Unficathon #1
Title: Perfection
For: Becky
Request: Birthday Fic
Character having the birthday: Lilah
Three guests: Lindsey, Gavin, Holland
Object given as gift: The Mona Lisa
Character not allowed: Angel
Villian: The Senior Partners
Quote: “After God, long live wine.” Rosalia De Castro
Disclaimer: I own nothing! They're not mine!
The size and shape of the package could only be one thing, but that one thing could be an almost infinite variety of beauty wrapped in brown paper. It seemed such a flimsy way to house and protect a piece of art. Lilah trailed her finger along the twine holding the paper tightly against the frame and plucked it gently with one elegantly manicured nail. It thumped against the paper, producing a hollow high note.
She allowed herself a small, satisfied smile before returning to her desk and the pile of paperwork between her and going home to a bottle of merlot. There had been a brief rumor of a party, which she had eviscerated rather quickly and literally, by exposing the recently deceased Hospitality Grand Dame as having leaked information about a client’s pending legal strategy. Of course, there was no way for a Grand Dame to get into Lilah’s files and she had her own motivations for leaking the information to the competition. But she had disliked the meddlesome demon’s always-cheerful smile and insistence on an office party. Didn’t the simpering idiot understand that office parties at Wolfram and Hart inevitably left behind corpses that had the PR team working overtime for weeks?
Realizing that she had zoned out while reading a new brief, she closed the document and added it to the pile that would have to wait until tomorrow. Her eyes strayed to the neatly wrapped painting sitting expectantly in the chair across the room. She had just the place for it. A woman of her tastes could only stand Hieronymus Bosch’s depiction of Hell for so long. This new addition would undoubtedly give her office a more desirable ambience.
“Working late on your birthday, Lilah?”
She closed the expensive pen with a twist; setting it aside and pushing her chair back far enough to prop her feet, and her far more expensive pumps, up on the corner of her desk. “All in a day’s work, Lindsey. I hardly expect my clients to put their lives on hold just for my birthday.”
“I see you got the usual fruit basket from the office staff.” He grinned as he pulled the basket out of the trash bin beside the door. “You really should try the pears.”
“I prefer grapes, in bottle form.” Lilah responded breezily, ignoring the fruit basket now sitting on her desk.
“Another birthday spent drinking alone?”
“I’ll hardly be alone.” She motioned to the stack of legal documents on the corner of her desk that she intended to take home with her.
“All work and no play makes Lilah...”
“A candidate for promotion. Don’t forget, we’ve got a Review coming up next year and I intend to still be here after the Senior Partners slaughter the rest of you.”
A low chuckle cut their conversation short. Lilah looked around Lindsey to see Holland Manners standing in the doorway with a younger, fresh-faced man in a dark suit. “Slaughter is hardly the proper term for a few employee reviews, Ms. Morgan. Mr. Park, I’d like you to meet Lindsey McDonald and Lilah Morgan. This is Gavin Park. He’s just joined Mr. Hayes’ division.”
Lilah nodded, already tuning out the conversation even as she appeared to still be listening. Holland always towed the newcomers around to show them what could be theirs with a little ingenuity and hard work. Money, power, and a corner office. It had worked on Lilah when she had been just a promising graduate and she could tell from the hungry look in the man’s eyes that it was already working on him. What had Holland said his name was?
“I do believe you have a present waiting to be opened.” Holland motioned to the package in the chair.
“I thought I might send it down to the Hex department.” She uncrossed her ankles and swung her legs down gracefully. In her heels, she towered over Lindsey, who always seemed to cringe a little when she got too close to him. Taking her time crossing the room, she ran her hand over the top of the package. “There was no card so I haven’t the slightest idea who it’s from. You can’t be too careful in this line of work. It might be cursed.”
“Since when are you cautious?” Lindsey raised an eyebrow skeptically.
“You’re right, Lindsey. When I have friends like you, what’s there to worry about?” She kept her voice smooth but with just the right amount of an edge. Scooping up the pair of scissors she’d left on the corner of her desk, she caught the twine with the blades and began to cut.
“Wait!” The new guy looked around nervously. “Maybe it is a good idea. If you don’t know who sent it. I mean, with the rest of us here.”
Lilah ignored him and spoke to Holland. “Are you sure he’s ready for the big leagues?” The man stiffened immediately and his expression turned to one of extreme distaste.
“I can assure you that he’s quite capable.” Holland smiled another one of his gentleman smiles. “And it wouldn’t have made it through the front doors if it could be a danger to anyone in the building. Go ahead, Lilah. We’re all anxious to see what it is.”
The twine fell away with a single cut and she had to force her hands to stop shaking as she pulled away the brown paper. It rustled and crinkled, sounding like every Christmas and birthday she’d ever had all combined into one perfect moment. As the paper tore away, she saw the face in the soft tones of centuries old oil paint. Dark brown, olive green, and the creamy skin color accentuated by subtly pink lips. And that smile. The smile that had mystified and beguiled for centuries.
“That can’t be the real one,” the new guy whispered.
“I’ll have it verified.” Lilah kept her eyes on the painting, drinking in the soft colors and perfect lines.
“Well, you must have quite an admirer.” Holland was still smiling. Nothing seemed to make any sort of real impression on his facial expressions. “I’ll see that the best art restoration experts come up immediately to ensure that it’s properly mounted and protected.”
“Thank you, sir.” Lilah flashed him a brilliant smile, already eyeing the garish reds and blacks of the Hieronymus Bosch.
“Happy birthday, Lilah.” He disappeared through the doorway with the whisper of silk and the new guy faithfully at his heels.
Lindsey stepped closer to examine the painting, brow furrowing as he studied the details of both canvas and frame. “Congratulations, Lilah. You must have done something right despite all your mistakes.”
“Jealous?” Lilah shrugged off his comments. “Maybe you’ll get one for your birthday…a Picasso perhaps?”
“Paintings aren’t my thing.” He stepped back, shrugging off his suit coat and slinging it over one shoulder. “You really don’t know where it came from?”
“Come on, Lindsey.” Lilah tapped the scissors against her palm. “A package shows up in Wolfram and Hart, in my office, on my birthday, with no record of coming through shipping. Where do you think it came from?”
Lindsey was taken aback, eyes darting from her to the painting and back again. “You think the Senior Partners sent you a painting?”
“All I know is that the Mona Lisa is going to be hanging on my wall and it had to get here somehow.”
His expression turned blank and he gave her an insincere smile, “Well, happy birthday.” The lack of enthusiasm in his voice guaranteed that there would be months of speculation buzzing through the offices of Wolfram and Hart as to who had really given Lilah a priceless masterpiece. That alone was worth the price she’d paid to have the painting on her wall.
Once more alone in her office she turned back to the painting. The dark eyes were mesmerizing. Lilah could imagine that this woman knew what it was to have wealth, to wield power and influence like weapons. This was someone who understood.
The phone beeped once to let her know there was a call waiting and she reluctantly pulled herself away from the painting to return to her desk. Depressing the speakerphone button, she kept her eyes on the woman staring out from the antique frame.
“It’s done.”
“Thank you, Hauser.”
“And untraceable, just as you asked.” She could hear the slightest hint of hesitation in his voice.
“Is there something else?”
“You’re sure this was authorized by the Senior Partners? I haven’t received any paperwork.”
“I assure you they have much better things to be worrying about than paperwork.” She perched on the edge of her desk, rubbing her calves together and enjoying the feel of the silk stockings. “Don’t worry. If you’d like, I can fill out the assassination records myself. It’s hardly an hour’s work and I’m in no hurry to get home.”
“That won’t be necessary, ma’am.” Came the clipped military response. “I won’t take up any more of your time.”
“Before you go…since you’ve made this the perfect birthday, Hauser, I don’t suppose you have time for me to thank you personally?” she purred.
There was a pause. “I can make time, ma’am.”
“Good.” She disconnected with another press of a button and slipped out of her jacket, draping it carelessly over the desk chair. The rest of her clothing would be scattered about the room soon enough, with a few ripped seams and lost buttons if the past was a model to go by. It would be nearly dawn before she made it home to shower and savor the fresh bruises. A block of musty law books on the middle shelf in the corner slid away with a gentle push and she pulled out two wine glasses and a bottle of her favorite cabernet.
For Lilah, it was always about combining business and pleasure, something Lindsey never seemed to understand. She took what she wanted because there was no one she could count on to provide for her. Having the birthday she wanted was as simple as making it happen. And, of course, making sure the highly paid art thief and exorbitantly paid forgery artist responsible for the painting now hanging in the Louvre disappeared without a trace. Money and power made the world go round. Taking a sip of wine, she savored both the smooth taste and the bite of the alcohol. Pleasure and pain were always so tangled up together, perfectly exemplified by the blood colored liquid.
The corner of her lips rose in an imitation of the infamous smile and knowing that the enigmatic woman would appreciate her words; she tipped her glass to the painting and made a toast, “After God, long live wine.”
For: Becky
Request: Birthday Fic
Character having the birthday: Lilah
Three guests: Lindsey, Gavin, Holland
Object given as gift: The Mona Lisa
Character not allowed: Angel
Villian: The Senior Partners
Quote: “After God, long live wine.” Rosalia De Castro
Disclaimer: I own nothing! They're not mine!
The size and shape of the package could only be one thing, but that one thing could be an almost infinite variety of beauty wrapped in brown paper. It seemed such a flimsy way to house and protect a piece of art. Lilah trailed her finger along the twine holding the paper tightly against the frame and plucked it gently with one elegantly manicured nail. It thumped against the paper, producing a hollow high note.
She allowed herself a small, satisfied smile before returning to her desk and the pile of paperwork between her and going home to a bottle of merlot. There had been a brief rumor of a party, which she had eviscerated rather quickly and literally, by exposing the recently deceased Hospitality Grand Dame as having leaked information about a client’s pending legal strategy. Of course, there was no way for a Grand Dame to get into Lilah’s files and she had her own motivations for leaking the information to the competition. But she had disliked the meddlesome demon’s always-cheerful smile and insistence on an office party. Didn’t the simpering idiot understand that office parties at Wolfram and Hart inevitably left behind corpses that had the PR team working overtime for weeks?
Realizing that she had zoned out while reading a new brief, she closed the document and added it to the pile that would have to wait until tomorrow. Her eyes strayed to the neatly wrapped painting sitting expectantly in the chair across the room. She had just the place for it. A woman of her tastes could only stand Hieronymus Bosch’s depiction of Hell for so long. This new addition would undoubtedly give her office a more desirable ambience.
“Working late on your birthday, Lilah?”
She closed the expensive pen with a twist; setting it aside and pushing her chair back far enough to prop her feet, and her far more expensive pumps, up on the corner of her desk. “All in a day’s work, Lindsey. I hardly expect my clients to put their lives on hold just for my birthday.”
“I see you got the usual fruit basket from the office staff.” He grinned as he pulled the basket out of the trash bin beside the door. “You really should try the pears.”
“I prefer grapes, in bottle form.” Lilah responded breezily, ignoring the fruit basket now sitting on her desk.
“Another birthday spent drinking alone?”
“I’ll hardly be alone.” She motioned to the stack of legal documents on the corner of her desk that she intended to take home with her.
“All work and no play makes Lilah...”
“A candidate for promotion. Don’t forget, we’ve got a Review coming up next year and I intend to still be here after the Senior Partners slaughter the rest of you.”
A low chuckle cut their conversation short. Lilah looked around Lindsey to see Holland Manners standing in the doorway with a younger, fresh-faced man in a dark suit. “Slaughter is hardly the proper term for a few employee reviews, Ms. Morgan. Mr. Park, I’d like you to meet Lindsey McDonald and Lilah Morgan. This is Gavin Park. He’s just joined Mr. Hayes’ division.”
Lilah nodded, already tuning out the conversation even as she appeared to still be listening. Holland always towed the newcomers around to show them what could be theirs with a little ingenuity and hard work. Money, power, and a corner office. It had worked on Lilah when she had been just a promising graduate and she could tell from the hungry look in the man’s eyes that it was already working on him. What had Holland said his name was?
“I do believe you have a present waiting to be opened.” Holland motioned to the package in the chair.
“I thought I might send it down to the Hex department.” She uncrossed her ankles and swung her legs down gracefully. In her heels, she towered over Lindsey, who always seemed to cringe a little when she got too close to him. Taking her time crossing the room, she ran her hand over the top of the package. “There was no card so I haven’t the slightest idea who it’s from. You can’t be too careful in this line of work. It might be cursed.”
“Since when are you cautious?” Lindsey raised an eyebrow skeptically.
“You’re right, Lindsey. When I have friends like you, what’s there to worry about?” She kept her voice smooth but with just the right amount of an edge. Scooping up the pair of scissors she’d left on the corner of her desk, she caught the twine with the blades and began to cut.
“Wait!” The new guy looked around nervously. “Maybe it is a good idea. If you don’t know who sent it. I mean, with the rest of us here.”
Lilah ignored him and spoke to Holland. “Are you sure he’s ready for the big leagues?” The man stiffened immediately and his expression turned to one of extreme distaste.
“I can assure you that he’s quite capable.” Holland smiled another one of his gentleman smiles. “And it wouldn’t have made it through the front doors if it could be a danger to anyone in the building. Go ahead, Lilah. We’re all anxious to see what it is.”
The twine fell away with a single cut and she had to force her hands to stop shaking as she pulled away the brown paper. It rustled and crinkled, sounding like every Christmas and birthday she’d ever had all combined into one perfect moment. As the paper tore away, she saw the face in the soft tones of centuries old oil paint. Dark brown, olive green, and the creamy skin color accentuated by subtly pink lips. And that smile. The smile that had mystified and beguiled for centuries.
“That can’t be the real one,” the new guy whispered.
“I’ll have it verified.” Lilah kept her eyes on the painting, drinking in the soft colors and perfect lines.
“Well, you must have quite an admirer.” Holland was still smiling. Nothing seemed to make any sort of real impression on his facial expressions. “I’ll see that the best art restoration experts come up immediately to ensure that it’s properly mounted and protected.”
“Thank you, sir.” Lilah flashed him a brilliant smile, already eyeing the garish reds and blacks of the Hieronymus Bosch.
“Happy birthday, Lilah.” He disappeared through the doorway with the whisper of silk and the new guy faithfully at his heels.
Lindsey stepped closer to examine the painting, brow furrowing as he studied the details of both canvas and frame. “Congratulations, Lilah. You must have done something right despite all your mistakes.”
“Jealous?” Lilah shrugged off his comments. “Maybe you’ll get one for your birthday…a Picasso perhaps?”
“Paintings aren’t my thing.” He stepped back, shrugging off his suit coat and slinging it over one shoulder. “You really don’t know where it came from?”
“Come on, Lindsey.” Lilah tapped the scissors against her palm. “A package shows up in Wolfram and Hart, in my office, on my birthday, with no record of coming through shipping. Where do you think it came from?”
Lindsey was taken aback, eyes darting from her to the painting and back again. “You think the Senior Partners sent you a painting?”
“All I know is that the Mona Lisa is going to be hanging on my wall and it had to get here somehow.”
His expression turned blank and he gave her an insincere smile, “Well, happy birthday.” The lack of enthusiasm in his voice guaranteed that there would be months of speculation buzzing through the offices of Wolfram and Hart as to who had really given Lilah a priceless masterpiece. That alone was worth the price she’d paid to have the painting on her wall.
Once more alone in her office she turned back to the painting. The dark eyes were mesmerizing. Lilah could imagine that this woman knew what it was to have wealth, to wield power and influence like weapons. This was someone who understood.
The phone beeped once to let her know there was a call waiting and she reluctantly pulled herself away from the painting to return to her desk. Depressing the speakerphone button, she kept her eyes on the woman staring out from the antique frame.
“It’s done.”
“Thank you, Hauser.”
“And untraceable, just as you asked.” She could hear the slightest hint of hesitation in his voice.
“Is there something else?”
“You’re sure this was authorized by the Senior Partners? I haven’t received any paperwork.”
“I assure you they have much better things to be worrying about than paperwork.” She perched on the edge of her desk, rubbing her calves together and enjoying the feel of the silk stockings. “Don’t worry. If you’d like, I can fill out the assassination records myself. It’s hardly an hour’s work and I’m in no hurry to get home.”
“That won’t be necessary, ma’am.” Came the clipped military response. “I won’t take up any more of your time.”
“Before you go…since you’ve made this the perfect birthday, Hauser, I don’t suppose you have time for me to thank you personally?” she purred.
There was a pause. “I can make time, ma’am.”
“Good.” She disconnected with another press of a button and slipped out of her jacket, draping it carelessly over the desk chair. The rest of her clothing would be scattered about the room soon enough, with a few ripped seams and lost buttons if the past was a model to go by. It would be nearly dawn before she made it home to shower and savor the fresh bruises. A block of musty law books on the middle shelf in the corner slid away with a gentle push and she pulled out two wine glasses and a bottle of her favorite cabernet.
For Lilah, it was always about combining business and pleasure, something Lindsey never seemed to understand. She took what she wanted because there was no one she could count on to provide for her. Having the birthday she wanted was as simple as making it happen. And, of course, making sure the highly paid art thief and exorbitantly paid forgery artist responsible for the painting now hanging in the Louvre disappeared without a trace. Money and power made the world go round. Taking a sip of wine, she savored both the smooth taste and the bite of the alcohol. Pleasure and pain were always so tangled up together, perfectly exemplified by the blood colored liquid.
The corner of her lips rose in an imitation of the infamous smile and knowing that the enigmatic woman would appreciate her words; she tipped her glass to the painting and made a toast, “After God, long live wine.”