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Part Two
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"Nice to meet you." Lindsey held out his hand, and smiled politely at the young woman in a maroon dress in front of him. She seemed non-threatening, beautiful even, except for the overwhelming sense of arrogance and strength that surrounded her.

"Believe me, the pleasure is all mine," Glory smirked as she extended her well-manicured hands, but their target was not the young man's out-stretched hand, they were higher and aimed for Lindsey's temples instead.

The skin and flesh began to blur as Glory's fingers sunk and reached deeper into the skull. Lindsey let out an earsplitting scream and jerked his body abruptly in useless attempts to get away from the intolerable pain while his mind was being sucked away. As his screams intensified, Glory straightened her arms, and the only contact Lindsey had with the ground was the tip of his shoes.

Suddenly, the tightly-clenched eyes flew open in panic; the Lindsey's face a white mask of terror, his hands flew up abruptly, reaching out for an unknown force, and his mouth silently cried for help as his arms slowly dropped to his side.

Lindsey landed on the floor in a sickening thump as Glory stood there with a satisfied grin on her face. "Yummy."

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"What the hell just happened?" Gunn exclaimed with wide-eyes.

"Good question. I second that." Cordelia raised her hand in agreement, slightly shaking from the shock. "Who was that?" she nudged Wesley gently with her knee.

"I'll get right on it." Wesley leaped up but was stopped by Angel.

"Not so fast. It isn't over yet," Angel stated calmly as Holland started talking.

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"Are you sure you didn't kill him?"

"Are you questioning my power?" Glory glared with menace at Holland and flexed her fingers.

"Of course not. How long will it take him to recover?"

"Hours, a day at most, humans are so breakable and frail. Don't you think so?" Getting no response, she proceeded, "I only took out the parts you wanted me to. So he shouldn't be out for long. But it was very tiring for me having to control my powers."

"I'm sorry to hear that, but I do have some good news that should cheer you up. John here will escort you to the airport, where you will be off to Prague, where the...thieves who stole your key were last seen."

"Great, nice working with you."

"Same here. John will provide you with anything," Holland emphasized on the last word, "anything you need." Holland waved good-bye as he gave Glory a meaningful look.

"Thanks."

As she headed out the door, Holland pulled out his cell phone and dialed quickly. "John Hachet will be in a terrible and fatal accident in about two hours, be sure to inform his family. Have someone come up here and move our newest legal clerk, Mr. McDonald, to somewhere comfortable. As for Miss Dovane in room 117, kill her," he commanded as he glanced down at the limp body of his newest employee. The screen died out to pitch-blackness.

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"Well, that was entertaining," Gunn uttered after a long moment of silence.

"Very." Angel rose and ejected the tape from the VCR after it finished rewinding. "Wesley, see if there's anything in the prophecies of Aberjian about this Glory. Cordelia, research for any incidents around Prague from the year 1998 on. Gunn, try to contact your friend again, and tell him to leave town, fast. It won't take Wolfram and Hart long to figure out what he did; that place is packed with security cameras."

With a nod of their heads, the three of them went to work. Even though Angel wasn't their boss anymore, they still followed the orders he gave out habitually.

"What about you?" Gunn asked as he slipped on his jacket.

"I'm going over the video again in my new office," He shot Wesley a grateful look, after weeks of sitting in the tiny desk, his new boss had finally decided it was time to end his torment by giving one of the empty hotel rooms to Angel. "I'll try to figure out if this Glory has any weakness, then I'll call Giles."

Angel peeked over Cordelia's shoulder to find out the time on the computer, and was pleased to see that it was only a little past ten. He had enough time to catch up on his interrupted sleep, take a long, relaxing shower, go over the tape again or maybe twice, call Giles and possibly to have all of the above done before sundown.

"Joy, Scooby Gang all over again," Cordelia mumbled as she typed hurriedly.

Angel ignored the comment as he bent over to unplug the TV and carry it down the hall.

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As dusk fell, the night part of LA became alive as lights of brilliant, almost blinding, colors lit up the city. The grayish-blue somehow mixed in perfectly with the red, yellow and orange, making the sky a blur of many shades. The view didn't impress Lindsey McDonald, who was lounging comfortably on his leather sofa in a dark blue robe.

Lindsey scarcely recalled the events after he left his office. He had driven home at record speed, placed his briefcase on his computer desk after discarding his suit jacket, tie and loafers. Opening all windows of his apartment, he let the cool, humid night air filled the spaces. He liked the feeling of air drifting in his rooms; it felt like he was being purified, cleansed from the stench of Wolfram and Hart. He took his habitual shower, and scrubbed until his skin turned red. Even as he stared at his now scarlet skin, he still felt unclean. Sighing and shaking his head in defeat, he threw on his robe and poured himself a drink then he sat and stared at it in a daze.

The caramel-colored liquid flowed around the sparkling ice, the beads of moisture forming on the outside of the glass left water stain on the glass table. Sighing, Lindsey walked to his bedroom, where he shrugged off the robe he was wearing and gave his half-wet hair one last swipe before throwing the towel across the room.

He slipped on a pair of sweatpants, and padded out of the room, barefooted and bare-chested, picking up the drink with his right hand when he passed by it.

He gazed down at the flesh and blood hand before him, holding the glass steadily. Both hands! It was amazing how people didn't appreciate what they had until they lost it. He never knew that feeling though, since he never had anything. How could you lose something you never had? Which was why he insisted on doing everything he could to keep the life he owned, he couldn't afford another attack of the hollowness; he barely survived it when he was seven, when his father looked at him with blank eyes and an empty smile while signing away their home.

Wolfram and Hart gave him hope, power, even a new hand and everything he wanted, except for happiness. But happiness couldn't shield you from the cold, shelter you from the rain and stop the gnawing hunger inside you. He had all the things he wished, substantially, so why wasn't he happy? Oddly enough, the only time he was content was when he worked with Angel to save those children. It was harder to fight the coldness once he had a taste of the warm bliss, but he managed. What could he say? He was a material guy and he doubted Angel would welcome him into his gang with open arms.

Instead, Lindsey resided in a world of fear; he didn't want to end up like Brad. The young lawyer slumped back into the leather sofa and ran his left hand through the crease and inhaled deeply the unique scent of the leather. It was the smell of success, the fragrance of wealth.

Lindsey turned his gaze down to the glass he held in his hand; he hadn't touched a drop since the Darla left. Not even his usual weekend beer. He did not have the privilege of a hangover, especially when he was expected to present an image of success tomorrow. After winning the final judgment between Lilah and him, he was now the head of the Special Projects department.

But tonight, Lindsey didn't care. The stress of his lack of relationship with the world, the constant fear of death and the ever-present mind-games attacked him unexpectedly. It made him want to lean on the crutch of alcohol; he needed something to lean on. And he preferred lifeless things to living beings; after all, the non-living seemed more reliable.

He had figured if he got drunk enough it wouldn't hurt as much. Angel's biting remarks might lose their sting under a nice buzz, and maybe he'd be able to erase his own mistakes from his damned memory. Just to forget for a little while the pain and disgust he felt every time he looked in the mirror at the reflection he didn't recognize as his own anymore.

The cool liquid suggested the cure for everything. At least it gave his father an escape from reality, and an excuse to vent his anger on his son. The ice cubes rattled as one of them on the bottom melted enough for a positional shift. He eyed the glass more intensely. He really wanted a drink. All he had to do was reach forward and bring the glass to his lips. Just allow it to burn down his throat and let the warmth spread through his limbs. It would loosen him up; maybe allow him to sleep without the usual nightmares.

Lindsey carefully sipped the beverage. As the liquor traveled down his throat, he let out a content sigh; he felt better already.

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The staff of Angel Investigations had searched every possible book and database, yet they could not identify Glory.

Wesley had assumed the worst, if Glory could not be found in any text written, then it would be possible for her to have been around long before literature had begun, or that everyone who had came into contact with her had died.

The information Giles gave Angel over the phone only confirmed Wesley's fear. Giles had filled Angel in on all the details, including Dawn, when they spent the whole afternoon talking. The currently homeless Glory was strong, and apparently she kept herself sane by sucking out human's mind and making them zombies.

Angel threw on his leather coat as he watched the last rays of sunshine disappear from the window. He began to head out of the office when Cordelia¡¦s voice stopped him.

"Where are you going?" She asked with a hint of worry in her voice, she was all too familiar with the gleam in Angel's eyes. He was up to something, and she wasn't going to let him do it alone, not anymore.

"Paying Lindsey a little visit, I have a present for him." Angel patted his pocket, and it answered with soft thump, indicating the video.

"Let's get goin'." Gunn overlooked the dismayed look on the broody vampire's face as he beat Angel to the door with Cordelia by his side. "You can't go in uninvited. You need us."

"I'll stay and try to translate more of the scroll," Wesley said without lifting his head up from the pile of books he'd been buried in since noon.

Sighing softly, Angel agreed. After all, he wasn't the one in charge anymore, and he knew Gunn was right. There was no way in hell Lindsey would invite him in.

The door closed with a soft click while the engine revved and the tires spat gravel as they sped off into the dark night.

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As he put the half-empty scotch bottle next to his bare-feet, Lindsey was thankful for the alcohol Lee had given him as a Christmas gift a few years back.

Lindsey still remembered the warm blood splashing against his face and soaking his shirt as his coworker's head exploded next to him. He decided to chase away the memory by tossing another shot down his throat.

His stomach growled in protest seconds later; reminding him that he hadn't eaten all day except for the cup of coffee in the morning and downing hard alcohol on an empty stomach was not a smart idea. But he was too focused on the liquor in his hand and the pleasant sensation of his thoughts detaching and floating away from him, leaving his body to total relaxation to worry about tomorrow.

Soon, the first bottle was gone. Struggling to balance himself as he stood up, Lindsey walked unsteadily to the kitchen, almost tripped over the bottle in the process. He let out a small cheer when he discovered a bottle of whiskey hidden behind the wines. Not bothering to pour it in a glass, Lindsey popped open the bottle, he chuckled lightly when the plug flung off and landed in one of his carelessly kicked-off shoes. He took a sip and leaned back comfortably on the counter.

For some inexplicable reason, his thoughts floated to Angel, who had cut off his right hand, who had stolen the only woman he cared about from him, who had interfered with his plans often than not.

He never thought about his life when he was sober. Maybe that's why he didn't drink that much, Lindsey mused as he did something he hadn't done in a long time; he looked inside himself, searching for his true feelings toward Angel.

Strangely, of all the emotions he located - anger, disappointment, envy - he couldn't find hatred. True, he did act like he hated the vampire, but it was just an act. If he really despised Angel, he would have staked him or sprayed him with holy water after he had run him over with his truck. The truth was, he was actually worried about hurting Angel.

As Lindsey dug deeper within himself, he realized his anger and disappointment came from Angel's rejection when he practically begged the vampire for a chance of redemption. Envy was originated because Angel had people who cared for him.

Angel had something he would never have again - a family. Lindsey longed to be loved, to have people worried about him if he didn't return. He was tired of being a tool and sick of fearing for his life every moment. Sure, Holland had told him more than once that the firm was a big family, but in families, you didn't kill off the failures.

Lindsey wanted to be a part of Angel's family, to have that unwavering trust devoted to him, to matter in the world. He knew those are the things Wolfram and Hart couldn't provide.

After all the layers of emotions were peeled away, Lindsey came to one conclusion: He loved Angel. As sick and twisted as it might sound, he loved him, the sworn enemy of Wolfram and Hart and the very person whose desire of seeing him dead was only second to Lilah.

Shaking his head as much as he could without causing dizziness, Lindsey took a long swig of the alcohol in his hand. Soon, Lindsey felt as if his brain had turned to a sponge and an invisible hand was slowly squeezing all the troubles out of it.

He was only able to get a fraction of the liquid into his mouth and the rest landed on his chest. He stared at the wet trail left by the alcohol, captivated, as the neck of the bottle slipped between his fingers. The noise of it crashing against the floor broke the silence of the room. Yet he didn't seem to mind, for he merely snickered lightly as he treaded carefully out of the kitchen. His once pale face was now rose-colored, just like his lips.

"Pretty colors," Lindsey mumbled as he looked out his window, almost falling out of it in the course of action. "Note to self: Open windows bad." He told himself.

As he closed and firmly locked the windows, Lindsey heard someone knocking and let out a happy squeal as he skipped toward the door.

"Stay still!" he grunted as he attempted to grab the doorknob. As he was about to try for the seventh time, the door flew open and hit his forehead.

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Patience was drained rapidly from Angel as he stood outside Lindsey's door, and the tapping of Cordelia's sandals against the floor wasn't helping a bit. "If we had gone with my plan, we'd be half way back at the hotel by now," He grumbled.

Angel had wanted to break in the apartment, grab Lindsey and head back to the hotel. However, his companions rejected his proposal without a second thought, saying they wanted do this in a civilized way. Angel silently cursed democracy as he complied.

"Angel, are you sure you know what the word 'civilized' means?" Gunn arched his eyebrow in suspicion when Angel nodded. "Then stand still, and wait."

Angel was sure that Lindsey was home; he could smell the potent fragrance of fine scotch and heard the leaden footsteps as Lindsey approached the door. His vampire senses told him that Lindsey had been standing only inches away from them for a while, but the confusing part was why didn't he answer the door? If he had known who was in the hall, why wasn't security called?

"Maybe he's at work," Cordelia guessed.

"Or maybe he just doesn't want to see us," Gunn replied, as he lifted his hand again to knock.

"Screw this," Angel growled with impatience as he raised one of his long legs and kicked the door. It flew opened with a soft bang when it made contact with a human body instead of the hard wall.

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Lindsey staggered back with his head in his hands and let out a soft groan of pain.

"Great! Now he can sue us for breaking and enter and assault..." Gunn trailed off when Lindsey greeted them with opened arms with a broad smile.

"Angel! Cordelia! And the guy from Caritas! How are you good, happy people?"

"Drunk much?" Cordelia wrinkled her nose at the strong whiff of alcohol when Lindsey came closer.

"Just a little..." He turned and glanced at the bottles on the floor, shrugged and turned back to his companies. "I'll get more... After all, we are all a big, happy family." Lindsey slurred as he padded unsteadily back to the kitchen.

"Wait, you are all a big happy family, my family's dead... Holland said we are a family, but nope! He's dead too and I really hate to be in a family with Lilah... but guess what? She's dead, too!" He emerged with a bottle in his hand. "Even you!" Lindsey pointed directly at Angel, "You are dead!"

Angel, Cordelia and Gunn could only gape at Lindsey and his unusual behavior. Getting no response, Lindsey grinned widely as he brought alcohol to his mouth and poured one-fifth of the liquor down his throat while talking back to the door. With his eyes towards the ceiling, he tripped over his shoes on the way over to his enemies; he landed on his back with a thud. The impact left him silent for few moments and then a wave of laughter erupted from him. As abruptly as the outburst came, it was gone.

Lindsey, who appeared to be unconscious, stayed motionless on the perfectly waxed floor as the forgotten vodka gushed from the knocked-over bottle and left a growing wet spot on his pants.

"This is pathetic. Just grab him and get this over with," Angel growled impatiently to Gunn as the invisible shield stopped the vampire from doing the action himself.

"Got him." Gunn stepped in and threw Lindsey over his shoulder with ease. "Let's get outta here."

Cordelia drew the broken door shut as best as she could and was surprised when Angel reached over and pulled it closed with a bang.

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Angel snarled loudly as Lindsey sang on top of his lungs in the back seat after throwing up on the leather upholstery. "If we had shoved him in the trunk like I said, we would have peace and quiet right now, and my car wouldn't be ruined!"

"Even drunk off his ass, I would trade his singing for peace and quiet anytime." Cordelia sighed dreamily and Gunn nodded in approval as Lindsey continued.

"Pretty girl on every corner. Sunshine turns the sky to gold. Warm, warm, it's always warm here. And I can't take the cold."

"That song again?" Angel whined as he took a sharp left turn, throwing his passengers off-balance.

However, it didn't seem to affect Lindsey, who carried on with his song like nothing had happened. "This whole world shines so brightly..." Suddenly, he stopped and stuck his head between the two front seats then stared at Angel. "I'm so sorry, I never realized how much that song hurts you."

"You should be sorry...what?" Angel took his eyes of the road and looked dubiously at Lindsey. '

"I was so insensitive and inconsiderate with the whole 'sunshine' and the 'bright' part of the song." Sensing confusion around him, the singer added, "ya know, he's a vampire, no sunshine... But no fear, I can change it for you." He looked down thoughtfully for seconds, and then resumed singing. "The whole world doesn't shine...wait...The whole world shines un-brightly... That doesn't sound right!"

"Just shut up and get back there," Angel gnarled over the chuckling of Cordelia and Gunn at Lindsey's attempts of making the song more fitting for a vampire.

Lindsey grumbled as he settled back next to Gunn, who was sitting with him to keep an eye on him if he tried to escape. Lindsey stayed quiet for a while then questions started to flow from his mouth. "Where are you taking me? Why are you taking me? Are we there yet? Why can't I sit in front? Are we there yet?"

Cordelia stifled a laugh. Lindsey sounded like a little kid. If she hadn't known his past and the fact that he tried to kill her, she could almost think it was cute. But Angel apparently didn't think so, as he floored the gas pedal with a mumble that sounded like 'Someone put a stake in me.'

In less than ten minutes, they arrived at the Hyperion. Angel tossed Lindsey carelessly over his shoulder as they got out of the car and entered the hotel.

Angel dumped the lawyer roughly on the couch, ignoring the protesting groan from Lindsey, and turned to his friends. "Why don't you guys go home, get some rest? He's probably out for the night."

"I wanna go home!" Lindsey made a run for the door as soon as he was free.

"He's out all right." Gunn blocked him easily and hauled him over his shoulder.

"Why don't you let him have your bed, so you can keep an better eye on him?" Cordelia suggested with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

"What? No! Stop what you are doing!" Angel shook his head violently with his mouth hanging open in disbelief as Gunn began to walk upstairs obviously agreeing with Cordelia's idea. "This isn't funny."

"Payback time." She grinned smugly.

"There, all done. I'm taking off. Let's go Cordy," Gunn smirked as he reappeared, his arms empty, and dragged Cordelia with him, leaving Angel standing alone in shock.

"Angel? I found something you might want to know." Wesley's voice brought Angel out of his daze. "I haven't found anything on Glory or how to defeat her, but I did find another way for you to achieve shanshu."

"How?"

"You must destroy the very heart of human evil. It could be very difficult considering what you told us about your little visit to the senior partners with Holland."

"I'm sure that can be arranged." Angel smiled wistfully while eyeing the staircase leading up to his room.

"No, Angel. The very heart of human evil, as in the source of it or something that helps it grow, not a person," Wesley explained with a warning in his eyes. The memory of Angel almost crossing over to the other side was still fresh.

"Fine. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Behave," Wesley gathered up his jacket and some papers then headed out the office.

"I'll try," Angel muttered with an impish spark in his eyes as he headed to his room, where Lindsey slept.

:: Part 3 ::