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Chapter 2: To live and to date in L.A
Buffy and Angel had done a quick patrol and now they were content in being snuggled together in the office chair, Buffy curled into his lap while he was reading by the table light.
“You know, this is one of the last quiet evening we will be spending like this”, she said in a hushed tone and he turned to look at her. “Yeah, you're starting school next week. Nervous?” he answered and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.
“Not really”, she said and then turned to look at him in the eyes. “Should I be?” He couldn't help but laugh at her tone and he leaned in to kiss her lips.
“Nope, you're going to charm everyone”, he assured her with a small smile and one rose to her lips also. But the moment was interrupted. They blinked as a bright light lit the room and Doyle walked into the office. Buffy gave him a evil glare but he didn't seem to mind.
“Come on you people, you can't just be stuck inside all nights, Angel, you're supposed to be out there connecting and all you are connecting is the girl in your lap”, he said and Angel also gave him a glare.
“Besides, we could go out and raise a toast for the new business, the four of us”, he said and gave a high whistle, gesturing to the other room. Buffy rolled her eyes and got up from Angels lap, allowing him to stand up.
“You can count me out, if you want to ask Cordelia out, you'll have to do it yourself”, he said.
“I don't even know if she likes me, you could put in a good word for me”, Doyle said raising his eyebrows.
“But I barely even know you.”
“Even better, makes it lot easier”, Doyle answered happily.
“Just ask her, weirder things have happened. And she did date Xander, so you have a tiny chance”, Buffy said everyone turned to look at the door as Cordelia burst through looking very excited.
“They're in!” she yelped happily but she seemed to be the only one who knew what she was talking about.
“They're in”, Doyle added pretending to know what she meant.
“The cards!” Cordelia explained, her excitement not wavering.
“What cards?” Buffy asked as she noticed that either one of the men wasn't going to.
“The calling cards. Every respectable firm has to have them, we can hand them out and people will know how to reach us and we'll get money for my salary”, she explained and Buffy just had to roll her eyes, she reminded her of Anya, or was it that Anya reminded her of Cordelia. Cordelia handed one card to Angel and Buffy stepped next to him to see what it was like.
“Hey, look at that, there is our number. It’s right next to a… a um... a... a butterfly?” Angel said looking at the drawing on the corner of the card. Doyle looked at Cordelia's face, noticing the scowl and then he looked at the cards she was holding.
“It’s obviously not a butterfly, you idiot”, he scoffed. It’s a.. a bird”, he added, still seeing the scowl.
“Maybe it's one of those ink spots that psychiatrists use”, Buffy added helpfully with a amused smile. “Or a bat”, she added.
”No, no, wait, it’s an owl. A... a bird that hunts at night. Brilliant! It's…”, Doyle continued but was interrupted by Cordelia who was tired of the wrong guess'.
“It’s an angel!” she sighed annoyed.
“An angel. Right, it’s an angel!” Angel said somewhat awkwardly and Buffy had to suppress a giggle.
“It's a could thing you're an actress and not a artist, although it could go as abstract, I've seen some things like this one at my moms gallery and they sell with big bucks. Maybe you should consider a career change”, Buffy smirked at Cordelia but she ignored her. But Doyle wasn't through with the original subject.
“Brilliant. So obvious and so clever on so many levels…”, he tried but Cordelia was loosing her patience and she slapped him playfully in the chest.
“Shut up”, she ordered but got slightly alarmed when he doubled over in pain. “Oh come on, don’t be such a baby. I barely touched you.”
Doyle moaned in pain and kicked at the desk before falling back hard. The others quickly going to him.
“Doyle! You okay?” Angel asked and Doyle nodded his head.
“A bar. I think I recognize it, it’s one of those 'terminally stuck in the eighties places'”, he explained what he saw.
“Yeah, and?” Angel encouraged him to continue.
“That’s it. No faces popped out at me, man. Just, just a feelin'.”
“What feeling?” Cordelia asked, sure she wasn't going to like it.
“That something’s gonna happen”, he answered.
“So much for that quiet evening”, Buffy sighed.
“Looks like you got your wish. Looks like we’re going out after all”, Angel said to Doyle and the group got up from the floor, Buffy and Angel helping Doyle to stand up since he was still feeling a little woozy from the vision.
Angel, Buffy, Cordelia and Doyle went to the club, that turned out to be called D’oblique.
“Shouldn't our college girl be at home practicing sleeping so she can be up bright and early when she starts school next week”, Cordelia asked as they were going down the stairs, her voice lacked the usual hostility Buffy had used to so she didn't get too defensive.
“No she doesn't, you know how inconsiderate the vamps are when they keep me working night hours”, Buffy said back.
“How are you going to survive college?”Cordelia asked, clearly not believing in her, her voice held the usual sting but it lacked the venom. “Same way I survived high school.”
“Blow it up at the end of the school year?” Cordelia offered. “Funny”, Buffy answered dryly.
“Girls”, Angel chastised at the banter but only received an annoyed look from Cordelia. “We're talking here”, she said like she was talking to a three year old.
“Okay, let's spread out, look for someone who might be in trouble”, Angel said and Doyle added: “Or someone causing trouble.” Cordelia handed the others some calling cards and headed to the tables, Doyle following her.
“I'm gonna go talk to the bartender”, Angel told Buffy and headed to the bar.
Some time later, after asking lot of people and not getting anything but a bunch of corny pickup lines, Buffy headed to the bar where Angel stood.
“Really, I wasn't hitting on you”, he desperately tried explain to a man and Buffy couldn't help but giggle. “Should I be jealous?” she asked cheekily and Angel gave her a chastising look.
“Any luck?” he asked her, trying to ignore the silly grin she was still holding because of the little misunderstanding. “I'm thinking about as much as you had”, she answered and he shot her a look but it did nothing to hold her back.
“Okay, I'm gonna go call Giles and ask what's going back there. Don't hit on any more guys while I'm gone”, she said with a smirk and went to the dark corner where the phones were. Angel sighed deeply and rubbed the bridge of his nose, all he could hope was that she wouldn't tell Cordelia, well to his luck that seemed unlikely.
“You okay?” he heard a womans voice and he turned to see a blond woman nursing a drink. “What?” he asked slightly confused.
“No, no, nothing. - Sorry”, the woman dismissed it and tried to turn back to her drink embarrassed. “No. Am I okay?”
“Well you just look... bad... Not that you look bad, you look very nice… I think I’m just going to have my drink”, she explained awkwardly. “Thanks.”
“For thinking you look bad, or thinking you look good?” “You choose. I’m Angel”, he introduced himself and offered her his hand. “I’m Kate”, she said back.
They kept talking, Angel awkwardly telling his occupation was veterinarian when she asked, not his brightest moment, he knew but it was only thing he could come up with at the moment. But their conversation was interrupted when a fight started and he could see Doyle and Cordelia were in the middle of it.
The other guy fighting against Doyle, raised a chair into the air, ready to strike but Angel grabbed it and used it as a shield as the guy turned around and tried to punch him. He used the chair to hit the guy and then threw him against the wall with it. They kept fighting as Buffy came from the telephones, immediately noticing the fight.
“All I wanted was a quiet evening at home with my boyfriend”, she said with a sigh, looking at the ceiling before joining the fight. She grabbed a firm hold of the blond guys wrist as he was going to hit Angel from behind and with a quick pull, she threw him against the nearest wall. Seeing her, Angel stepped back and whispered to her ear:
“Go easy on them, they're human.” Then he punched the other guy while the blond one tried to join back into the fight. But Angel grabbed them by their shirts and thew them to the floor in one pile, before they could get up, the bartender stepped in between them.
“Those two jerks started it!” Cordelia defended pointing at the men. They were about to protest but the bartender didn't give them a chance. “Not a word, you two are always starting trouble. Out, now”, he ordered and grudgingly the two men limped off.
“Are you okay?” a young woman asked, concern showing in her voice. “Yeah, I'm fine, thanks...” Doyle started but the woman didn't pay any attention to him, just flew by him to Angels arms. Angel was looking like a deer caught in headlights while Buffy couldn't help the jealousy from bubbling and Cordelia was sure the girl clinging to Angel was going to limp away if she did that any longer.
“Umm... Fine”, Angel stammered taken back by the woman and he glanced at Buffy who was wearing an expression he himself had many times been wearing because of her. Mindfully he tried to untangle the womans limps from himself but she wasn't cooperating.
“Could you please stop clinging to my boyfriend”, Buffy said tightly and stepped forward, her arms crossed in front of her chest and to him, her appearance screamed slayer. “Oh, sorry”, the woman said not showing any regret. What she thought was unnoticeable, she slipped a piece of paper into Angels hand and mouthed 'call me' as she backed away.
Angel glanced at the piece of paper folded in his hand and turned to look at Buffy, who didn't look happy, her arms were folded in front of her and a fine eyebrow was lifted in question. Angel just shrugged his shoulders innocently and placed paper on the nearest table before making his way to her.
“Buffy”, he started leaning closer to her and wrapping his arms around her. “Yeah, I know. Some women get all swooney with the testosterone display”, she said with the jealousy showing in her voice but there was also the understanding.
“Now that the Buffy/Angel show is over, can we get a table?” Cordelia's voice interrupted the moment.
The group was sitting on a table in the nearly empty bar, it was nearly closing time. Buffy was sitting almost in Angels lap in the small round table and Doyle was nursing his bleeding wound with a piece of paper towel.
“You know, I’m having a hard time believing that Doyle’s vision meant I was supposed to come here to break up a bar fight”, Angel stated, trying to keep his head clear as Buffy was playing with his fingers, not even noticing that she was doing it.
“Yeah, well, if it was, I’m in for some serious workman’s comp”, Doyle added. “Alright, lets think about it. Could any one of you sense that anyone here tonight need help?” Angel asked, feeling slightly frustrated. “Yeah, everybody”, Cordelia stated and everyone turned to look at her.
“This socializing thing is brutal. I mean, I was young once”, Angel started and others gave him a cheeky smile. “...I used to go to bars. It wasn’t anything like this”, he finished.
“Yeah, you were the scoundrel that broke all the girls hearts, weren't you”, Buffy whispered to his ear without anyone else hearing it. Angel just gave her a broody look, it was all too true, he didn't like remembering that time of his life, well, back then he had a life. Seeing the look in his face, Buffy pressed a comforting kiss to his forehead.
“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to remind you of the things you want to forget. But it's all in the past, brooding isn't going to help”, she whispered to him and pressed a soft kiss next to his ear before they turned back to the conversation, to listen what Doyle was saying. “I used to go to taverns. Small towns, where everybody used to know each other.”
“Yeah, like High school. It was easy to date there. At least to some of us”, Cordelia said and glanced pointedly at the couple who had had it rough, before she continued. “We all had so much in common. Being monster food every other week for instance”, she added lightly.
“Well, you’re in the big, bad city now, huh? Where everyone’s a stranger, hiding behind walls, keeping secrets.” “Well, we all have our secrets”, Buffy answered to him and everyone shared a look.
“I'm sorry folks, but I have to kick you out”, the bartender said and the group nodded in understanding before making their way to the door.
“We need to start researching, newspapers, the net, anything that might be useful. There has to be some cases linked to this place”, Angel said as they made their way out. “Like missing girls?” Buffy suggested and Angel nodded.
“Why does everything have to be so creepy with you two. Missing girls, giant snakes trying to eat the whole school. Some positive thinking wouldn't hurt you guys”, Cordelia sighed but didn't receive an answer.
“This is useless”, Doyle sighed and threw a newspaper to the table before turning to watch Cordelia who was working on the computer. “Okay, I've got to the news group search engine. What was the clubs name?” she asked and turned to Angel who had come to stand behind her.
“D'oblique, capital D, apostrophe, o-b-l-i…”, he started spelling but Cordelia threw her hands in the air waving them furiously. “Slower!” she commanded and pressed the D on the keyboard before her fingers started to hover over the letters.
“Apostrophe... apostrophe...”, she mumbled as she searched it and then gave a triumphant smile as she found it. Doyle got up from the chair and squeezed in next to her.
“I need a break from all that readin', lemme help ya”, he said and swiftly wrote the clubs name before pressing enter. “Where did you learn to use a computer?” Angel asked suspiciously.
“Downloading pictures of naked women?” Cordelia offered and Doyle gave them a smirk. “More or less”, was his answer and he signed to the screen. “Two hits”, he clarified and Buffy too came to look what the information was.
“Heather Nolan. Missing since late last month the 24-year-old paralegal that vanished after leaving a downtown bar called D’oblique”, Angel read. “Sounds like we found our connection”, Buffy sighed as she kept reading it by herself. Doyle turned the page and Angel started reading it out loud:
“Badly mutilated body found in the dumpster nearly three weeks ago, described by the coroner’s office as eviscerated, has been positively identified as that of 28-year-old Martin Haber, last seen with an unidentified female companion at D’oblique, a trendy singles establishment.” He turned to the others and continued:
“That’s it then. Probably a lot more disappearances that the press hasn’t traced back to the bar yet. Go downstairs and use the library, try to narrow down a list of eviscerating demons, ones that might have reasons to prey on young singles.” He turned to leave but was stopped by Cordelia asking:
“Where are you going?” “To the bar. To see if I can meet a killer.” Buffy straightened up and grabbed her jacket. “I'm coming with you”, she said but gave him a questioning look as he shook his head.
“Don't, it will be less suspicious if I go alone”, he said but she didn't seem satisfied with the answer. “Angel, it's dangerous, this thing doesn't seem to be playing around”, she said but he wasn't wavering.
“Buffy, I can take care of myself and I have a better chance in finding it if I'm alone. Please.” Buffy sighed deeply and nodded. “Fine”, she muttered with a pout and Angel gave him a soft smile before pressing a quick kiss to her lips.
“I'll see you later”, he said and left, Buffy looked after him, not looking very happy. She grabbed a dagger from a box, hiding it into her boot and left the apartment.
“Where do you think she went?” Doyle asked Cordelia who just shrugged. “Probably to kill something, she is the slay girl after all”, she said not caring too much about the topic.
Angel went back to the bar and found the possible, demon, only she had already left with the next victim. Once he found out the name, he went to the phone book, finding the address and sprinted into run to the apartment.
When he got there, to his surprise he got in but then it dawned to him, the owner of the apartment was already dead. Grimly he made his way towards the bedroom, just in time to see a worm-like tail disappear into the mans back as he was pulling a shirt back on, he could see the womans body in the bed. The man turned around and glanced at Angel before stating:
“You’re not human.” “News flash, pal, you’re a bit of the evolutionary chart yourself.” They both glanced at the body on the bed.
“This has to stop. You have to stop”, Angel stated. “I will, when I find the right one. The one I can stay with”, the man answered.
“The right body? What’s wrong with this one?” Angel questioned and the man looked at himself. “Nothing... yet. It’s new and different. It's great… But it won’t last. I already know it’s not the I can live in”, he answered and Angels face darkened.
“Well, then it’ll have to be the one you die in”, he answered darkly and the demon attacked him. They traded punches evenly till the man managed to strike Angel in to the back and drop him to the ground. He grabbed him by the jacket and send him sliding through the floor against the wall. Angel was dazed for few seconds before he got up growling, his vamp face surfacing. He attacked the demon and again they fought evenly, trading kicks and punches. The demon backed Angel against a wall, pinning him down but he managed to punch the man and grabbing his neck, he slammed him against the wall. But unfazed the demon turned around, grabbing Angel by his jacket before throwing him against the wall and then through a glass cabinet, finally sending him flying across the room. When Angel got up, the demon was gone and Kate ran through the door.
“Kate?” Angel stated in surprise. Their eyes drifted to the body on the bed and Angel shook his head. “It's not what it looks like”, he tried but Kate didn't seem to believe it.
“I know it's exactly what it looks like. LAPD, you're under arrest”, she said back, pulling out a gun, pointing it towards Angel and showing her police badge with her free hand. “Kate, listen...”, he tried and took a step forward.
“Don’t move! Not a step. Back-up is on the way here”, Kate interrupted him. “We’re on the same side. I’m after this guy too”, Angel tried tell her but she looked at him incredulously.
“You’re telling me you’re an investigator?” she scoffed and Angel cave a slight nod. “More or less.”
“Where is your license?” she questioned, not looking like she believed him. “That’s the less part”, he answered. “Kate you don’t know, you didn’t see…”, he tried to reason with her but again she interrupted him.
“What I see is the carving job of an impotent sicko. It’s frustrating, isn’t it, not being able to connect, to love like other people? I mean, how do you get them to trust you, Angel? Give them the big dark eyes, the ‘I’m not good with talk’ speech?”
“He gives them what they are longing for”, Angel answered ignoring her taunt. “And that is?” “Hope. That the loneliness is going to end, and he is going to do it again.”
“Unless I let you go so you can stop him. Save me the lines, I’ve heard all of them”, she said sarcastically. “And I’ve heard yours. Something about not being able to trust people?” Angel said back and she didn't seem to take it well. She took out the handcuffs.
“Turn around”, she ordered and once Angel did that with a sigh, she pushed him against the wall and snapped the cuff on his other wrist.
“I’m sorry”, Angel apologized. “Is that a confession?” “I didn’t do that. I’m sorry for this!” Angel answered and kicked Kate down to the floor before running across the room and jumping out the window. Kate shot after him but he managed to jump out before being shot and he landed on a car, effortlessly he slid from the hood to the ground and sprinted into run.
Angel made his way to Cordelia's apartment and knocked to the door. “Who is it?” came Cordelia's voice from the other side. “It's me”, he answered and the door opened, revealing Cordelia and Doyle.
“Oh, my God. Are you okay?” Cordelia asked somewhat worried. “I... I can’t, um…” Angel tried to explain Cordelia but Doyle did it for him.
“Invite him in! As long as you’re alive, vampires, they can’t cross the threshold unless you…” “Oh, right. You promise you’ll stay good?” Cordelia asked raising her brows but only received a her name in a form of a sigh.
“I’m kidding, get a sense of humor. Come in”, she said and Angel stepped through the door.
“Where's Buffy?” he asked as he didn't see or sense her anywhere. “She went out to beat up things”, Cordelia answered flippantly.
“What happened to you, man? You look like someone used you as a bunching bag” Doyle asked. “That's not far from the truth. That woman that I was talking to at the bar last night.. Kate?” Angel started explaining but was interrupted by Cordelia. “She’s the killer?”
“She’s a cop. Followed me to another body”, Angel finished what he was saying. “And now she thinks you’re the killer”, Doyle guessed and Angel nodded.
“We don’t have a lot of time to…”, he started saying but then got a better look on the apartment and a grin rose to his lips. “You actually live here?” he asked Cordelia. “Yes! Is it my fault that maid service was interrupted? It was supposed to go, home, hotel, hotel, husband. Now can we go back to the original subject?”
“I saw the demon, it’s a burrower”, Angel stated and Cordelia looked at him in surprise. “It’s a donkey? We didn’t see any donkey demons on the books”, she said slightly confused and the men looked at her in question.
“Burrower”, Angel clarified more slowly and the realization hit her. “It eviscerates its victims as it moves from body to body, and it may only be able to do it after some kind of a sex act, exchange of fluids kind of thing”, Angel explained. “Eww!” Cordelia stated scrunching her nose while Doyle grinned 'Lovely'.
“Look I want you to find out anything you can about this thing, weaknesses especially. It was amazingly strong while we were fighting, it may be hard to kill”, Angel went back to the original topic. “We’re on it”, Doyle promised and Angel started towards the door but stopped and turned around to look at the others.
“Buffy doesn't need to know about this, that I'm the suspect, you can't tell her”, Angel said to the others and Cordelia rolled her eyes.
“Like we share everything, sitting on the bed doing facials and gossiping about the creature of the night boyfriend she has”, Cordelia scoffed but Angel seemed satisfied with the answer and started walking to the door again.
“Where you going?” she asked. “I'm going to check out the bars, see if I can find it before it changes the body”, he answered. “But doesn't it know you're looking for it?” Cordelia asked confused. “Yeah, but it is out there, it needs to find another body”, he said and stepped out the door.
Buffy sighed wearily as she walked through the offices and down to the apartment. But as soon as she opened the door, she could hear footsteps, she couldn't sense Angel and she knew it wasn't Cordelia or Doyle either.
Soundlessly she crept down the stairs and blend into the shadows as she saw a dark figure move inside the apartment. She saw a flash of the gun and that told her it wasn't a demon, at least it wasn't likely. She sneaked farther into the room, keeping out of sight and moving soundlessly and when the figure stepped around the corner, she kicked the gun out of its hands and grabbed it by the jacket and throwing it to the ground, keeping it down with her foot. She squinted in the darkness and she could recognize it was a blond woman, quickly she remembered seeing her in the bar.
“Who are you?” the woman asked with authority voice and Buffy cocked an eyebrow. “You broke in to my home, so I am the one asking the questions. Who are you?” Buffy shot back and the woman didn't seem pleased.
“I am a cop, Kate Lockley, LAPD”, Kate answered and slowly pulled out her badge. Buffy looked at it long and carefully before lifting her foot off her chest and letting her get up. When Kate reached for the gun on the floor, Buffy stepped on it and kicked it behind her.
“I don't like guns, especially when they're in my home and with a person I don't know. I don't care if you're a cop but you're still in my apartment in the middle of the night and I don't know what you're after”, Buffy said sternly, very much the leader she had used to be. Kate looked at the girl in front of her with scrutiny, she looked very young but she didn't sound like it.
“I'm searching for a fugitive that is wanted for murder. He fled the murder scene while being under arrest and according to my information, he works and lives in this building”, Kate answered and kept a close eye on Buffy's reaction but got nothing but her poker face even though inside she was surprised and at the same time ready to hunt down Angel.
“Where's your search warrant?” Buffy asked giving the woman in front of her the same scrutiny as she was giving her. Kate was surprised by the question, then again, she wasn't expecting to get caught.
“I don't have one”, she answered, giving Buffy a glare but she ignored it.
“Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it a bit illegal to search an apartment without a search warrant? Well, I don't care, I want you out of here, before I call the cops and ask them if what you were doing is illegal”, Buffy said to Kate and picked up the gun from the floor. She wanted to squeeze the barrel into useless piece of metal but she resisted and instead, she took the bullet chamber out and handed the pieces to Kate. Kate kept glaring at her but none the less, made her way to the door, she had already managed to search the apartment without finding anything incriminating. At the door she stopped and stated:
“We'll be in touch.” Then she stepped out, she wanted to know who that girl was and what she knew about the murders, she was after all living with the serial killer and disarmed her in seconds, there had to be something fishy about that.
Buffy looked at the closed door and sighed deeply before falling to the couch. She was tired but she couldn't sleep, she needed to talk to Angel.
Angel went back to Cordelia's apartment and got the briefing on the demon from her and Doyle. He made a call to Kate and arranged a meeting with her at the bar the same night. As soon as he had hung up, there was a knock on the door. Cordelia made her way to it and asked through it who was there.
“It's me”, came Buffy's voice from the other side and Cordelia opened the door, letting Buffy step inside. Buffy glanced around her, her expression amused but she didn't say anything, though that didn't stop Cordelia from glaring at her.
“Go on, say it, it's a dump, Cordelia Chase is living in a dump!” she said to her waving her hands around erratically. “I was going to say messy, it could be worse”, Buffy answered, her smile not faltering till she reached Angel and gave him a look like a mother telling little boy he had been naughty.
“Somebody's in trouble”, Doyle singsonged and earned a glare from Buffy and Angel.
“I beat up a very informative vamp last night, said something about a body jumping demon but I guess you already knew that since you've met it personally”, she said and folded her arms in front of herself.
“How did you know?” Angel asked guiltily and Buffy decided she wasn't going to torture him any longer. “Met your cop friend, she's looking for you for murder, several actually”, she answered and raised an eyebrow at him, asking for explanation.
“She caught me in the apartment of one of the victims”, he explained and she nodded. “Yeah, I got that part from her. I'm guessing you know how to kill this demon?” she let him off the hook.
“Fire”, was his simple answer and Buffy's eyes widened. “Fire, vampire, bad! Do I have to draw it to you?” she said alarmed and he smiled tentatively, leaning closer to her.
“It's okay, I have a plan that doesn't include me being in fire”, he assured her and pressed a slow kiss to her lips.
“Hey! No necking in my apartment, you do that enough at the office!” Cordelia commanded and they stepped apart.
“What's the plan?” Buffy went back to the conversation, licking her lips as she watched him. “I'm gonna meet up with Kate and we'll share information, she's been on this case lot longer than we have”, he answered and Buffy shook her head furiously.
“Bad plan, that plan is going to land you into a nice warm, sunny cell”, she said to him but Angel just chuckled. “No it's not. Trust me. Do you trust me?” She glared at him, not liking the question.
“You know I do”, she said like a pouting little girl and then her face softened. “With my life”, she whispered. “Then trust me on this one”, he said back and as she nodded, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Cordelia rolled her eyes as Doyle was captivated by the free show.
“The Buffy and Angel show, what did I tell you”, she sighed to Doyle and then turned to the couple that was still in lip-lock not paying any attention to their surroundings. As they just kept kissing, Cordelia finally jumped to her feet from the couch.
“Hey, what did I tell you two, no necking in my apartment, go to your own before I get seriously traumatized! Who's gonna pay for the therapy? Huh?”
Angel watched in the darkness as the bartender lead Kate into the back room. As soon as they were inside, he followed them, just in time to see the bartender try to transfer the demon into Kate. Angel grabbed a piece of board and swung it at him, making the man fall to the ground and the parasite draw back to his chest. Angel kneeled next to Kate shaking her awake.
“Are you okay? Can you move?” he asked and when he saw the bartender attacking with a barrel, he yelled Kate to move and pulled her out of the way. He jumped up from the floor and hit the bartender hard in the stomach and gave another swing barely missing.
“I guess you're done with that body”, he stated seeing a piece of skin hanging from the side of his head. The bartender managed to punch him in the back and threw him against the fence.
“You don’t get to finish you just come apart at the seams”, Angel said and headbutted the man, sending him staggering back. As the man tried to attack again, Angel grabbed a hold of the fence and jumped up, wrapping him legs around the bartenders neck before flipping him to the ground. The bartender grabbed Angel by his legs and slammed him against the hanging lamp in the ceiling before backing him against a wall, slamming him hard against it and the throwing him to the door. Angel managed to get a grip from the frames but the bartender, grabbed Kate and threw her against Angel, making them fall down the stairs.
“We can’t let him get away”, Kate said and tried to get up but in vain. “He’s not going to leave. He’s going to kill again, now”, Angel said and got up to his feet. “You think so?” Kate questioned. “He has to”, Angel stated and ran up the stairs, trying to break down the door but it didn't seem to move.
He came back down the stairs and helped Kate to her feet. He looked around himself and seeing the windows, he took out the grappling gun. “Who are you?” Kate questioned as she saw it. Angel lunged it up wards, the line wrapping around a beam and hooks digging into the log. He yanked at it and the beam came tumbling down. Kate glanced at Angel before pulling out the gun she had in her ankle and she shot at the doors lock. They run out the door and through the bar, trying to spot the bartender.
Outside they split, Angel heading where he knew the bartender had headed. Angel saw him dragging a girl to a dark alley and he ran faster, tackling him to the ground. “Run!” he yelled at the girl and that she did. Angel grabbed him and threw him against a large dumpster before throwing him against a window with bars. He grabbed the bars and kicked Angel to the other wall. They traded few punches till the man threw Angel across the alley, almost knocking down the flaming barrel. Angel jumped up to his feet but the bartender almost dipped him to the fire, he kicked him back to the alley and went after him.
They thew punches and kicks to each other, beating each other badly but Angel was the one in worse condition. The bartender kicked Angel in the stomach and threw him out of the alley. He lunged at him but Angel kicked him over the roaring fire, knocking down the barrel and the demon caught fire. Angel struggled to get off the ground as the demon neared him but suddenly several shots were fired and the demon fell down to the ground. Angel turned to look and saw Kate holding a gun, he couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.
After it was all over, Kate and Angel talked, Kate confessing she had searched his place and they made promises of starting fresh. Angel offered her one of the cards and Kate's best guess for the drawing was lobster. But before any more questioning, he took off, anxious to get back home since it seemed like he hadn't been there in days.
Angel walked inside the apartment, it was dark and seemed empty but he could feel that someone was in there. He grabbed an axe from the wall and slowly made his way to the bedroom. He pulled the door open and quickly lowered his axe. Buffy giggled and glanced at the axe in his hand.
“I bet you had a rough night”, she said nearly in a whisper and all he could do was nod. Again she let out a giggle and made her way to him.
“Where are the others?” he asked swallowing at the sight of her clad only in wine red colored robe. “I gave them the night off, they seemed pretty beat. Although not as much as you”, she answered and took a hold of his hand, pulling him with her towards the bathroom.
“I made you a bath. And now we can have that quiet evening... night at home. Just lazy Angel/Buffy time”, she said and they stepped into the bathroom that was softly lighted with a blue night light. Angel raised his eyebrow in question at her and she smirked.
“I considered scented candles but since you've been playing with fire enough, the night light will do. Come on, you have too many clothes on”, she said and pulled the duster down his arms.
