Go TeamC/A
Part 6 Angel rapped on the apartment door and listened intently for the sounds of footsteps on the other side. None were coming. He glanced around the hallway and found an old bearded man patrolling.
“Excuse me,” Angel called. “Can you help me?”
“Probably,” the man answered. He waddled over to Angel. “I'm the building superintendent. What can I do for you?”
“Do you know where this man is?” He pointed to apartment number 51. “His name is Jeremy Tyler.”
“Tyler,” the man spat in disgust. “The boy is a fucking loser. Yeah, I saw the little shit earlier. Asked him about that rent he owes me. Said he had some business to attend to.”
“Did he say specifically what he was going to do?”
“Nah, but chances are it has to do with his wife and kids. He's in the midst of a divorce.” He snorted in contempt. “Never met the woman before in my life, but I can tell you divorcing this asshole is the best decision she's ever made. Almost makes up for marrying him.”
Angel's eyes widened in horror. He could be heading to Lana's house. He could already be there. “Shit,” he groaned. “Thanks for the information.” Angel sprinted to the stairwell, intent on high tailing it back to Lana. Hopefully he was overreacting. But his gut said that he wasn't.***
Angel and Spike entered the Magic Box to find the gang gathered around the table. Buffy and Xander were whispering about Cordelia. His vampire hearing detected more that a few unkind words. Even Spike was appalled at some of the words coming from Buffy's mouth. Dawn was busy gazing into some multi-colored crystal ball. Giles had his nose stuck in a demonology tome. Willow was busy playing with her laptop.
“Remember,” Angel whispered to Spike, “it's all in the look. Watch and learn.” Angel then proceeded to saunter over to the table. He smiled slightly when Willow looked up. Lovely. He had her attention. The vampire grabbed a chair and scooted so close to Willow that they were practically one person.
“You know, Willow,” Angel breathed, “you are an extraordinarily talented girl. I don't think I've ever met someone quite as brilliant as you in all my long years.” He licked his lips as he pretended to study the computer screen. Willow's eyes tracked the movement intently. Her breathing and heartbeat quickened noticeably. Like putty, Angel thought. “It's a real shame we never got to know one another better while I was in Sunnydale. Course, I had that Slayer phase, but you know how that is.” He made sure that Buffy heard that last part.
“Real shame,” Willow murmured. He had nice lips. Full and incredibly pouty. She could lick those, she really could.
Meanwhile, Buffy bristled considerably at Angel's jab. Spike smirked as he observed the Slayer observing his grandsire. Xander and Giles watched in confusion as Angel appeared to be seducing a known lesbian. Dawn continued to stare into the crystal ball.
“I'd like to remedy that,” Angel continued. “I'd love to get to know you better. But it pains me to say, Willow, and that is a enchanting name by the way, I really need to ask a favor of you.”
“Sure, sure,” a dazed Willow said. She continued to stare in fascination at his lips.
“I need to borrow your computer for a moment.” Xander and Giles both nodded in understanding. Angel wanted the computer. Somehow he knew that Willow didn't like people touching her laptop. “It seems that a friend has sent me an e-mail, and I really need to check it. Is that okay with you?”
“Okey dokey,” Willow sighed. She pushed back from her laptop to give Angel access to the keyboard, and any else belonging to her, that he wanted. She moaned as Angel gently brushed her calf with his foot before beginning to type.
“Thank you, Willow. You're beautiful, you know that?” Willow grinned happily and giggled like a schoolgirl at the compliment. Spike, meanwhile, looked fairly stunned. The son of a bitch just seduced Willow Rosenberg, former Wicca, current lesbian.
“Bloody hell,” Spike whispered. “How does that Poof do it? Every woman wants him, even the ones that want other women.”
Angel grinned at Spike and sent him an “I told you” look. He then winked at Willow as he logged onto the Internet. He quickly opened up his Hotmail account to retrieve the files Fred sent.
“Since when the hell have you used the Internet?” Xander asked.
“Right around the time you started asking stupid questions. Oh wait, the Internet hasn't been around that long.” Spike had to admit, this new and improved Angel was quite an upgrade over the old brooding bastard.
Willow continued to stare in awe at Angel. “Xander,” she giggled, “Angel just called you stupid.”
“Yeah, Will, I noticed,” Xander sulked.
“Well, it was worth pointing out,” Spike admitted. “Cause you gotta admit, you're not that bright, mate.”
“Up yours, Spike.”
“You're just pissed because I boinked your ex-girlfriend.”
“Really?” Angel asked. “You boinked his ex?”
“Oh yeah. You remember Anyanka, right?”
“Ex-vengeance demon. Nice rack?” Spike nodded and Angel let out a long whistle. “She was hot.”
Giles felt it was quite time to put an end to this line of conversation. Someone might get hurt, and it would probably be Xander. “Angel, you said that your friend e-mailed you some information. Might I ask what?”
“Police reports,” Angel answered. He opened up the small note and then the attachment Fred sent. “Angel, I did like you asked and went over old murder cases. In the attachment are several murders matching the Sunnydale killings dating back nearly fifty years.”
“Fifty years?” Giles asked. “You think that perhaps whatever demon is killing has been doing so for that period of time?”
“Not exactly.” Angel scanned a directory of case files that Fred sent. “When I went to the hospital this last time, Cordelia woke long enough to give me some information. It confirmed the conclusion I had reached earlier.”
“And that would be, Mister Cryptic?” Xander quipped.
Buffy knew exactly what Angel meant. “You think the killer is human?” an astonished Buffy asked. “Are you out of your mind?”
Angel glanced at his ex in annoyance. “It's not that big a stretch, Buffy. Just look at the history books. Berkowitz, Gacy, Dahmer, Manson. They were all human and all prolific killers.”
“So were Bianchi, De Salvo, Gein, and Bundy,” Willow continued.
Angel looked up from the laptop at Willow. “Oh, not Gein. He was a Tackler demon.”
Willow looked in confusion from first Spike and then Giles. Both nodded in agreement. “Well, you don't see that on The Learning Channel.” She then smiled widely and turned her focus back to Angel. “But someone as smart as you would know that.”
“Oh God, Willow,” Buffy groaned. Her best friend had become an Angel Groupie.
The vampire smiled sweetly at Willow. This was pissing Buffy off and he liked it. “But like I was saying,” Angel continued, “because you live on the Hellmouth, you get the impression that the only things that are evil are demons, vampires, or zombies. When you battle monsters with sharp teeth, and slimy horns, and long tails, you sometimes forgot that evil takes other forms. Truth is, sometimes the scariest monster of all is just the guy next door.”
“So what you're doing is…”
“What I'm doing is searching the case file directory for names that ring bells in my head. The person called me by human name. So it stands to reason I've met the person. Now maybe I let my name slip, or maybe they did some research, but I think once I see a familiar name that it will all come together.”
“Any names looking familiar?” Buffy mocked.
“Not yet.” Angel continued to scroll down the list. Willow inched closer and closer so that she could read over his shoulder. Yeah, look over his shoulder, that's it. That's exactly why she was so close.***
“I thought you said that he would come for us,” Jordan said. Joshua paced the barren living room anxiously. Jordan sat in the room's lone chair and watched as her brother analyzed the situation.
“I thought he would!” Joshua snapped. Jordan recoiled at his tone and began to whimper softly. Joshua's stern expression immediately melted into one of compassion. “I'm sorry, Jordy. I'm not mad at you. I'm just frustrated. With the clues we've left, and his friends to help out, I thought he would figure things out by now. Evidently I was wrong. His memory isn't quite as good as I imagined.” Joshua gazed intently at a crack in the wall.
“Perhaps we should try something different. If he's having so much difficulty finding us, maybe we should make ourselves known. Come out into the open. Maybe go after something he cares about.”
“What are you saying Joshua?”
“I'm saying that perhaps we should pay Miss Chase another visit. Maybe this time she shouldn't be allowed to live.”***
This was incredibly frustrating. He'd looked through over eighty files and had yet to find the one. Angel was quickly beginning to think that perhaps this was a dead end. But then, he caught a break. Or rather, he finally found the answer.
“Jeremy Tyler.”
“Who?” Giles asked.
“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.”
“No, my name is Liam. Angel was…is…a bad joke that stuck.”
When Angel looked up from the screen, the group was shocked at the vacant look in his eyes.
“Son of a bitch.”
Part 7“Who is Jeremy Tyler?” Giles asked again.
“A loser,” Angel answered solemnly. “A drunkard. A womanizer. Basically the same way I was as a human. Worthless.” A dark look crossed his eyes. “I should have killed him when I had the chance. But I didn't do it until it was already too late.”Baltimore, Maryland ~ 1984
Jeremy Tyler delivered a vicious punch that sent Lana crashing into the bedroom wall. The plaster behind her cracked and left an impression of a human body on its surface.
“You fucking bitch! You think you can take them away from me? Not a fucking chance! But you know what? I was actually gonna let you live,” Jeremy Tyler snarled. “But then I find out you're shacking up with another man. What's a matter, Lana? The secretary thing not working for you? Decide maybe you should sell your body like the whore you are? Look at me when I talk to you!”
Jeremy reached down and grabbed a fistful of Lana's blonde hair. He pulled her to a standing position. Tears flowed down her face, even from the eye that was rapidly swelling shut. A small trickle of blood dripped from her cut lip. Somehow she knew it would only get worse.
“But like I said bitch, I had been planning on letting you live. But not now.” Jeremy pulled a blade from his belt as he tossed her violently to the bed. Before she could move, Jeremy pounced and straddled her. “Where's your boy, now?” Jeremy taunted. “Out looking for me maybe? Well I'm right here. Too bad you won't be.”
With a quick jerk, Jeremy used the blade to slice through Lana's neck. She released a strangled cry, but with the blood rapidly leaving her body, she couldn't do any more than that. Jeremy watched in grim satisfaction as the life left her body. When she stopped struggling, he slipped from the bed and sheathed the knife back into his belt.
As he exited the bedroom, Jeremy saw Jordan staring at him down the hallway. She quivered in fear as she saw the blood matting his hands. “Don't go anywhere, Baby,” Jeremy ordered. “I'll be back for you in a minute.” Jeremy turned away and headed for the living room. When he was gone, Jordan silently entered her mother's bedroom. Joshua followed moments later.
“Joshua,” Jordan cried. “Why won't mommy wake up?”
“I don't think mom is going to wake up,” Joshua answered.
Jeremy startled as the front door crashed open to reveal a very furious Angel. Jeremy smirked when he saw the blinding hatred the other man held. “Well, well, well. If it isn't Lana's White Knight. Come on his majestic horse to save the day.” Jeremy's smirk turned even more sinister as he pulled the bloody knife from his belt. “Little late for that,” he drawled. “Now if you'll excuse me, I have my children to attend to.”
Jeremy turned away from Angel, intent on retrieving his children. It was the last mistake he ever made. A burst of vampire speed later and Angel was right behind Jeremy. Angel grabbed the hand that Jeremy held the knife in. With a quick snap, Jeremy's wrist shattered, but Angel made sure that he didn't drop the knife.
“If you'll excuse me,” Angel growled, “but I have to kill you now.” Angel buried the knife blade deep into the lower belly of the man he despised. “Say hello to the devil for me.”
Jeremy's eyes widened in the same fear that Lana's held only a minute earlier. He couldn't stop it as Angel manipulated his own hand that held the knife. The blade cleanly sliced open his stomach as it traveled in a lightning fast stroke up to his sternum. Before Jeremy could pass out from the pain, he had the distinct pleasure of feeling his intestines spill onto his feet.
Angel tossed the rapidly dying body aside and sprinted back to Lana's bedroom. It was there that he saw her dead body resting on the bed. Joshua stood before him. Never before had Angel seen a look of such hatred on a child.
“Why?” Joshua shouted. “Why did you do it?”
“Joshua,” Angel said softly. “I'm so sorry. I…”
“You promised you would keep mommy safe! But you lied! You're just like daddy!”
A horrified look passed over Angel's face. It was true. He had lied. He wasn't any better than Jeremy.***
“So if Jeremy Tyler is dead, then how the hell is he committing these murders?” Xander asked.
Angel clicked on a new link inside the Tyler file. Photographs of a young Jordan and Joshua Tyler appeared on screen. He turned the laptop around for all to see.
“That's how. The boy blamed me for Lana's death. I promised to protect them from Jeremy, but I made a stupid mistake and it cost Lana her life.”
Buffy stared at the computer screen in shock. This was too freaking weird. “Um, Angel? How old would those kids be today?”
“The boy would be about 24. The girl would be a year younger. Why?”
Willow and Dawn both saw exactly what Buffy was driving at. “And their names would be Joshua and Jordan?” Angel nodded. As sick look came to Willow's face. “Isn't that just…nice.”
“Meaning?” Angel demanded.
“Meaning,” an embarrassed Buffy said, “that Jordan and Joshua Tyler kind of live next door to us.”
“What?” There was absolutely no emotion in Angel's voice. “How long?”
“About three weeks now,” Buffy croaked.
“Three weeks. As in a few days before the first murder occurred? You mean three weeks in that sense?”
“Uh huh,” the three girls nodded. Angel pinched his nose in frustration. It did very little to relieve the pressure building inside him.
“Um, as much as I'd love to see you whip Buffy's ass,” Spike interrupted, “don't you think we should be paying the neighbors a visit?”
Angel turned to Spike and nodded his agreement. The one person in this group he was supposed to hate was the one person keeping him from going insane. Maybe Spike wasn't as big a mistake as Angel thought he was.
“Yes, we should. Everybody get moving. We're going to find them.”
“And then what?” Spike asked. “You're not going to kill them.” Although Spike couldn't fault him if Angel did.
“No, he won't,” Buffy emphasized. “We don't kill humans.”
Angel glared at her coldly. “We'll see how much I calm down on the way over. But I make no promises.”
“I won't let you kill them,” Buffy answered.
“You wouldn't be able to stop me if I wanted to. Don't cross me Buffy. You get in my way, and you'll just be a casualty. You have no idea of the power I can unleash on you. I may have a soul, but I'm still the biggest bad ass in either hemisphere So don't do anything stupid.”***
“Are you sure about this, Joshua?” Jordan nervously clenched her fists as she watched Joshua placed a loaded shotgun in a duffle bag. “I mean, aren't there other ways that we could have him find us?” Joshua reached into a bureau and pulled out a pistol. It joined the shotgun in the duffle.
“I'm sorry, Jordy. I don't see another way.” Several stakes were tossed in the bag. “Trust me, Jordy. This will work.”
“I trust you, Joshua. It's just that I don't like people getting hurt that don't need to. I mean, these women that you…well, you know, they served their purpose. But the other people at the hospital…”
“It's just so that he will see our resolve. A show of force so that he will respond. Don't worry, Jordy. No one will be hurt that doesn't deserve to be.”
“I guess it's time to go then?”
Joshua slung the duffle over his shoulder. “Yeah. It's time to go.” Joshua ushered his sister outside into their rusty old pickup. Only two minutes after they left, another vehicle pulled into the drive. A black convertible with a very angry occupant.***
The front door flew off the hinges as Angel delivered it a sharp kick. “Angel,” Buffy started, “you can't go in without an…” Her words were quickly stopped as Angel entered the premises without being invited in. “How the bloody hell?”
“Somebody must like me,” was all he said. Angel swept into the building and was quickly followed by Spike.
“I'm with him,” he smirked. Buffy wanted to stake the both of them, but the look Giles shot her said she couldn't. She settled for following them inside. The rest of the gang was right behind her.
“Spike, upstairs,” Angel ordered. Spike nodded and raced up the stairs. “The rest of you stay out of my way.”
“Okay,” Willow smiled. Buffy buried her face in her hands. Her gay best friend had the hots for Angel still. Willow continued to grin as Angel raced into the kitchen and kicked down the basement doors. “Mmm, Angel. He's so strong.”
“Willow, it was less freaky when you were smooching girls and werewolves,” Xander said.
“I don't know,” Dawn disagreed. “I can see the attraction. He's strong and assertive, yet caring and romantic. He's unafraid to allow the demon to show itself. It proves an interesting combination of force and honesty.”
Buffy stared at her sister in shock. Chalk up a second groupie. “Dawn. You're grounded.”
“Angel!” Spike yelled from upstairs.
Angel reappeared at the basement steps and quickly crossed the living room and up the stairs to the second floor. When the gang finally caught up to him, they found Angel taking an empty strong box from Spike. The impression of a pistol and a spare magazine was still imprinted in the foam.
“Looks like Joshua likes to play with guns,” Spike observed. “Where would he go with one?”
Angel examined the strong box. A nagging feeling began to overtake his conscience. “Maybe the one place where he knows I'll be forced to confront him.”
Realization dawned on Spike. “A man with a loaded gun at a hospital. That's not good.”
“You think he'll go after Cordelia?” Giles asked.
“Not if I can get there first.”***
Nurses and doctors alike dropped to the floor as the man blasted the security camera with his shotgun. “Now listen up!” Joshua yelled. “I know this may sound cliché, but I don't want to hurt anybody! So everybody just stay cool and go with the flow! Everything will be okay!” He handed the pistol to Jordan. “Be careful with that,” he advised. “Now go and lock the doors.” Jordan quickly obeyed her brother. “Now,” he muttered to himself, “we just have to wait for Angel to show up.”
Part 8As the two cars containing Angel and the Scoobies pulled up outside Sunnydale General, they were greeted by dozens of police cruisers. Officers in black Kevlar and carrying automatic rifles scurried about the perimeter. News vans were setting up all through the parking lot.
“What the hell?” Xander asked. “Did someone forget to tell me they were remaking 'Die Hard' in Sunnydale?”
“Xander, you're a moron,” Angel said.
“Got you again, mate,” Spike agreed. “But obviously we are too late.”
“Yeah, I knew that,” Xander mumbled.
“I need to find a way in there,” Angel stated.
“What? Why?”
Angel glared at Buffy as if she were an idiot. The answer should have been obvious. “Because Cordelia is in there. She's in danger.” He looked at the rest of the group. “Anybody have any suggestions?”
“Electrical access tunnels leading to air vents in the basement,” Spike answered. The Scoobies stared at him strangely. “What? Sometimes a bloke gets a hankering for something other than pig's blood.”
“Spike, you're sick.”
“Xander, you're a dick.”
Willow and Buffy each grabbed onto an arm and held Xander back. Chip or no chip, Spike could probably beat his ass. Angel grabbed onto Spike and led his grandchilde to the side.
“Can you lead the way into the tunnels?”
“Lead the way?” Spike asked.
“I want you to come in with me,” Angel explained. Spike looked like he wanted to protest, and Angel knew what he would say. “Cordelia's in there and while I deal with the kids, I want somebody with superpowers to protect her in case something goes wrong. I know Buffy would do it. It's in her job description. But she'd bitch and moan the whole way, especially after all the cutting remarks we've both made. I just need someone in there to keep innocents from getting hurt.”
“What are you going to do about Joshua and Jordan? And don't even pretend like you could kill them. I know you, Poof. Once upon a time you loved the little buggers. And I'm betting you still think you're at fault for mommy dying. Add one and one and you get two. And two equals you couldn't bring yourself to kill them even if it costs your own life.”
Angel shook his head and smiled slightly at Spike. “Since when the hell have you been so rational?”
“Right around the time you became someone I could relate to,” Spike quoted.
“Smart ass. Now are you going to help me?”
Spike grinned and pointed to the hills on the far side of the hospital. “That way. There's an access tunnel for city workers.”
As the Scoobies argued amongst themselves about whether Xander could take Spike, the two vampires slipped away from the group. They avoided the rolling patrols of police officers and climbed the hill to the tunnel on the far side. Nobody noticed the absence of the duo until they were already in the tunnel.
“Uh, where did Angel go?” a disappointed Willow asked.
“Where did Spike go?” Xander interrupted. “Guess he chickened out, huh? Wuss.”***
It took a few seconds for vampire vision to adjust to the dim tunnels underneath the hospital, but once it did, Angel and Spike were able to move quickly.
“Will I be able to enter into the ICU?” Angel asked.
Spike stopped a moment as he tried to remember which fork in the tunnel to take. “No. We'll enter the basement under the pediatric wing. We go up to the main floor, then we just crawl around in the ceiling for a bit and we can drop right in.”
Spike remembered that he needed to take the left fork. The two walked in silence for several minutes as they wound through the corridors. Finally, Spike couldn't stand it anymore.
“What's on your mind, Angelus?”
“What?”
“I can feel you staring at me. So what's on your mind?”
“Just wondering when you turned into a decent bloke.”
“Maybe I always had it in me,” Spike answered.
“Or maybe you getting that soul finally made you realize you could show it,” Angel countered. “Anyway, I like it. One day you will tell me the story about how you got it.”
“That sounded distinctly like an order,” Spike smirked.
“It was. Maybe you could use that soul and that Romeo lesson I gave to woo Buffy.”
Spike glared at him as he climbed a steal ladder up to a grate. “You are not going to tell me how you know about Buffy, are you?” Angel grinned at him. “Fine. Be an ass. I guess I'm going to have to settle for Buffy. She's the only damn woman in this town who doesn't want to jump your bones.” Spike pushed aside the grate to the basement. “Ready to save your chit?”
“Yup.”***
Deanna was surprised to find that she didn't panic when the first rifle blast echoed through the halls of the ICU. She was busy changing Cordelia's IV when the shot was fired. Her first instinct had been to lock the door and flip off the lights.
As calm as she might have been, a now very lucid Cordelia Chase was like an ice cube. While nurses and patients alike began to scream, Cordelia immediately ceased her end of a conversation regarding the Spring line of Gucci shoes. The few words she did speak were in a hushed whisper.
“I assume that was a gunshot?” Cordelia asked.
“I assume so, yes,” Deanna answered as she crawled into a nearby corner.
“That's bad.”
“Yup.”
Several more gunshots were heard as Joshua systematically shot out all the security cameras. Silence then reigned for several minutes before loud crashing was heard. A beat of silence. Then another loud crash.
“What the hell is that?” Deanna whispered.
“Someone is kicking in the doors,” Cordelia replied.
“Why?”
“Because they are looking for someone. And I'm guessing it's me.”
Deanna stared at her in confusion. “You? Why you?”
Cordelia just stared at the door, expecting it to break down any moment. “Weird shit. Long story. I don't even know most of it. Not that I ever do.”
Cordelia wasn't disappointed. The lock to the door was rattled violently. When whoever saw that it was locked, a shotgun blast blew the handle off. Cordelia wasn't even surprised to see the man that had beaten her and murdered her cousin standing in the doorway.
“I've been vaguely wondering when you would show up,” she said calmly.
“That all you have to say?” Joshua snapped. “I'm the guy that beat the shit out of you, killed that little ass you were with, and I'm the guy with the gun. You're not even going to cringe in fear?” Cordelia could clearly tell that he was disappointed with that.
“No. Now I don't know you, but I think that Angel does.” Cordelia saw his eyes fill with rage at the name. She took a deep breath. “You're human. I can smell it. So it confuses me as to what grudge you could possibly have against him. All his major enemies are over one hundred years old.
“What the hell are you?” Joshua asked. This woman wasn't quite…right.
“Someone that cares for Angel very much. Now you can do whatever it is that you want with me, but don't hurt Angel.”
Joshua snorted in contempt. “That bastard is a liar. He deserves to be hurt.”
Cordelia merely stared at him. “I can't talk you out of this, can I?”
“Nope.”
“Then we have a problem.”***
After popping up in the hospital's basement, the vampires quickly found their way to the main floor. They were mindful to avoid the police SWAT teams that were busily forming in strike positions. With inherent vampire stealth, it wasn't a difficult task. Finding an access panel in the ceiling, the duo deftly hoisted themselves up.
“I don't suppose I need to tell you that it would be bad if the SWAT teams are forced to attack?” Spike whispered as they crawled quietly about.
“I know. But I'm going to make sure it doesn't come to that.”
“So am I to assume you have a plan?”
“I'm flying by the seat of my pants,” Angel answered.
“Lovely.”***
Joshua continued to point his shotgun at Cordelia. Deanna tried to burrow herself further into the corner in which she occupied, but she stayed relatively calm. Cordelia stared almost sympathetically at Joshua as he detailed the reasons why Angel deserved to die.
“He lied to us!” Joshua screamed. “He promised to protect mom! But he didn't! Why shouldn't he die? Why shouldn't others feel the pain that we've felt?”
“Because it doesn't justify anything,” a voice called from behind him. Joshua spun around to find Angel holding tightly onto a very disarmed Jordan. Angel pointed the pistol at the young man.
Joshua sneered at him, the distaste clearly evident on his face. “You killed our mother, now you're going to kill me. How fitting.” Jordan squirmed mightily in Angel's grip. This was so not what was supposed to be happening.
“What are you waiting for?” Joshua taunted. “Go ahead and shoot.”
Angel leveled the gun and pulled the trigger.
Part 9Angel and Spike dropped quietly to the floor of the ICU. They quickly hid from view and watched the scene unfold.
Joshua had a shotgun and stood in the doorway to Cordelia's room. The young man spoke passionately about how Angel needed to suffer and die. Any other time Angel would be inclined to agree, but not when a very disturbed man was pointing a gun at Cordelia.
Jordan stood in the center of the main hallway. She held a pistol in shaky hands. It looked like she barely knew which end to point with. Not that it mattered to the doctors and nurses she held hostage behind the receptionist' s counter. Whether she knew how to work the gun or not, it was still a gun and they would obey.
“What do you want to do?” Spike whispered.
“I'm going to grab Jordan,” Angel decided quickly. “When I do, I want you to get all the doctors and nurses away from here.”
“And then what?”
“Then I'll have a little talk with Joshua. Alone.” Spike wanted to protest, but Angel silenced him quickly. “Just get the staff out of the building and stay out. I can take care of Joshua. You just make sure to get them out safe.”
Spike reluctantly agreed. If Angel was hell bent on being the hero, then Spike would let him have it. He murmured a 'Yes sire' before falling silent.
Angel waited as Jordan turned her head away for a moment. As soon as she did, Angel used his speed to pounce. He muffled her scream and disarmed the girl quickly. Somehow he managed to keep his hand over Jordan's mouth and unload the gun without making a sound.
Spike was right on his heels and immediately began to silently usher the hospital staff away from the area. With a last glance, Spike mouthed 'Good luck' to Angel before herding the group to safety. It was a minute later as Spike hoisted a nurse up into the ceiling that he heard the blast of a shotgun.***
Joshua nearly pissed his pants when Angel pulled the trigger. Oh, he hadn't counted on that. His first instinct had been to gaze down at his body. His eyes widened in realization as he noticed that there weren't any streaming holes in his chest. A sly smirk crossed his face when it occurred to him that he never heard the gun go off.
“Forget to take the safety off?” Joshua asked.
“No. I didn't.”
Angel dropped the pistol to the floor and released his grip on Jordan. The girl immediately rushed over and behind her brother, peering at Angel from over Joshua's shoulder.
“I unloaded the gun,” Angel explained. “I didn't want anyone getting hurt. Not even you.”
“How touching, but I hope that you don't think that will prevent me from killing you.”
“You're not going to get very far with a shotgun. I hope you know that.”
Joshua shrugged. “I know. I brought stakes to kill you. The shotgun is just so you hurt like a bitch before I destroy you.”
Buckshot ripped through Angel's torso and sent the vampire flying against the wall. Angel gasped for unneeded breath as he tried to overcome the searing pain radiating from his body. He didn't have much of a chance as Joshua unloaded another round into his chest.
“Hurts like hell, doesn't it?” Joshua asked. “But it doesn't hurt near as much as the pain Jordan and I feel everyday. The pain of knowing that the man, and I use that term loosely, our mother trusted was ultimately the reason she died.”
Joshua cracked open the shotgun and slid two fresh shells into the barrel. Even he was impressed that Angel managed to stagger to his feet. Blood soaked the front of Angel's white t-shirt. The red fluid also stained the wall in a long trail that traced Angel's accent back to a standing position.
“You promised no harm would come to her. But yet it did. Our father came into our home, pulled out a knife, and slit her throat. And what were you doing? Who knows? You fucking disappeared when we needed you!”
The last statement was emphasized by another blast of the shotgun. It felt like thousands of red hot needles sliced through his body when the small pieces of lead buckshot tore his intestines. Angel slid back to the ground as blood poured from his mouth.
“Want me to kill you yet? Too fucking bad.” A fourth round left Angel's chest a bloody pulp. “You get to suffer for abandoning us.” Joshua cracked open the barrel again to load two more shells. As he did so, he glanced at Angel curiously. “So where were you that night? Not that it really matters. Were you out drinking someone's blood? Were you out fucking some whore as mother was bleeding to death? Tell me.” The barrel clicked shut loudly. “I truly want to know what your excuse is.”
Angel's first few attempts at speech came out as nothing more than a strangled gurgle. He coughed up blood onto the tile floor in an attempt to clear his mouth. “I was trying to find your father,” he finally slurred. “Your mother told me that Jeremy had been following her. I went to his apartment to confront him.”
Joshua almost looked impressed. “Wow. Maybe you actually did try to save mom. Course, you didn't, so you're still an asshole.” He cocked the rifle and prepared to fire again.
“Wait! Wait!” Angel pleaded. “No more! Just let me speak before you kill me, please?” Joshua desperately wanted to blow his head off, but something made him stop. He looked over to his sister and saw that she was curious as well.
“Okay,” Joshua shrugged. “But a word of warning: I won't like what you say, so I'll kill you for it.” When Joshua pulled a stake from his belt, Angel had the audacity to chuckle. At least Joshua thought it was a chuckle. With the blood flowing from his mouth, it could have been a wheeze or something.
“I can see you're a smart boy,” Angel started. “You know what I am.” The vampire fell silent as he tried to reach past the fog of pain and grasp at memories. “I suppose I did leave enough clues about that. You know, expect for the one in the bathroom, your mom removed all the mirrors from the house. That was sweet of her.
“Lana was an extraordinary woman. In the century that I've had a soul, I can count the number of people that have truly given a damn about me on two hands. I think Lana was one of them.
“Lana deserved the world. With a beauty like hers, both internal and external, she should have shined with the brightest stars in the heavens. Instead, she had a shitty clerical job, bills out the ass, and an ex-husband that was a blemish to society.
“You have every reason to hate me Joshua. I swore that no harm would come to Lana, but I obviously didn't keep my word.” A beat of silence. “Like I said, you're a smart boy. You know what I am and you must know of the things I've done. I've caused so much pain in my existence. Scores of good people have died because I was feeling hungry, or playful, or spiteful. But many good people have died just because I fucked up. Lana was one of those.
“Nothing I can say to you can ever take away the pain of losing her. I know, because nothing I tell myself keeps me from feeling the guilt and pain of knowing that I'm the reason she died. All I can do is say that I'm sorry and honestly mean it. But if killing me is what you need to bring you peace, then go ahead and destroy me. But don't let any more innocents die. Just kill the one being that deserves death.”
Joshua let the shotgun drop to the ground with a loud thud. For the briefest of moments, Angel thought that perhaps he had said the right words and that no one, including himself, would have to die. He was mistaken.
“I take that back. You did say something I wanted to hear. Kill the being that deserves death. Marvelous idea.”
Joshua raised the stake high and sauntered towards Angel. He was disappointed at the choice Joshua was about to make, but was infinitely proud of the choice Jordan made.
“Joshua, no,” Jordan spoke softly. Joshua turned and stared at his sister in disbelief and confusion. “Don't kill him, Joshua. It isn't right. None of this is.”
“Jordy,” Joshua tried to reason, “this is the man that is responsible for mom's death. He's a monster, a self professed one at that.”
“But we loved him once,” Jordan said. She cried softly as that truth resounded in her mind. “Dad is the one who killed mommy.” She pointed at Angel with a shaking hand. “He's the one that used to give us tickle attacks. He's the one that used to play dolls with me when mommy was too tired. He was the one who taught you how to swing a baseball bat. And, and remember when the three of us used to watch Capitols games on TV? He loved us more than daddy. He loved mommy, too. You did love mommy, didn't you, Angel?”
“I did,” Angel agreed. The vampire continued to gasp for breath as the buckshot grated against his insides.
Meanwhile, Joshua was torn. He wanted so badly to end Angel's existence. But the emotion that was in Jordan's voice when she regarded the vampire was clear. She didn't want him to die. She would even be sad if he were to kill Angel. There seemed to be only one thing he could do.
The sound of wood echoed loudly when the stake fell to the ground.***
The reporters were quick to announce the ending of the episode dubbed 'Siege at Sunnydale'. Within minutes of the surrender, the entire state of California knew the faces that had caused such a ruckus.
The police were perplexed when the hospital staff spoke of two men in dark trench coats invading the ICU and saving their lives. The police didn't know of anyone besides SWAT members that entered the building. The fact that Joshua and Jordan Tyler admitted to surrendering on their own only increased the confusion.
“What happened in there?” Buffy demanded when the two vampires finally appeared. “The police reported gunshots. Tell us what happened.”
Spike watched as Angel focused his entire attention on the police cruiser that Joshua and Jordan were loaded into. “Now isn't a good time, love,” Spike spoke softly. Buffy opened her mouth to argue further. “Not now,” Spike repeated. His tone left no room for argument. He continued to watch Angel. The elder vampire continued to stare out into the distance long after the cruiser containing the kids had left.Two days later
Cordelia sat quietly in a wicker chair just outside the hotel room Angel had purchased for the night. The black and blue bruises that had marred her face were already beginning to turn green and yellow. The cuts and gashes that littered her body had started to scab over. She was healing.
At least on the outside.
The Chase/Marks family had held the funeral service for Peter that afternoon. Angel had wished the day hadn't been so bright so he could have stood by Cordelia when Peter's ashes had been scattered. Cordelia had said it was for the best. She needed some time alone to deal with the loss of family.
Now here they sat in silence, a three-quarters moon shining in the sky. A soft breeze ruffled Cordelia's simple black funeral dress. Angel waited patiently as she formulated her thoughts. He knew eventually Cordelia would speak. She didn't disappoint.
“You loved them, didn't you?”
“Yes.”
A beat of silence. “Does it make me a bad person for hating them?”
“No.”
Another beat of silence. “I won't forgive them for what they did to Peter.”
“I know. You don't have to.”
Silence lasted for several minutes. “I'm sorry, Angel.”
“So am I.”
The pair stared at the moon and listened to the sound of crickets chirping in the distance. Finally, Cordelia reached down and retrieved the cane she would be stuck with for the next few weeks. “I'm going inside to rest.”
“Okay. I have someone I need to talk to anyway.”
“I know.” Cordelia gingerly stood up and went inside. Angel watched to make sure she didn't fall before turning back to the night.
“You can come out now,” he called out. From the shadows behind a vending machine stepped Spike. The blonde vampire pulled a pack of sunflower seeds from his pocket and popped a handful into his mouth.
“How'd you know I was there?” he asked after spitting out a husk. Spike sat in the chair the Cordelia just vacated.
“I could smell you.” He watched as Spike spit out a few more husks. “Why are you eating those?” Spike pulled the pack of seeds from his pocket and handed them to Angel. The elder vampire accepted and tossed some into his mouth.
“Decided it was time to quit smoking,” Spike answered. Angel looked surprised. “Have you seen how much they've raised the price on a pack of smokes? I tell you, Angelus, taxes are a killer.” Angel actually snorted in laughter. It was quite a while before either calmed down enough to speak.
“How's the chit?”
“Physically she's healing, but mentally, I don't know.”
“She just needs some time,” Spike assured. Angel nodded his agreement. “When are you two heading out?”
“Tomorrow night. I think she wants out of this town even more than I do.” Silence. “How's Buffy?”
“Still pissed at the both of us, but more on principle by now. She was shocked at your new attitude. Hell, so was I. I like it, but Buffy.”
“Doesn't,” Angel finished. “Too bad.”
Spike snorted in amusement. “I think she's adjusting to it. She has had time to reflect and all. Between you and me, I think she's actually amused by the whole Willow thing now.”
Angel cringed. Willow. He had done a number on her. In the past two days, he'd received a dozen Hallmark cards from the redhead and nearly as many flower bouquets. “I don't suppose it would help to say I was just using her for her computer?”
“Probably not. But hey, who doesn't want groupies?” True, Angel thought. Of course, Dawn was a little young for him though. “Well,” Spike sighed, “I 'll leave you and your girl alone.” Spike stood up and spat another husk as he watched a car drive by. “Take care, Mate.” Moments later, Spike disappeared back into the shadows.
Angel sat alone for the next ten minutes, silently thinking about the events of the past few days. So many bad things had happened to people that he loved. How the hell would they get past it all? The hotel door opened with a creak. Angel turned to find Cordelia leaning on her cane.
“Come inside,” she said. “AMC is showing 'My Fair Lady' in five minutes.”
“Okay,” Angel smiled slightly. He stood and stretched. As he watched Cordelia retreat back inside, he couldn't help but realize once more how beautiful she was. They always got through the roughest times. As long as they stayed together.
And Angel sure wasn't going anywhere
End.
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