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."
"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.
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.
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."
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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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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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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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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