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Part Five
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Cordelia seriously thought she was going to spontaneously combust when Angel didn’t make any effort to cover his obvious daydreaming. "I asked you a question about the born-again boy."

"And?" Angel knew he was treading on thin ice when Cordelia’s eyes narrowed.

"And I’m guessing you missed the first forty-five minutes of our discussion, too!" Her eyes shot stakes at him.

"What was the question?" Angel straightened up and focused his eyes on Cordelia, not wanting to anger her any further. He really didn’t want to die, despite the fact he was over two hundred years old.

"I asked why are we helping Lindsey again?"

"We are not helping him, we are just showing him the true face of his employers and hope he’ll make a right choice."

"I thought that’s what we did last time." Wesley cut in, his tone armored with skepticism. "How do we know he will make the right choice this time?"

"We don’t," Angel answered calmly. "We’ll have to give him the benefit of doubt."

He felt a hint of sympathy for Lindsey. From what Lindsey had told him about his childhood, he didn’t have to guess twice that Lindsey probably broke all bonds with his family, either willingly on his part or by the hands of Wolfram and Hart.

The young woman in the video might be the last person who Lindsey had loved. Lindsey deserved some happiness in his life, and Angel was going to provide it, he owed him at least that much.

"That’s comforting." Cordelia slumped back into her chair and glanced at the close door of Angel’s office. "I don’t understand how he can accept the promotion after they killed his girlfriend or whatever that Darla look-a-like was to him." she muttered under her breath, sounding confused and disturbed.

"He doesn’t remember her." Angel's vampire hearing picked up the whisper.

"What do you mean ‘he doesn’t remember her’?" Gunn, who had remained silent for a while, voiced the question on everyone’s mind.

"Exactly what I said. I think Glory took out the memories of Alicia from Lindsey." Angel turned to Wesley for support on his theory.

"Can Glory do that?" Cordelia turned to look at Wesley as well, hoping for a confirmation of Angel's hypothesis.

"I believe she can, even though it may take a great effort and energy on her part; but it is possible." Wesley answered with a frown, if that was true, then Glory would be a terrifying enemy.

"So Lindsey has no idea who that woman is?" Gunn’s words were filled with suspicion. "If he can’t remember, how do we expect him to believe us?"

"Like I’ve said before, we don’t." Angel was getting a little annoyed with the whole 'Lindsey will always be evil’ routine. His friends had forgiven him and accepted him back after he deserted them and locked innocent people, well maybe not the innocent part, in a wine cellar with two of the most vicious vampires ever known. If he could change, why not Lindsey?

Angel had come to understand and was beginning to get over Lindsey’s return to the firm after saving those children. Both sides could claim fault there; his own lack of understanding and Lindsey's thirst for wealth caused by his past. They were both to blame, but painting Lindsey as the evil one had always been easier and it helped him to keep his head held up high and maintained the ‘holier-than-thou’ attitude around the other man.

"What if he’s lying? His whole job is based on lying," Cordelia got up from her seat and started to pace around the lobby. "Did your vampire senses pick up anything when you asked him? When did you ask him?"

"He’s not lying, not this time. And I asked him this morning, when he just woke up, I doubt his brain was working properly to lie so easily without coffee."

Angel's attempt at humor went by unnoticed.

"But why are we helping him?" Cordelia quickened her pace; she looked like she was speed-walking. She chewed on her lower lip. "I just don’t get it!"

"I have to agree with her, Angel. How do we know he wouldn’t betray us this time?" Wesley stood up from his seat and walked over to stop Cordelia from wearing out the soles of her shoes.

"Look, I gave Faith a chance when you all thought she didn’t deserve one." He glanced at Wesley. "I owe at least that much to Lindsey." All of that had sounded better in his head, but he hoped the sincerity on his face had made up from his poor wording.

"But she didn’t try to kill us, just torture and kill Wesley, beat me up..." Cordelia trailed off as she thought about the similarity of both situations. "Never mind."

"Faith didn’t go back to Wolfram and Hart like Lindsey did," Wesley countered, "and she certainly didn’t choose to kill us, she was hired."

It seemed a bit odd that Wesley would be defending someone whom had tortured him half to death. But when Angel looked into the English man’s eyes, he understood when he saw the same guilt mirroring in his own eyes, for not being a better role model, a more fitting watcher or simply trying harder.

"Listen, guys. All I’m saying is I feel we’ve been unfair to Lindsey. We don’t get to chose who we help," Angel said quietly, but loud enough for everyone to hear. "That’s something I learned, and we are not even helping him, just showing him the other side. We’ll help him when he makes the decision."

"He has a point," Gunn nodded. He understood Lindsey's need to be successful, to be the one in control. Growing up on the streets had taught Gunn one lesson: you are either the one with power, or you are powerless. He was just lucky that he had a family to back him up, to correct him when he was turned onto the wrong path; Lindsey didn’t have that.

"Great, two against two," Cordelia groaned.

"Maybe we should get the Host over here. I know he’ll definitely be on our side," Gunn suggested with a sparkle of mischief in his eyes.

"Why would he be on your side? Angel tortures him with his singing."

"Hey!" Angel protested, but his complaint was ignored as the other two carried on with their conversation.

"Because he has a crush on Lindsey...." Gunn said smugly, pleased to see the stunned looked on his co-workers’ face.

"And how did you know? Wait... if it involves yucky details, spare me."

"What? Someone as bright as you didn’t see it? The suggestive words, the more than often pat on the back and the arm around the shoulder."

"Only you would notice such details!"

"Hey! Watch the sarcasm!"

"You started it."

"Nuh uh, you did!"

"You did!" As each moment passed by, Cordelia felt like she was reverting back to the seven years old that she was.

"You did!"

"Enough children," Wesley sighed after about fifty ‘you did’s were exchanged between Cordelia and Gunn. Wesley picked up a mug and poured freshly made coffee into it. "There isn’t really a point arguing about something as absurd as this." He chuckled at how worked up they’d gotten over something so trivial.

Angel was busy staring blankly at the wall in front of him. Lorne had a crush on Lindsey? That idea was too much for him to bear let along how silly the sentence sounded. But why couldn’t he shake the bitter feeling in the pit of his stomach and the acrid taste rising to his throat? It was almost like...he was jealous of Lorne and Lindsey? Oh god, they even had an alliteration thing going on there. He shook his head at that thought.

He knew he was a bit possessive, but why should he be jealous of Lindsey and Lorne? He was only possessive, or rather, protective of his friends; Lindsey certainly didn’t fall under that category. Too deep into his thoughts, he didn’t notice what was going on until it was too late.

Cordelia wandered over to the still closed door. "Shouldn’t the tape be over..." Her words were cut off and replaced by a scream as both of her hands shot up to cradle her head against the skull-splitting followed by flashes of images and lost her balance as she began to fall backwards.

"Vision!" All three men shouted as Angel and Gunn dashed to catch Cordelia’s fall while Wesley grabbed the notepad and a pen from the nearby desk, after dropping the coffee carelessly, then rushed back to his friends.

In their haste, Angel and Gunn collided into each other, they watched helplessly as Cordelia dropped to the ground. Instead of the thump they had expected, there was nothing.

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Lindsey was expecting anything except for Cordelia to fall into his arms and he instinctively caught her twitching body. It finally dawned on him; she was having a vision. A feeling of usefulness came over him as he did his best to hold down the jerking movements.

Even during her vision, Cordelia was aware of the pair of strong arms that supported her as she leaned against the equally muscled chest babbling out words of information between spasms. "Office building. Big, round rooms with funny wall design. Blood everywhere and candles. Oh my God!" The prophet’s eyes snapped wide open in fear. "Angel!"

"What? I’m right here!" Angel was instantly at her side, concern clearly written on his face.

"No, stop! Lindsey!" As those last words slipped out of her mouth in a shaky whisper and the last one screamed; Cordelia opened her eyes and gave her worried coworkers a tired smile.

"I’m okay. I’m okay...but somebody get that Excedrin in my drawer and my coffee." She closed her eyes in exhaustion then opened them again when none of her friends had moved. "Now would be good!"

At her command, Gunn and Wesley hurried to get the requested items while Angel wrapped his arms around her slim shoulders, his cold, large hands in contact with the lawyers, and led her to the couch, then laid her down gently.

"Cordy, what did you see?" Angel asked softly, but the desperation in his voice could not be mistaken. He hadn’t even notice the other two men approaching until they were close enough to hand her the painkillers and coffee.

"You were in a huge room, marble floor, with strange painting on the wall, like a symbol or something..." she started after swallowing the pills in a speed that made everyone worry if she was going to choke.

"What colors were the paintings?" Wesley asked gingerly as he handed her the notepad and pen. "Can you draw it?"

Cordelia recalled more details as she began to retrace the image she saw in her vision. "You were in it," she glanced at Angel, "you were just standing there while some weasel-looking guy stood in the blood circle and he was chanting. Here, I also drew the symbol on the floor." She passed the pad back to Wesley, who hurried off to research the design.

"What did the weasel-looking guy look like? Besides the fact he looks weasely," Gunn inquired as he ran his hand down Cordelia’s arm.

"He was bald, and wearing glasses with black frames, and in a suit," she answered and eyed Lindsey discreetly and was pleased when he didn’t seem to notice her action.

"Nathan," the young lawyer breathed out the name in shock and disgust, he should have known Wolfram and Hart was behind this; they always were.

"You know him? Good, because you were there, too." She watched Lindsey persistently. "Staking Angel." Her last two words had more effect than the two atomic bombs dropped on the Japanese islands during World War II.

"What?" was the common response from everyone in the room, even Wesley, who was buried in a pile of books in the far corner, lifted his head in shock and but stayed seated.

"Aha! I knew he couldn’t be trusted!" Gunn shouted; his eyes filled with raging distrust.

"Well, we all know that," Cordelia replied casually, "but what I don’t get it why didn’t Angel stop him?" Puzzlement settled firmly on her delicate features. "He just sorta stood there and waited to be turned to a big pile of dust."

Angel’s face mirrored the expression of bewilderment.

"I would never stake Angel," Lindsey objected. He locked his gaze with the vampire, sapphire eyes shining a promise that Lindsey would protect with his life.

Even Wesley and Cordelia had to believe his words, much against their will. Sure, the shock on Lindsey’s face could be mastered in court and the seemingly genuine sentiment in his voice could be trained by the many years of practice Lindsey had in convincing juries, but the honesty in his eyes was impossible to fake.

Angel was the expert of hiding his feelings, but it had taken him decades to master the skill. And the most Lindsey had was ten years.

Cordelia cocked her head to the left as she studied the young man in front of her. There was vulnerability mixed with sincerity in those baby blues, which held her searching gaze steadily. The unreadable expression in those sapphire eyes suggested that... Lindsey was afraid to lose Angel?

Shaking her head as she dismissed that offhand thought. They were archenemies! It was ridiculous to think the golden boy of Wolfram and Hart held any other emotion toward her non-living friend besides hatred. Still, there was something she couldn’t put her finger on.

First, the way Angel got defensive when she and Wesley talked about Lindsey’s weak morals, now Lindsey was ‘swearing’ he would never hurt Angel? When did hell freeze over?

"Why didn’t I do something?" Angel asked.

"Beats me," she shrugged her shoulders, and mentally discarded any further bizarre ideas involving Angel and Lindsey running loose in her head. She turned to the silent lawyer, "What did you think of the video?"

"Disturbing, seeing myself on screen doing stuff I don’t remember. At least I understand my crush on Darla. She looked so much like her." The last sentence was filled with bitterness. "I have to get back." Lindsey turned and began to head out the door.

"Back where?" Even walking, Lindsey could feel Wesley’s icy gaze on his back, penetrating the shield of calmness he had worked up.

"Wolfram and Hart." He tried to say it with as much ease as he could, but Lindsey found himself failing miserably at the task.

"What?" was the communal response from everyone in the lobby; the only difference was that this time, their tone was filled with more disappointment than shock.

"Fine," Angel dismissed Lindsey with a wave of his hand. He kept his face down; he didn’t want anyone to notice his anger and hurt at Lindsey’s decision.

Angel shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants, trying to stop himself from reaching out and strangle Lindsey’s pretty little neck, or was he trying to control the urge of pulling Lindsey into his arms and plead for him to stay? Angel was confused by his thoughts. He should have known that Lindsey would want to go back the firm, but why did it still hurt so much?

"Why are you still here? Go!" He yelled, not caring if his sudden raise of voice could startle his friends, all he knew was that he wanted Lindsey out of his eternal life, starting right this moment.

Cordelia, Gunn and Wesley gawked at their friend. Angel was not behaving like his normal calm, broody self. He held a look of torment on his pale features mixed with something else.

Something Cordelia was familiar with, it was the same expression that was on Buffy’s face when Angel left Sunnydale without another word and it reappeared again on Angel's when Buffy first visited LA.

"Angel?" Lindsey whispered, taking a tentative step toward the vampire. He inhaled deeply, knowing it could possibly be his last breath, and tried to shake off the growing fear as he advanced toward the seething vampire.

"Go crawling back to your boss!" Angel took a firm hold on Lindsey's shoulders and was pushing him out the door with his inhuman strength.

Angel hissed in pain as the sunlight made contact with his skin, and within seconds, there was smoke emerging from the scorched flesh. Despite the pain, Angel didn’t let go of his grip on Lindsey, instead, he stopped all movement and was staring at the tiled floor with his head hung.

"Go!" The last word was muffled with a strangled sob, but Angel didn’t notice. Perhaps he did, but just didn’t care for he was too tied up with the waves of emotions clashing against his no longer beating heart.

Lindsey had twice deceived him with his attempts to change and they both led to another game of planning and revenge. Angel wasn’t going to allow it to happen again. He had to end it, this thing between him and Lindsey, before it could cause him to do something he would regret forever, and it wasn’t figuratively in his case.

Seeing his opportunity, Lindsey quickly pushed the dazed vampire into the shade and out of the flaming rays of daylight. But when he tried to pry Angel’s large hands off his shoulder, Angel tightened them to a point where Lindsey felt like his bones and muscles were being mold into one.

"I just need gather some files and do some research on that woman, Alicia Dovane, and pack some stuff. I’ll be back," Lindsey said with a gentle patience as he flinched slightly against the bruising grasp Angel had on his shoulders.

"Promise?" It was somewhere between a whimper and a plea.

Cordelia, Gunn and Wesley’s felt their jaw go slack at Angel’s weak and pleading tone. They hadn’t heard that tone since Angel came back from his trip to the dark side and begged for their forgiveness.

"Promise. I’ll be back before sundown and we can decide what to do." Lindsey whispered softly. "But now I have to go and I don’t want to rouse any kind of suspicion by being late on my first day."

"Use my car." Angel finally loosened his hands and dug out a set of keys from his pocket.

"Thanks." Lindsey smiled tenderly as he exited the office.

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"Will someone tell me what the hell just happened?" Gunn was the first to regain his ability to speak while Cordelia and Wesley still stood with their mouth open.

"What do you mean?" Angel acted as if the exchange between him and Lindsey was perfectly normal or it had never happened.

"You just gave him your car!" Cordelia shouted, "The car you won’t let me drive!" She sat down in a huff, crossing her arms across her chest and glared at her former boss in injustice.

"Angel, are you feeling all right?" the Wesley inquired, sounding worried and got up from his books-piled table.

"Yeah, why?"

"Gee, I don’t know, maybe it’s because you just gave Lindsey your car!" Cordelia was fuming with ire and a hint of envy swimming underneath the cover of anger.

"Lend, not give. And he’ll come back with the car, he promised." That defense sounded better in his head.

"Since when are you so trusting of them lawyers?" The question was indistinct because Gunn was rubbing his sore jaw when he asked it.

"Now?" Angel replied sheepishly. To be honest, he had no idea why he felt the potent need to trust Lindsey, but he just went along with his instincts; they had never failed him before.

"Seriously Angel, why?" Wesley approached, his brows furrowed over the inexplicable ways his friend was acting.

"Because I want to help him," Angel explained, "I know I didn’t exactly give my best the last two times, and I want to make it work, I want to save his soul." ‘And then maybe this annoying voice in my head would go away,’ he added silently.

"Let just hope you can keep this attitude until Lindsey's soul is saved. Don’t you go and have another epiphany," Gunn warned jokingly as he turned for the door as well. "I’ll check up on you guys later."

Wesley nodded his goodbye to Gunn and returned to the books.

"I understand the whole ‘I feel bad about how horrible I treated him the last time thing’, but what’s with the begging?" Cordelia asked casually while sorting through the mail. "Bills, bills, bills..." she grumbled under her breath.

"Begging? I wasn’t begging!" Angel objected, seething with embarrassment and confusion. He wasn’t begging, was he?

"Oh, there was major begging, right after the screaming fit you had." She grabbed the letter opener out of her desk and began to open the mail. "Eww, chicken-fearing demon blood." She made a face at the dried blue substance sticking to the paper.

"I didn’t have a fit!"

"Right, right, I believe you, you were just talking loudly. But you did beg."

"I agree, I was just talking loudly... But I didn’t..." The phone ringing interrupted him and Cordelia signaled Angel to be silent as she answered the call.

"I wasn’t..." The vampire was told to be quiet by his coworker again when she pushed the ‘line two’ button.

"Angel Investigations, we help the helpless. How may I help you?" Cordelia nodded as the caller gave her the situations and their name. "Okay, no, lunch would be great. I’ll see you around eleven? Great, bye," she said cheerfully as she hung up the phone.

"Listen, I really wasn’t begging!"

"Did I not say I believe you? I’m heading down to the bank to check if Mr. Verdi had transferred his payment to our account, then I’m meeting a new client for lunch. I’ll be back around two." Cordelia was halfway out the lobby before her sentence was finished.

"It’s only nine right now. You don’t need two hours to go to the bank!"

"Oh yes, you do. When your friend lends his car to someone else and you have to find a ride," she called from the sidewalk in front of the Hyperion.

"But it’s only two blocks down..." Angel reasoned, but stopped when he realized Cordelia was long gone. "Umm, Wesley?"

"Humm?"

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

"No."

"Anything I can do?"

"You can go brood."

"That was a little harsh."

"What? Oh, I’m sorry. I’m just irritated by the lack of solution to our Glory problem and the complicated language used in the prophecies of Aberjian isn’t helping at all." Wesley glanced up apologetically and pulled out a chair next to him. "You are welcome to join me, if you’d like."

"Of course." Angel literally jumped at the invitation and seated within seconds then began to flip through centuries old books and ancient language dictionaries.

Soon, it was silence except for the occasionally rustling as the pages being turned.

:: Part Six ::