(Untitled)

May 08, 2006 01:07

Continued from here

Comfort and Slayer hunting )

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g_watcher May 11 2006, 21:21:29 UTC
Robin and Giles worked hard on getting Dana secured in the car. It was a bit crowded but they had no other choice really since they needed to get Lorne back to the firm and get Dana and Robin to the drop up point. When Fred's mobile rang, Giles knew they were going to drop Dana off first. There was no way he was going to allow his wife back into Wolfram and Hart without him beside her. He would never trust Angel, especially with someone he loved.

"I have a contact that's being gracious enough to use one of his private jets to take Dana and Robin back to England," he explained as he started the car. "A few of the Slayers are here too in case she wakes up on the flight back." He drove the car through a few dark alleys before coming upon another car. A man stepped out and helped Robin transfer Dana to the other vehicle before speeding off.

Giles then started to drive again, this time to the firm. When they arrived, Angel and Gunn greeted them in the front lobby with a million questions. "Dana is gone. The Council is taking care of her. Now, where are your medical facilities?" Giles asked. The two men lead them upstairs and to the opposite side of the building.

They walked into the room, where a bald man and a younger man was waiting. "Fred! Good to see you again," the younger man said. He looked at Giles and gave him a grin. "I'm Knox. The doctor and I are going to reattach Lorne's hand for him. Should take about an hour." Knox then turned his attention to Fred. "So, Fred, considered Gunn's job offer? I would happily give up the lab to you."

Giles felt his blood pressure rise at Knox's words. Gunn had offered Fred a job there? He didn't know who to be angry at, Gunn for doing it or Fred for not telling him. He saw Gunn out in the hallway and quickly left the room so he could speak to him.

"Do me a favor," Giles said, slamming Gunn against the wall. "Next time you want to offer my wife a job, don't. And stop calling her. The next time you do, I'm going to shove your mobile up your arse."

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sciencegrl_fred May 11 2006, 22:33:15 UTC
Fred was so worried about Lorne that she really wasn't paying much attention to Knox when they first entered the medical facilities at Wolfram and Hart. She instead was watching while Spike put Lorne on the gurney and the doctor wheeled him back into what appeared to be an operating room to prep him for surgery.

Then she heard Knox asking whether she had considered Gunn's offer to let her come run the lab here and felt sick. She looked over at Rupert with wide eyes - she hadn't told him about it because things had been bad enough, and she didn't want to add to everything after dealing with all of this so badly to begin with.

Before she could say anything to him, he went out into the hallway, and Fred felt her anger beginning to boil. This place was an infection, and Gunn and Angel and maybe even Lorne had been contaminated.

"No, I have not been considering Charles' job offer," she hissed at Knox, the weasley manner of the little syncophant getting on what small part of her nerves were still currently left. "I have a job in a place that I actually believe in, and I would never come here, so keep your damned lab, and get in there and help Lorne!"

Knox threw his hands into the air and backed up to go into the operating room. As he went through the door, he looked back at her, and she felt a chill go through her. Swallowing, she headed for the hall to find her husband, hoping he wasn't too mad at her for not telling him what Charles had tried to do.

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g_watcher May 12 2006, 00:21:30 UTC
"I got it," Gunn said, trying to push Giles off of him. "Let go or I'll call security on you." Giles grabbed Gunn's mobile and smashed it against the wall. Gunn held up his hands, trying to show the other man that he would go if he let go. With a shove, Giles let Gunn go and watched him walk down the hallway.

When he heard the medical door open, Giles turned and looked at Fred for a moment. Some of his anger was toward her but she'd been through enough and getting nasty with her, like he'd done the day before, wasn't going to help. Instead, he took a deep breath and looked through the window of the medical room.

"You should've told me," he quietly said as he continued to stare through the window. "I'm not mad, at least not anymore but you can't keep things from me Fred. We're in this together. It's almost like this place is trying to tear us a part."

Giles finally looked over at her. "Come here, love," he said, holding his hand out for her. "How's Lorne?"

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sciencegrl_fred May 12 2006, 02:39:15 UTC
Fred swallowed when Rupert spoke, hearing the disappointment in his voice. "I know," she said softly. "It was...when he told me I could come here and work in the lab like they wanted me to originally, I immediately told him no. Taking him up on that never even crossed my mind, not even for a moment. I have everything I want in England with my job and friends and you. And then I just...I didn't want to think about it."

He was right. It almost was like this place was trying to tear them apart - like this place picked up on the good and tried to methodically dismantle it, bit by bit, until the person was either destroyed or had been taken totally in by the firm.

When he held his hand out to her, she took it and moved up close to him, resting her head against his arm as they stood looking into the lab. "They say he's going to be okay, I think. They're reattaching his hand now, but I don't know how deep those cuts were." She shook her head and looked up at her husband. "I won't let them pull us apart, Rupert. No matter what they try to do. I'm yours, not theirs. Always yours."

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g_watcher May 12 2006, 03:26:07 UTC
"Good," Giles breathed when Fred told him that Lorne was going to be all right. There wasn't much for them to do at the moment and Giles didn't like standing around in the firm due to his distrust of the place. Squeezing his wife's hand, he glanced over at her. "Lets get out of here for a bit. I promise to have you back soon."

Giles led her out of the building and down to where he'd parked the rental car. He checked the car to make sure there was no tracking devices on it before getting in and driving away from the firm. He drove around for a bit before finding a small park. After killing the engine, he pulled out his mobile and made a few calls.

"Dana is safely on her way to England. Andrew has everything set up for when they arrive," he told Fred once he was finished. He glanced out the window and smiled. "Come on. It's a nice night out and we shouldn't be sitting inside."

He got out of the vehicle, making sure to grab a couple of wooden stakes, before jogging over to Fred's side of the car so he could open the door for her. Giles then took her hand and led her over to the swing set. "Sit down, love," he said. Once she was seated, he took the swing next to her. He twisted the chain so he could face her and reached out for her hand. "I'm sorry this has been a bad trip for you, love. I think we should go home tomorrow so we can move on with our lives."

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sciencegrl_fred May 13 2006, 05:06:36 UTC
Fred nodded in agreement as she held her husband's hand, glad to be out somewhere for the moment that wasn't inside or tied to something having to do with work. She knew that the night wasn't always safe, but right now it was nice, being able to take a breather, especially given the way the last few days have gone.

"I'll be glad to get back to England," she told him. "You're right that our lives are there, and it's become my home. Maybe we can even take that honeymoon next month, like you said."

They sat out there together for a while longer before deciding to head back to Wolfram and Hart to make sure Lorne was all right. Fred didn't want to leave without at least talking him once and making sure he was okay. When they arrived back at the medical ward, they found Lorne in recovery, and the doctor allowed them to go in. Fred was glad that Knox didn't seem to be around. He gave her the creeps.

In the ward, Lorne was lying in bed, his arm lying on top of the blanket, bandaged. Several other bandages covered the cuts that Dana had given him. He looked up when they walked in. "Freddles?" he asked softly.

"Hey," she responded, crossing over to his bed and leaning down carefully to hug him.

"Oh...I've been wanting to do that since you walked into the room yesterday," he told her. "But the doc told me my arm's not going to be much use for a day or two. Oh Gods, Buttercup, I've missed you."

"I've missed you too."

He looked over at Giles, who was standing behind her. "You're really married?"

She nodded. "Yeah, we are. Friday night, actually."

"Why didn't you...why didn't you tell me?"

"Lorne, did you know that Professor Siedel was exposed? It was in the news for a week, and none of you called me to find out if I was all right."

He paused for a moment. "I--uh...I'm sorry. I did know. I just didn't...this place..."

She sat on the edge of the bed with a sigh. "I know."

Looking around, Lorne leaned forward, dropping his voice to a whisper. "I want out, Fred. I can't...I can't take being here anymore. That was why I wanted to talk to you last night. This place just...you've seen Gunn and Angel. You've seen what they do here. You were right - we never should have come here in the first place."

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g_watcher May 13 2006, 06:00:49 UTC
Giles stood back while his wife spoke to her friend. He kept his arms crossed, waiting for Lorne to hurt her like everyone else had already. He listened closely as Lorne told Fred that coming there had been a mistake. Giles' stance relaxed a bit and he nodded in agreement. "Did Angel force you to come here?" he asked before crossing his arms again.

Lorne looked past Fred and at Giles. "I don't… I don't really know," the green demon said as he looked down at his bedcover. "He came out into the lobby after our tour and said we were taking over. Then he said something about seeing Connor and then going to Sunnydale."

Giles furrowed his brow. "Who's Connor?" Lorne shrugged his shoulders and then winced in pain. "I've never liked Angel but I never thought he'd go this far."

He looked at Fred, and then back at Lorne. Giles had been trained to watch and he knew there was a special friendship between the demon and his wife. Plus, Lorne sounded genuinely scared of the thought of staying there. Placing a hand on Fred's shoulder, Giles looked down at the demon. "Did you sign anything when you started here?" he asked.

"No," Lorne said. "We all saw what happens to those who sign contracts."

"Good," Giles said as he nodded. He thought for a moment and then smiled. "Look, I have a houseful of Slayers make in London that need someone to… look over them. We're a bit understaffed at the moment so if you don't mind coming to London, then the job is yours."

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sciencegrl_fred May 13 2006, 19:48:13 UTC
Connor. She remembered Lorne mentioning that to her when they had come back from the first tour of the firm to tell her they were taking the offer. She always wondered if they should know who this Connor was, but she never could place the name. It had to have something to do with the firm itself, she was sure. She thought. Maybe she wasn't sure, but it was the only explanation she could come up with.

She looked up at her husband when he came closer and put his hand on her shoulder. Reaching up, she rested hers over it while Rupert asked Lorne whether he had signed a contract. She let out a slight sigh of relief when he said he hadn't as that would make things easier for Lorne if he really wanted to get out.

And then Rupert offered to let him come back to the Council. Fred had never loved him more than at that moment.

Lorne looked up, amazement in his eyes. "You...really?" When both of them nodded, he smiled softly. "But what about...?" He raised his arm a bit.

"The Slayers are good girls, Lorne," Fred told him. "They aren't all like Dana - she was damaged by what happened to her when she was a child. And we think she was channeling the Slayer dreams and not understanding them - she probably thought you were one of the many demons other Slayers have fought over the years. She didn't know any better."

Nodding, Lorne looked down at his hand. "I wondered why she kept talking in languages." He looked up at Giles and Fred. "I'd like to come, help out anyway I can."

Fred smiled, for the first time since they had come here actually feeling like something was right again. "We'll go talk to the doctor about when you can be released to go back with us. Just rest for a bit, okay?"

He nodded and closed his eyes while Fred stood from the bed. Once they were outside the ward, she turned to her husband and stood on her toes to hug him tightly. "Thank you."

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g_watcher May 13 2006, 22:08:30 UTC
"Anything for you, love," Giles said returning her hug. Once of the doors open and a doctor stepped into the hallway. "Pardon me, but Lorne is coming back with us to London and we were curious as to when he could travel."

The doctor looked down at the chart in his hand and nodded. "He should be ready to go by tomorrow morning. He'll have to take it easy for a few days though and not use his hand. And after that, he'll have to do some physical therapy to get proper use back," the doctor explained. "Will he be leaving tomorrow?"

"Yes," Giles answered, making a mental note to book a another spot on the place for tomorrow. The doctor nodded again and said he would have Lorne ready by morning. Giles watched the doctor walk off before he turned and looked at his wife.

"Do you want to go back to the hotel for the rest of the night? We can get something to eat and some rest before coming back tomorrow to pick Lorne up," he quietly said before softly kissing her on the forehead.

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sciencegrl_fred May 14 2006, 02:10:28 UTC
Part of Fred didn't want to leave Lorne, almost afraid that if Gunn or Angel or the Senior Partners realized that he was wanting to leave that they might try to do something to him while they were gone. But the rational part of her knew that they weren't going to be much help to him for the time being. Going back to the hotel was probably the best thing they could do.

Nodding, she took Rupert's hand, and they left the firm for the second time that night. They ended up picking up something to eat on the way back to the hotel, not feeling much up to sitting in a restaurant, and ate in the hotel room, curled up together on the bed. Once they were finished, Rupert called the airline and arranged their flight as well as arranging for the Council movers to pack and ship Lorne's belongings to England. They knew it was best that they concentrated on getting him out of country first - his belongings could come later.

They both slept for a little while that night, waking up early and getting ready to leave. Once they had checked-out and put their luggage in the rental car, they headed for the firm. When they arrived in medical, Lorne was up and dressed, his arm in a sling to prevent him from moving much.

"You ready to go?" Fred asked as they headed out of the ward.

Lorne nodded, taking a brief look around. "Yeah."

"Do you want to see Angel or Charles before we leave? Say goodbye?"

"No. I can't--no."

Fred felt a bit weird, that they were almost absconding with Lorne without the other two knowing, but she could understand why he didn't want to say goodbye. She had seen what Charles had tried with her, so she could only imagine what they would try with Lorne, especially since he had been working with them at the firm until then.

The three of them headed back downstairs, Fred holding her husband's hand tightly. When they reached the entrance lobby, Fred glanced back over her shoulder, noticing Knox standing on the atrium steps. He gave her a wave, which sent a shudder down her spine. Turning away, she looked back toward Rupert, glad they were leaving and going home.

Thanks to Rupert's connections with the Council, getting Lorne onto the plane wasn't a problem despite the fact that he needed to wear a hat and sunglasses. Soon, they were settled on the plane, and as they took off for home, Fred found herself relaxing, cuddling against her husband and actually able to sleep a bit during the flight.

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g_watcher May 14 2006, 03:08:38 UTC
Giles was relieved when the plane touched down in London. It was good to be home. They went through customs fairly quickly due to Council contacts, and Giles retrieved their language before leading Fred and Lorne out to his car. He chuckled a little when Lorne made a comment about having to get used to driving on the other side of the road. "Fred had to get used to it also but she learned quite fast," he commented before starting the car.

He called Andrew before they left the airport parking lot. The younger man told him Lorne's accommodations wouldn't be ready until the morning. Giles nodded, saying they had plenty of room at their flat for him to stay until then. He rang off, and drove toward the flat.

When they got there, Charlotte's car was sitting out front. Andrew had mentioned that Charlotte and Willow had taken upon themselves to take care of Molly and the flat. Giles got out of the car and grabbed their luggage, before walking toward the door. Charlotte pulled it open and Giles was attacked by a happy, barking puppy.

"Hello, Molly," Giles said as he sat the luggage down. He picked the puppy up and received several wet puppy kisses. Molly then saw Fred and started to squirm, wanting to be held by her too. Giles slipped the puppy into his wife's arms before looking at Charlotte and Willow. "Lorne, this is Charlotte, and you already know Willow."

"Nice to meet you," Lorne said, shaking Charlotte's hand. "And it's nice to see you again Willow."

"Nice to see you too, Lorne," Willow smiled before adding, "Andrew told us what happened in Los Angeles, including the part about Spike. I haven't told Buffy yet though. I guess at tomorrow's meeting we'll hear about everything?"

"No, actually. Fred and I are taking a couple of days off from the Council. Going to Los Angeles was hardly a honeymoon." Willow and Charlotte both gave him knowing smiles before saying their goodbyes and leaving. Once the front door had clicked shut, Giles turned and looked at his wife. "That's all right with you, isn't it? I'm not looking forward to going back just yet."

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sciencegrl_fred May 14 2006, 17:55:46 UTC
Continued here.

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