Little Pebbles hellmouth_of_la
"No Clarkson. I don't want to hear any excuses. No one seems to know where he is, I'm checking his office again now." I mutter into my cellphone as I exit the elevator.
I am not in the best of moods this morning. Still no sign of our elusive soul boy. This was not a good development and not something I wanted to have to inform the Senior Partners about if I could possibly help it. However, there was only so long I could stall before the word reached them. You couldn't hide anything from the Senior Partners for long.
I was almost to Angel's office now, perhaps there were clues there as to where he'd gone.
"Look, the CEO of a large pan-dimensional corporation does not go missing without me knowing about it, understood? It is not acceptable, so find some scrying shaman, or tap into the city surveillence grid, do whatever it takes. And don't call me again until you have an answer. Just because Angel's the boss now doesn't mean I won't-"
I break off when I notice someone standing there. It's not Angel.
((written in collaboration with railroadspike))
"Won't what, mate?" The lanky visitor enquiries, looking me up and down with interest. "And who're you trapsin' about lookin' like you own Wendy's? You a lawyer or somethin'? Angel ain't told me about you yet." He raids Angels refrigerator and downs some pigs blood, grimacing at the taste.
"Ahh, Spike. I don't believe we've ever had the pleasure." I reply as I snap the cellphone hurriedly shut without bothering to say goodbye to Clarkson. Why hadn't I noticed him standing there?
I had forgotten that Spike and I had never formally met. I had a nice fat file on him already though. He'd lead a fascinating undead life by all accounts. Watcher Lydia's treatise had been most informative. I knew of his past exploits and his ties to both Angel and that cheerleading slayer, Buffy. William the Bloody, second only to Angelus in the vampire scale of badness, lovesick fool.
He was a lot shorter than I'd expected.
"I'm Lilah Morgan, Angel's liaison to the Senior Partners."
I don't hold out my hand, even though I give him one of my best smiles. Instead I perch on the edge of Angel's desk and regard him as he had regarded me. Head to tail.
Overbleached hair tamed with too much product, long dusty leather coat which had seen better days, cigarette stains on his fingertips and exuding an attitude that screamed 'screw you AND the world'.
Nothing remarkable. And yet the whole package was rather intriguing. This is the guy who won himself a soul and saved the world by wearing the amulet I gave Angel? Never underestimate the little pebble in the big pond.
"There's a fresh decanter spiced with otter over by the window. Replaced every evening for him. You'll find it more to your taste."
"You don't know my tastes, mate," He replies, "Liason to what, anyway? What're you like his rep or somethin'? His pretty face in the land of goblins?"
Interesting that he doesn't drink from the decanter, a small yet pointed gesture of defiance, at me or at Angel though?
"Perhaps I don't know your tastes, yet. Spike. But I'm more than willing to find out. After all, I am here to make everyone's life easier."
"Well aren't you just the model bloody girlscout," He responds sarcastically. "Look I came here t' find Angel, not his.."
"Well that wasn't always the case." I amend with a smirk. "I used to make Angel's life a living hell, but hey I've turned over a new leaf. Just like you did in Sunnydale. What do I do? I am Angel's direct link to the higher powers that run this firm: the Senior Partners. I keep him informed as to what his duties are and them informed on his progress. Oh don't get me wrong. Angel is the branch boss, he's still running things his way here - balancing keeping our clients happy with the saving of puppies and cute little cherub babies. It's been quite a juggling act."
He seems a little distracted as I talk to him. Beneath the bravado is a hint of confusion. I wonder what is irking him so.
"PuHAH!" Spike chokes on the blood and turns to me "Why'd ya stop, mate? Conscience get the best o' you? More fun ta kiss the hind cheeks of the head bloke, is it? Bugger that. And it's not like I had much choice in Sunny D," he protests, "Turning mister hero-boy wasn't my intent. Just happened I'm more fate's bitch than originally thought."
After a short moment he waves his hand and looks away to one side "Pay no mind t' me, love. Just had a really... -really- bad sodded day."
"Bad day? Well I've just lost the very important CEO of a corporation, and the guys upstairs are not going to be amused. I kinda would like to keep my skin attached to my body if at all possible." I move around to back of Angel's desk and start testing the draws to see if any are unlocked. Damn, none of them open. I cast around for something to pry them open with. I don't want to have to go find a mystical skeleton key.
"Oh and me kissing Angel's behind?" I retort as I rummage around. "Please. I may work for him now, but I am not his toady, nor his secretary, nor his pliant little loofah buddy. I guess I still make his life hell." I admit with a little smirk.
"I know something about fate. I've spent a lot of my time trying to thwart or rewrite it. Believe me it can be done, on occasion. I am here as liaison because right now I choose to be, and because this is where the power is." Plus there was that pesky little contract I'd signed with my own blood but wasn't about to tell Spike that. "Besides, I got a little tired of being called an evil lawyer bitch. Wanted to try on my softer side. I guess you could say I'm all redeemed now and ready to do my bit for the girlscouts."
"Easy for you ta say," He comes around to my side and begins to pull on one of the metal handles of the drawers. "You know all about me," he says cockily, "all you had to do was say please." He yanks on the handle which comes off in his hand, drawer still stubbornly locked "Right then. As I said: fate's bitch."
He administers a quick vicious kick to the drawer which splinters the wood enough to allow the draw to be pulled out.
"You're welcome."
"Next time give me the chance to say thank you first. I'm working on my softer side remember?" I counter with a grin. Why was it so satisfying to see something of Angel's bashed in like that.
"You didn't even ask why I might be trying to rifle through Angel's privates." I observed as I emptied the contents of the draw onto the desk and proceeded to examine them.Spike half chokes again at my words and wipes his lips with his sleeve. "Simply put, pet, I don' care what happens to Angel's privates or who puts their hands on 'em so long as I don't know of it. There's some things a bloke's not t' get involved with."
He asks me what I am looking for, making a joke about the fact that it's hardly likely to be women's phone numbers given Angel's predicament.
"Actually I'm looking for clues. Anything that might give me a lead as to where Angel has disappeared off to. We used to have a whole unit following his every move, but that proved a little messy. He likes his privacy. And unfortunately all the bugs I installed in this office have been disabled. And I mean ALL of them. I just checked." I grumble at that, having been caught at my own game. I'd thought a few had slipped past him but it was not the case.
"While there's nothing wrong with Angel taking a few days off, we need to know about it. Because not knowing about it gets the Senior Partners jumpy. No one wants to be around when they go from jumpy to cranky." I sigh and shake my head with disappointment. "I'm coming up empty, nothing here. Could you open the next one for me? Please..."
I am not in the best of moods this morning. Still no sign of our elusive soul boy. This was not a good development and not something I wanted to have to inform the Senior Partners about if I could possibly help it. However, there was only so long I could stall before the word reached them. You couldn't hide anything from the Senior Partners for long.
I was almost to Angel's office now, perhaps there were clues there as to where he'd gone.
"Look, the CEO of a large pan-dimensional corporation does not go missing without me knowing about it, understood? It is not acceptable, so find some scrying shaman, or tap into the city surveillence grid, do whatever it takes. And don't call me again until you have an answer. Just because Angel's the boss now doesn't mean I won't-"
I break off when I notice someone standing there. It's not Angel.
((written in collaboration with railroadspike))
"Won't what, mate?" The lanky visitor enquiries, looking me up and down with interest. "And who're you trapsin' about lookin' like you own Wendy's? You a lawyer or somethin'? Angel ain't told me about you yet." He raids Angels refrigerator and downs some pigs blood, grimacing at the taste.
"Ahh, Spike. I don't believe we've ever had the pleasure." I reply as I snap the cellphone hurriedly shut without bothering to say goodbye to Clarkson. Why hadn't I noticed him standing there?
I had forgotten that Spike and I had never formally met. I had a nice fat file on him already though. He'd lead a fascinating undead life by all accounts. Watcher Lydia's treatise had been most informative. I knew of his past exploits and his ties to both Angel and that cheerleading slayer, Buffy. William the Bloody, second only to Angelus in the vampire scale of badness, lovesick fool.
He was a lot shorter than I'd expected.
"I'm Lilah Morgan, Angel's liaison to the Senior Partners."
I don't hold out my hand, even though I give him one of my best smiles. Instead I perch on the edge of Angel's desk and regard him as he had regarded me. Head to tail.
Overbleached hair tamed with too much product, long dusty leather coat which had seen better days, cigarette stains on his fingertips and exuding an attitude that screamed 'screw you AND the world'.
Nothing remarkable. And yet the whole package was rather intriguing. This is the guy who won himself a soul and saved the world by wearing the amulet I gave Angel? Never underestimate the little pebble in the big pond.
"There's a fresh decanter spiced with otter over by the window. Replaced every evening for him. You'll find it more to your taste."
"You don't know my tastes, mate," He replies, "Liason to what, anyway? What're you like his rep or somethin'? His pretty face in the land of goblins?"
Interesting that he doesn't drink from the decanter, a small yet pointed gesture of defiance, at me or at Angel though?
"Perhaps I don't know your tastes, yet. Spike. But I'm more than willing to find out. After all, I am here to make everyone's life easier."
"Well aren't you just the model bloody girlscout," He responds sarcastically. "Look I came here t' find Angel, not his.."
"Well that wasn't always the case." I amend with a smirk. "I used to make Angel's life a living hell, but hey I've turned over a new leaf. Just like you did in Sunnydale. What do I do? I am Angel's direct link to the higher powers that run this firm: the Senior Partners. I keep him informed as to what his duties are and them informed on his progress. Oh don't get me wrong. Angel is the branch boss, he's still running things his way here - balancing keeping our clients happy with the saving of puppies and cute little cherub babies. It's been quite a juggling act."
He seems a little distracted as I talk to him. Beneath the bravado is a hint of confusion. I wonder what is irking him so.
"PuHAH!" Spike chokes on the blood and turns to me "Why'd ya stop, mate? Conscience get the best o' you? More fun ta kiss the hind cheeks of the head bloke, is it? Bugger that. And it's not like I had much choice in Sunny D," he protests, "Turning mister hero-boy wasn't my intent. Just happened I'm more fate's bitch than originally thought."
After a short moment he waves his hand and looks away to one side "Pay no mind t' me, love. Just had a really... -really- bad sodded day."
"Bad day? Well I've just lost the very important CEO of a corporation, and the guys upstairs are not going to be amused. I kinda would like to keep my skin attached to my body if at all possible." I move around to back of Angel's desk and start testing the draws to see if any are unlocked. Damn, none of them open. I cast around for something to pry them open with. I don't want to have to go find a mystical skeleton key.
"Oh and me kissing Angel's behind?" I retort as I rummage around. "Please. I may work for him now, but I am not his toady, nor his secretary, nor his pliant little loofah buddy. I guess I still make his life hell." I admit with a little smirk.
"I know something about fate. I've spent a lot of my time trying to thwart or rewrite it. Believe me it can be done, on occasion. I am here as liaison because right now I choose to be, and because this is where the power is." Plus there was that pesky little contract I'd signed with my own blood but wasn't about to tell Spike that. "Besides, I got a little tired of being called an evil lawyer bitch. Wanted to try on my softer side. I guess you could say I'm all redeemed now and ready to do my bit for the girlscouts."
"Easy for you ta say," He comes around to my side and begins to pull on one of the metal handles of the drawers. "You know all about me," he says cockily, "all you had to do was say please." He yanks on the handle which comes off in his hand, drawer still stubbornly locked "Right then. As I said: fate's bitch."
He administers a quick vicious kick to the drawer which splinters the wood enough to allow the draw to be pulled out.
"You're welcome."
"Next time give me the chance to say thank you first. I'm working on my softer side remember?" I counter with a grin. Why was it so satisfying to see something of Angel's bashed in like that.
"You didn't even ask why I might be trying to rifle through Angel's privates." I observed as I emptied the contents of the draw onto the desk and proceeded to examine them.Spike half chokes again at my words and wipes his lips with his sleeve. "Simply put, pet, I don' care what happens to Angel's privates or who puts their hands on 'em so long as I don't know of it. There's some things a bloke's not t' get involved with."
He asks me what I am looking for, making a joke about the fact that it's hardly likely to be women's phone numbers given Angel's predicament.
"Actually I'm looking for clues. Anything that might give me a lead as to where Angel has disappeared off to. We used to have a whole unit following his every move, but that proved a little messy. He likes his privacy. And unfortunately all the bugs I installed in this office have been disabled. And I mean ALL of them. I just checked." I grumble at that, having been caught at my own game. I'd thought a few had slipped past him but it was not the case.
"While there's nothing wrong with Angel taking a few days off, we need to know about it. Because not knowing about it gets the Senior Partners jumpy. No one wants to be around when they go from jumpy to cranky." I sigh and shake my head with disappointment. "I'm coming up empty, nothing here. Could you open the next one for me? Please..."