face. The thought had occurred to him.
“All I am asking is that you behave yourself. Don't press him. This seems incredibly important to Angel, so leave him be. Keep any and all inappropriate comments to yourself. I don't want him distancing himself from us. I could really use his perspective on this case, because frankly, I am out of ideas.”
Buffy considered his words. She didn't like it, she didn't like it one bit. One thing that always comforted her about Angel was that he was predictable. But this Angel certainly wasn't predictable. He was openly hostile to her and the group, and seemingly ferocious in his protection of Cordelia. But still, she figured she better listen to Giles.
“Fine, I'll play nice, but this still isn't normal.”
“I totally agree, but again, who knows how he has adapted to the circumstances of the past few years. Just be careful what you say around him.”
Buffy once more nodded her agreement. The pair exited the backroom and rejoined the table. Angel growled inaudibly when Buffy sat down. Vampire hearing truly was amazing. He did not like at all how Buffy spoke of Cordelia back there. He would let it slide for the moment.
“You can cancel vampires off your list of possible suspects,” Angel spoke. “The first five murders occurred in peoples homes, which means an invite is needed. Convincing a person to invite them inside has never been a modus operandi for vampires.”
“The women all had children,” Giles reminded. “Isn't it possible that a child invited them inside?”
“In Sunnydale?” Angel quipped. “Not bloody likely. Some other place maybe, but with all the scary monsters in this town, people will teach their children to be extra paranoid. That means they don't take candy from strangers, nor do they take rides from them, and most importantly, they don't invite them inside.”
“My parents never took any extra precautions with me,” Xander stated.
“Maybe they wanted you to take a ride with a stranger,” Spike observed. The grunting coming from Angel's direction sounded distinctly like someone trying to keep from laughing.
“Bite me, Spike!”
“Would if I could, mate.”
“And we will get back to the discussion at hand,” Buffy warned.
“The bodies weren't mutilated,” Angel continued, a trace of laughter still in his voice. “All very simple. Slit throat. No organs missing. No symbols. No magical residue. Nothing. If a demon kills, they do it for a reason. Hunger, sacrifice, rage.”
“Big help,” Buffy muttered.
Angel shut the folder and gave Buffy a cold look. “I'm going to the hospital for a bit. If you want, I can come by tonight and we can hit the streets. Maybe something will come up.”
Spike reached behind the counter and grabbed a thick blanket. He tossed it to Angel and said, “There you are, Angelus. Wouldn't want your chit to wake up and find out her vamp dusted himself.”
Angel caught the blanket and glared at Spike a moment. His gaze softened somewhat as he said thanks. Without another look, Angel wrapped the blanket around his head as he sprinted out the door to his car.***
“Deanna,” Angel called as he entered the ICU. The lovely young nurse turned and smiled at him. “How's my girl doing?”
“Just fine. Oh, and Cordelia is doing better as well.” Angel chuckled at her light flirtation. “She woke up a couple times while you were away. Not long, just a few minutes.”
“But that's something,” Angel said excitedly. The nurse nodded in agreement. “Can I see her?”
“Of course. You've got free reign.”
Angel smiled at Deanna as he trotted to Cordelia's room. Carefully he crossed over to the window and closed the blinds. Like Spike said, it wouldn't do to turn himself into dust. He then stepped over to the bed and stroked her hair. He was slightly shocked when she opened her eyes.
“Angel?” she whispered.
“I'm here, baby.” He leaned down and gently kissed her forehead. “How's my girl doing?”
“Hurt,” Cordelia moaned softly. “Peter. God.” Tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. Soon after, Angel felt tears slipping down his cheek.
“I'm so sorry, Cordelia. I promise you, I will find who did it.”
“Two,” she whispered.
Angel frowned in confusion. “Two what, baby?”'
“Killers.”
Angel gazed at her intently. Two killers? “Two demons killed Peter?”
Angel almost missed the slight shaking of her head. “No. Human.”
The vampire continued to gaze at her. There was absolutely no shock with that confession. Angel had basically reached that conclusion at the Magic Box. Everything about the case screamed towards a human culprit. It was the two that surprised him.
“Stay? Please?” Cordelia asked. Angel simply nodded, and once again, he slipped gently into the bed next to her. “Sing?” Angel smiled as he kissed her cheek. He obliged and began to sing softly.
“I find myself in a strange situation
and I don't know how.
What seemed to be an infatuation
is so different now. I can't get by if we're not together.
Oh, can't you see?
Girl, I want you now and forever
Close to me.”
Part 4“I can't possibly thank you enough,” the tall blonde said. “You done so much for me, and you haven't asked for anything in return. So I'm going to make you a deal. I'm offering a place for you to stay.” She raised her hands when he tried to object. “No, I insist. You said you don't have a place. I want to thank you by offering our home.”
Angel smiled slightly. “Thank you, Lana. You just seemed to be having some difficulties, so I thought I could help. With your job and divorce and all, it looked like you needed a break. And I do appreciate you letting me stay here. It's certainly better than the alternative.”
Lana returned the smile and leaned across the kitchen counter. “You gotta tell me something,” she whispered conspiratorially. “Your name isn't really Angel, is it? I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if it were, but it almost seems too good to be true.”
Angel actually blushed at the compliment. “No, my name is Liam. Angel was…is…a bad joke that stuck.”
A small brown haired boy stared in awe at the stranger. He was so big and strong looking. His smile wasn't near as mean looking as daddy's. “Mommy?” The boy stepped hesitantly into the kitchen.
“Hi Sweetie Bear!” Lana held out her arms to the child. He lost all reservation and sprinted into his mother's embrace. She lifted him up to her chest. “Ooh, you're almost too heavy for me to lift up, Joshua.” The boy continued to stare wide eyed at the stranger.
“Who are you?” he asked. “And how come you got long hair? I thought only girls had long hair.”
“Joshua!” Lana admonished. “That wasn't nice.”
“It's okay,” Angel assured her. “My name is Angel. And you are Joshua. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Your mommy talks about you and Jordan all the time.”
His smile really was nice, Joshua thought. He decided then and there that he liked Liam-Angel.***
Joshua didn't know who this woman before him was. Not that it mattered. She was serving a purpose far greater than she ever could have achieved while alive. Sure, a small part of him felt guilty for killing her. No child should have to go through life without its mother. But like his own mother used to say: What is popular is not always right, and what is right is not always popular. And what he was doing was right.
Joshua folded the woman's arms across her chest and straightened out her clothes. The least he could do is make her look presentable for the cops. Joshua cast a long last look at the woman before retreating from the bedroom.
“Jordan.”
His sister was kneeling by a door as she sang lullabies into the child's bedroom. Jordan always insisted that when they first arrived at a home that they lock the child in its bedroom. She didn't want the child to see the dead body of her mommy. Jordan remembered far too well what that was like.
Joshua could hear the child whimpering softly in the bedroom. It wasn't right that she would never see mommy again. But through that woman's death, Jordan and himself would receive their justice.
“Jordan,” he called again. Jordan stopped her singing and glanced timidly at her brother. “It's time to go, Sweetie.” Jordan nodded slightly and took the hand Joshua offered her. Joshua pulled his sister into a hug and whispered into her ear. “It won't be long, Jordy. Soon we will make him pay for what he did to mom.”
Joshua guided his sister into the living room. He stopped only long enough to pick up the cordless phone and dial 9-1-1. He tossed the ringing phone aside and led Jordy outside.
Just over seven minutes later, the police found yet another dead body, and yet another small child huddled in a corner crying.***
Angel shot awake at the sound of his cell phone ringing. He quickly but reluctantly slipped from the bed next to Cordelia and stepped into the hall. He was relieved when Cordelia didn't wake. “Yes?” he spoke into his phone.
“Angel? It's Gunn. We got your message.”
“Took you long enough to call back,” Angel joked.
“Bite me, boy. How is Cordelia?”
Angel sighed heavily as he recalled all the damage inflicted on her body. “I'm not going to lie, Gunn. Cordelia really got the shit beat out of her. She bruised, she's cut, and I don't like it. But she's becoming more lucid. She seems to be spending more time awake.”
“Well that's good,” Gunn agreed. He paused a moment before speaking again. “You promise us that you're gonna get whoever did this. Make them pay in full.”
“I will,” Angel answered seriously. “Listen, Gunn, you've heard about the murders here, right?”
“The women with the cut throats? Yeah.”
“I need you to tell Fred to cross check the MO with murders around the country. Tell her to go back as far as she can.”
A beat of silence. “You think the killer is human.” Another pause. “That's not going to stop you from killing him, is it?”
“No.”
“Good. Anything else?”
“Yeah. Did the Kings play last night?”
“Beat the Maple Leafs three to one.”
“Kick ass. Listen, I'm going to go. I told everybody I'd patrol with them tonight. Maybe something will turn up.” Angel hung up the phone. He saw Deanna working at the front desk. “Hey Deanna? If Cordelia wakes up, could you tell her I went out to speak with some old friends for a bit. She'll know who I mean.”
“Sure.”
“Thanks.” Angel trotted out of the ICU. The sun was setting, so he was immediately able to go to his car and head to the Magic Box.***
Dawn and Willow waited patiently as Buffy fumbled with the keys as she tried to lock the door. Well, Willow waited patiently. Dawn paced the length of the porch. Finally, Buffy managed to get the lock to turn.
“This thing has been sticking for weeks now,” she griped.
“We can call a locksmith in the morning and get it changed,” Willow offered.
“Hey look!” Dawn called. “The new neighbors! Hey Joshua! Hey Jordan!”
Joshua ignored her as he trudged up the porch steps of the house next door. Jordan stopped and waved happily. “Hi Dawn!” she shouted back. “How are you?”
“Not bad. How are you?”
“Pretty good!” Joshua seemed to turn back and talk to his sister. Jordan looked at the ground sheepishly and skipped up the steps, waving one final time before following her brother inside.
“Is it just me, or is that a strange pair?” Buffy asked.
“Well, Joshua seems to be a bit on edge,” Willow observed.
“Jordan is real nice though,” Dawn stated. “She'll always wave and say hi.”
The trio continued to stared at the porch for a few moments longer. “We need to get to the Magic Box,” Buffy reminded them. “The patrol tonight is especially important.” The three set out to head to the shop. It was a big night, and they needed a break. Too bad they wouldn't get one.***
“Uncle! Uncle!” Jordan laughed hysterically. Angel chuckled as he continued to tickle the little girl ferociously. “Joshua! Help me!”
Lana watched in amusement as Joshua performed a flying tackle right onto Angel's back. The slight weight of the little boy didn't even faze the vampire. Angel simply reached one hand around his back and lifted Joshua by the shirt. In moments, both children were subject to one of Angel's infamous tickle attacks. Their laughter was so loud that Lana almost missed the telephone ringing.
“I'm going to get that,” she smiled. She retreated into the kitchen to retrieve the phone. As Angel continued to tickle the children, he used his demon hearing to focus in on the conversation.
“Dammit, Jeremy!” Lana hissed into the phone. “Don't do this to me! You will not get the children! You know that, I know that, and most importantly, my lawyer knows that! So don't ever call here again!” Lana hung the phone up in anger.
Angel ceased tickling the children as Lana entered the room. “Are you okay?” he asked softly.
“Yeah,” she lied. “Same old, same old.” Angel clearly didn't believe her. “He called again. He thinks that he can, well, you know.” She nodded towards the children.
“He can't,” Angel assured her. “I'll make sure of that.”***
As Angel entered the Magic Box, several stunned faces greeted him. It didn't take the proverbial rocket scientist to understand why.
“Where was the body found?” Angel asked.
“On Harrison Street,” Spike informed him. “I saw a platoon of cops cars parked on the front yard.” Spike knew the look that crossed Angel's face. He grabbed his leather duster off the counter and slipped it on. “Let's go check it out.”
Angel didn't even think twice that his once evil grandchilde was offering to go scouting with him. The soul he smelled was enough for Angel to give him the benefit of the doubt.
“You guys go patrolling,” he ordered to the rest of the group. “See if you can't dig anything up. Spike and I are going out.”
Buffy wanted to argue about Angel giving them orders, but the two vampires were gone before she could do so. “Yes, sir,” she murmured sarcastically. She glanced at the rest of the gang. “You heard the exalted leader. Let's go.”
Part 5The two vampires watched with keen interest as a black body bag was hauled out of the house on a gurney. Clinging to the shadows, Angel and Spike were able to watch the scene before them without drawing unwanted attention. They watched as an old woman pulled up in a late model Oldsmobile and rushed over to a small child. The police officer relented his grip on the girl as the woman approached.
“Poor girl,” Spike murmured. “That must be a grandmother or something.” Angel nodded his agreement. “How do you think Grandmum will tell her that she will never see mommy again? Or do you think she already realizes?”
“I think kids are a lot smarter than they are given credit for,” Angel answered softly. “She knows something is wrong. At that age, I don't know if a child understands the concept of dead.”
Spike remained silent for several long moments. “Do you ever think about all the kids that lost their moms and dads because you killed them?”
Angel cast a glance at his grandchilde. This was actually hurting Spike to talk about. “Yeah,” he answered. “I do. After what I've done, there is no way not to think about all the families I wrecked throughout the centuries. But you learn to exist with it.”
“Do you?” Spike asked. He lit a cigarette and took a long drag from it. He offered another to Angel, and was slightly surprised when he accepted. As Angel lit his, Spike continued to stare at the flashing lights on the police cruisers.
“We're fucking monsters, you know that?” Angel blew a puff of smoke and murmured his agreement. “No matter how many horrible things this bloke here does, you and me have done thousands of times worse. Soul or not, we're going to hell. So why the fuck should we bother? When in the grand scheme of things nothing that we do will matter. Not to the big man upstairs.”
Angel took a puff from his cigarette before answering. “Because in the grand scheme of things, the grand scheme doesn't matter. Not to us. Because you're right, we've earned a one-way ticket to hell. But we can't be concerned with that. The only thing we can be concerned about is the here and now and the people that surround us. It's all about the moment, Spike. That hopefully we can protect the ones we care about, and maybe if we've extraordinarily lucky, we can find a little love on the way. And maybe by doing so, we can make the next moment a little bit better than the one before it.”
Spike chuckled slightly as he tossed his cigarette stub away. “Since when have you been a philosopher?”
“Around the same time you became someone I could relate to.” The vampires fell into silence as they watched the crime scene. Only after the final police car left did they risk entering the taped off home.***
“I mean, where the hell does he get off giving us orders?” Buffy continued to rant. “This is our pond. We make the rules here. You don't see me going to Los Angeles and giving him orders.”
“What about that whole Faith thing a few years back?” Willow asked.
Buffy quickly waved that off. “That's different. Faith is a killer and she was totally playing him. She got him to feel sorry for her so that Angel would protect her.”
“Well, Angel was only trying to connect with her,” Giles reminded. “Angel and Faith share several similarities. In all honesty, he was the best man, er, vampire for the job. Besides, I told you to not make a scene. I'm confident that Angel's insight will prove fruitful.”
The five continued to make their slow loop around Jacobsen Park. They had been like this for a couple hours. The group would listen to Buffy's ranting, and then they would have a full fledge discussion on the seeming evolution of Angel's character, as well as his actions toward Cordelia.
“And what is that about?” Buffy asked again. “I mean, he's all moony eyed over Cordelia Chase, and he's barely spoken two sentences to me. I thought I was the one he had this big love affair thing with.”
“Maybe he's afraid to stir up old feelings,” Xander offered.
“Maybe he just likes Cordelia more than you,” Dawn suggested. And from the death glare Buffy sent her, that was entirely the wrong thing to say. But then again, Dawn was a teenager and didn't know when to shut up. “It's really sweet the way he's so attentive of her and always at the hospital by her side. For a minute you can almost believe romanticism isn't dead.” A large grin came across her face. “Man, I wish I could have seen the whole 'BUFFY! VAMPIRE!' thing.”
A vampire sprang from some nearby bushes. Dawn whipped out a stake and jammed it in his heart without looking. She smiled in satisfaction at the dust floating in the breeze. “Angel with a sense of humor,” she concluded. “So cool.”
“Yeah, it was a riot,” Buffy deadpanned. The group would make one final loop around the park before heading back to the Magic Box.***
Angel watched as a frustrated and nervous Lana entered the house. “What's wrong, Lana?” He held a sleeping Jordan in his arms as Joshua played with his GI Joes on the floor.
“He showed up at work today,” Lana said. “He was asking my co-workers a bunch of questions.” Angel immediately understood the only 'He' it could be was Jeremy. “I saw his car in the supermarket parking lot when I got groceries. And I swear that he followed me most of the way here.”
Angel gently laid Jordan's sleeping form on the couch and stood up. “Are you sure?” he asked. He moved over to a window and peered out, mindful not to be in the sunlight. “He shouldn't be around you. When the sun goes down, I'm going to go pay him a little visit.”
“Angel, I don't want you hurting him,” Lana pleaded.
“Don't worry, Lana,” Angel assured her. “I won't hurt him. I wouldn't risk your case like that. Besides, I need to be invited in to hurt him, and I seriously doubt he'll invite me in.” Lana nodded slightly in agreement. Angel did have to be invited in since he was a…well, not normal.
“Okay,” Lana sighed. “But be careful.”
Angel smiled slightly at her. “I will,” he promised. “I'm not going to allow him to intimidate you. I promise to keep you and the kids safe.”
Joshua looked up from his GI Joes. Who was he supposed to keep them safe from? Oh well, Angel was big and strong and brave. He wouldn't let anything happen to them or mommy.***
Spike was the first one to enter the woman's bedroom. Angel followed a few steps behind as he shuffled through some mail. “Her name was Kayla Kurtis,” Angel observed as he read an envelope. He tossed the mail on top of a dresser and began to survey the room.
“No message on the wall,” Spike noted. “Why do you think that? Certainly doesn't fit the MO. Copycat maybe?”
Angel opened up Kayla's closet and poked around. “They didn't need to leave a message this time. By now, they must know I'm here.”
“This isn't a demon, is it mate?” Spike asked. “You know something, but you haven't talked to Giles about it.”
Angel sighed and shut the closet. “Cordelia woke up during my last visit. She said that two humans are behind this.”
“Is she sure?” Spike stared at the bloody sheets that still adorned the bed. “So instead of some demon running around doing this, it's a human monster. Well, isn't the Hellmouth full of surprises?”
“Just goes to show that you don't need horns, fangs, or a tail to be evil.”
“A-bloody-men,” Spike agreed. He followed Angel as his grandsire crossed the hall into the child's room. The walls were painted in a soft pink. Stuffed animals adorned the cabinets and bed. In wooden block letters above the bed was the name 'Amanda'. “Amanda Kurtis,” Spike murmured. He grabbed a small picture frame off the wall. “Pretty girl.”
Angel looked at the photo and nodded his agreement. The child was wrapped in the loving arms of her mother, a wide toothy smile gracing her face. “Do you smell that?” Angel asked.
Spike looked at his sire curiously before taking a long whiff of air. His eyes widened in recognition at the scent. “Tears,” Spike answered. “The little girl was crying.” His hand went to the doorknob. “Angel, look at this.”
Angel knelt down and looked. “The door was jimmied open. They must have locked Amanda in here to keep her out of the way. The police had to break the lock to get in.”
“Why would they do that?” Spike asked. “Why not just kill the girl? Leaving her alive increases the chance of being caught.”
“Because they don't care,” Angel said. “They don't want to hurt the girl. They just want to hurt me.”
“Angel, you said you haven't used the name Liam in centuries. If the killers are human, then how could they know your true name?”
“I don't know,” Angel sighed. Both vampires startled when Angel's cell phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket and answered.
“Yeah? Hi Fred. Did you do that research for me? Great. Can you send the information to my e-mail address? No, I'm not close to a computer right now. I'm at a crime scene. Another woman was killed today. I'll check the files when I get back to the Magic Box. I'm sure Willow won't mind me using her laptop. Thanks Fred.”
“Your girl found something?”
“So she says. Let's go to the Magic Box so we can see what it is.”
Spike followed his grandsire from the bedroom. “If you think it'll be easy to pry Willow away from her laptop, you got another thing coming,” Spike informed him. “I had to beg to the chit for half an hour just so I could get online for a Formula One race update.” Angel gave him a strange look. “You think I'm kidding? The girl would probably sacrifice her scanner to the computer gods for a higher speed processor.”
“Well, Spike my boy, you got to know how to sweet talk a lady. It's all in the eyes and lips. You know, the puppy dog look. I work it over on Cordelia all the time.”
“Need I remind you that Willow's gay?”
“So? Spike, you're talking to the mack daddy of the puppy look. When we get back, just watch and learn. Maybe you can work it on Buffy.”
“Mack daddy? Since when the bloody hell have you been from the hood?” It was then that Spike realized what Angel said. “Hey! How did you know about Buffy?” Angel grinned in amusement as Spike followed him out of the building. “Hey Poof! I'm talking to you! Hey!”