Rude Awakening
A flicker of light pierced the gloom as I began to awaken. My eyelids fluttered open, and I squinted, trying to adjust to the new light level. I could hear people talking, dull murmurs, muffled in some way. Ok, this was not what I expected. Not at all. Where the hell was I? And why couldn't I go back to that dream I was having?
"Come on, I bet you ( Read more... )
"Come on, I bet you ( Read more... )
I heard the words and somehow it put me even more on edge to see her smiling at me like that. Reminded me if a time when the circumstances had been somewhat reversed...
"We are all very pleased you're here. - I know it's a bit confusing - but it's going to be better soon - a lot better, Darla."
Now I was in the position of the confused, disorented subject being let of of her cage for a while. I didn't like it one bit, but then again it beat languishing in some hell dimension like before the last time they pulled me out and dusted me off.
I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Take a moment to adjust and we will discuss everything."
I raised an eyebrow at Miss Preppy. Who the hell was she fooling with the customer service act? But I accepted the robe from her, slipping it on, and cinching it closed.
"I've brought some of your preferred brand of bourbon, I thought you would be needing it during our chat. When you are ready we can go up to my office where we can discuss things further."
I knocked back the bourbon, not bothering to worry if it had been spiked. From what I could tell I was still in Wolfram in Hart, and in the Permanent Storage facility by the looks of things. I doubted they'd bring me back just to poison or drug me.
"You've done your research." I commented, licking my parched lips and handing her back the glass.
"Sure, let's go up to your office. But let's get one thing straight first. I don't know you from diddly squat, pipsqueak, so spare me the 'I'm gonna be your new best friend' routine. Heard it, done it, took out the patent. Okay?"
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I nodded. "You know that Wolfram and Hart doesn't do anything half way Ms. Morgan. Everything is done specifically and accurately." And always with a motive.
I took the glass from her and passed it off to one of the demons that I had brought with me. I couldn't help but smile. "Why Ms. Morgan, what makes you think that I want to be your best friend? I never really had use for them."
I dismissed the demons and looked at her. "I think allies is more what I'm after. That and I your services are needed at the moment." Poor thing looked highly confused. "Let's head to my office and I'll have everything explained, including how you got where you are currently."
I tilted my head and looked at her with a hint of sincerity. "Are you able to walk or would you like a chair for the time being? I can have someone wheel you up to my office if you like."
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"Well, good. Glad we got that out of the way. Friendships are so overrated. As for being allies? I'll reserve judgement, thanks. Until I get put back into the loop."
"Are you able to walk or would you like a chair for the time being? I can have someone wheel you up to my office if you like."
I narrowed my eyes at her, was she implying I was weak? Or did she really have concern for me? I shrugged and began to walk up the corridor. Sure I was a little unsteady on my feet, but I needed the muscles to get used to being active again anyway.
"Walking is fine."
Then I noticed something odd. I was warm, generating body heat, and then I realised I actually had a pulse again.
"Wait...how did- I'm alive? And not 'walking dead' alive? Does this mean I don't have a flip top head anymore? Because that'd be a relief at least."
I reached up to touch my neck and was gratified to feel only a tiny healed scar there. My head was firmly attached again, hallelujah! That certainly perked me up some.
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Gratitude is what this woman so needs to learn. Eventually she will see, soon she will see that I can stuff her right back in that box and not look back.
"Walking is fine."
I shrugged. "Your choice. I don't need you falling on that pretty lil face of yours. Not after you were just restored."
"Wait...how did- I'm alive? And not 'walking dead' alive?"
I stop mid step and turn to look at her, slight amusement on my face. "Why yes, Ms Morgan. You are in fact one of the living...again. You are flesh and blood human. But you are still bound by this firm as I'm sure you clearly understand."
We made our way slowly up to my office and I gesture for her to have a seat. "Is there anything you would like? Food or anything? I will have someone work on getting you some proper clothing."
I walk over to the bar and pour out two drinks, I walk over to her and hand her one before heading over to my desk. "Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier, things have been quite tossed around here as of late. I'm Eve, liaison to the Senior Partners."
I sit down on the edge of my desk and look at her for a moment before I speak. "You were restored, brought back to life and put into Permanent Storage, until I brought you out." I take a sip of my drink and place it next to me on the desk. "What do you remember Ms. Morgan? From before you woke."
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Pretty lil face of mine? Condescending much? Interesting, though. Didn't seem like the kinda thing a young college age girl would say. I filed that little tidbit away for later.
"Why yes, Ms Morgan. You are in fact one of the living...again. You are flesh and blood human. But you are still bound by this firm as I'm sure you clearly understand."
"Of course, I wasn't born yesterday, or today for that matter. My body and soul is the sole property of Wolfram and Heart forever and ever, yadda yadda, do I get a cookie now?"
I don't know why this girl was just rubbing me the wrong way, but something was up. Something I had a feeling I wasn't gonna like.
Once we were in her office, which was bigger and swankier than the one I'd held, which didn't improve my mood at all, I waved away the offers of food and clothing. They could wait. I wanted to know why they wanted me back and what my next assignment was. Maybe I'd get to stick around longer than last time. Just being the errand girl had kinda cramped my style. Although I had enjoyed the looks on all of their faces to see me standing there, making with the talking and moving. Especially Wes's face. That had been some expression.
"Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier, things have been quite tossed around here as of late. I'm Eve, liaison to the Senior Partners."
"Eve? You must get some wicked Adam jokes thrown your way. And liaison to the Senior Partners? Never heard of one before."
I shrugged casually, pretending it meant nothing to me. But it sounded big, it sounded important. She had the ear of the Senior Partners?
"What do you remember Ms. Morgan? From before you woke."
"I remember being killed, and having some flamey fun for a while, in a place I don't much care to go back to. I remember being yanked out of there to come have a little powwow with the good-n'plenties about taking over the LA branch. I offered Angel a deal on behalf of the Senior Partners and after a whole heap of redundant hemming and hawing, he finally accepted but only if he could do something for Connor first. Give him a new life. Which I arranged."
The memory which stood in my mind though, had nothing to do with the deal, and everything to do with a certain stubborn british man. Watching as he'd tried to burn my contract, to free me from my fate, to save me one last time.
Flames wouldn't be eternal if they actually consumed anything. But it means something that you tried.
"Then I guess I wasn't needed anymore and ended up in storage. How long has it been exactly?"
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I laugh and look at her. "Would you like oatmeal or chocolate chip?" I can snark right back at her. I swear she's got the snot stick shoved so far up her ass it's not funny.
I could tell she didn't like me, or didn't know what to think of me. Hey, it's all good to me. I don't need to be on her good side. She's mortal, I'm not. Nuff said.
"Eve? You must get some wicked Adam jokes thrown your way. And liaison to the Senior Partners? Never heard of one before."
"I get a few. Mostly apple jokes." I shrugged. "That's usually before they realize who and what I am." Now I'm just so much more. I licked my lips and looked back at her. "I'm the eyes and ears of the partners. That's it in a nutshell. They want something done they have me relay it to the big boss. Anything happens down here that I think they should know about I report back." I shrugged. "That's what I was originally created for. Now, is an entirely new ball game." I knew she was itching to know exactly who and what I was. Figured I'd give her just enough to feed and satisfy her curiosity for now.
"I remember being killed, and having some flamey fun for a while, in a place I don't much care to go back to. I remember being yanked out of there to come have a little powwow with the good-n'plenties about taking over the LA branch. I offered Angel a deal on behalf of the Senior Partners and after a whole heap of redundant hemming and hawing, he finally accepted but only if he could do something for Connor first. Give him a new life. Which I arranged."
I listened and nodded as she spoke. "Well, Connor and Angel are partly the reason you're back."
"How long has it been exactly?"
"Well, that is a bit of a confusing question. As far as everyone knows only a few months. But in reality it's just over one year." I sighed and placed both my palms on either side of me on the desk as I spoke. "Time has been rewound to fix mistakes that were made. In
short. Angel fucked up."
I got up and refilled my glass as I spoke. "Angel single-handedly took out The Circle of the Black Thorn, along with other things the partners weren't pleased about. Time has been rewound and memories have been erased and replaced. Sadly not for all." I turned and looked at her. "This is where you come in."
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A pretty little speech, and a touch on the unnerving side. She was their eyes and ears? What was she, omnipotent or something? Probably Eve just liked to use hyperbole overmuch. Still, I wasn't about to give over what little power I might have left in the firm if I could help it.
"Time has been rewound to fix mistakes that were made. In short. Angel fucked up."
A year? I was kept 'offline' for a year? Twiddling my thumbs, when I could have been doing something productive? Well, no wonder Angel fucked up with noone like me around to keep the proverbial fires licking at his heels.
What had this liaison done with him all year? Had a rummage sale?
"Angel single-handedly took out The Circle of the Black Thorn, along with other things the partners weren't pleased about. Time has been rewound and memories have been erased and replaced. Sadly not for all. This is where you come in."
Ooh power vacuums. They were always interesting. Trust Angel to go for the jugular once he'd got a clue.
"That was one hell of a fuck up. I just love it when they mess with time and reality. Makes me all tingly." I said sarcastically, usually it was a major headache to fix up if there were any mistakes. "Not for all? So, how I fit in?"
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"Not for all? So, how I fit in?"
And here we go.
"There are a select few that still have the original memories, simply for the fact that things don't repeat themselves and we have to do this all over again." I started to get up and go behind my desk as I spoke. "Angel has all memories, as well as the knowledge that every one of his friends were killed in the last fight before the rewind. He also knows that it was the Partners that brought them back and just as easily take it away. I have all of the memories as well."
So does Lindsey, the first earth bound Senior Partner. She didn't need to know this just yet, although it would be rubbing salt into wounds to know that her equal wasn't so equal any more.
I sit in my chair and unlock one of the drawers to pull out what I was looking for. "There are a few select key players that still know as well. You, obviously, have all of your memories up until you were put into storage. I will have someone fill you in on everything you need to know."
I lick my lips and stand, I walk over to her slowly. "This is where you fit in Ms. Morgan." I coolly hand her a dollar bill. Her dollar bill.
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So, the others had died for him. Wesley, Gunn, Fred, Cordelia and who knows who else? Wesley. I'd always said Angel would be the death of him. I hadn't been wrong on that. The man had been stubbornly loyal even when he'd been cast aside like yesterday's leftovers and branded a traitor. He'd still, underneath it all, believed in Angel and believed in the mission. Just like the others, all fools. Well, too bad I'd missed the big finish.
"You, obviously, have all of your memories up until you were put into storage. I will have someone fill you in on everything you need to know."
I nodded, everything was always on a 'need to know' basis with this firm. If you wanted more you had to go and dig it out for yourself. Obviously I was going to have to spend some time in Files and Records and contacting my own sources to find out just what areas of the jigsaw puzzle had been replaced with other pieces.
"This is where you fit in Ms. Morgan."
Then she handed me a dollar bill. I looked at her, blankly, until I turned it over and saw his signature there. It was Wesley's lost bet, the one he had always kept in his wallet. How the hell had Eve gotten hold of it?
I held it in my hand, trying to maintain my composure and not give away any emotion that Eve might be able to use against me.
"This is Wesley's. I presume that my being back has something to do with him then?"
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"This is Wesley's. I presume that my being back has something to do with him then?"
I sat back down on my desk and looked over at her. "It's good to know that being out of the loop didn't dim your whit's Ms. Morgan." I licked my lips and crossed my legs. "Your assignment is Mr. Pryce. Since the rewind he's been a bit...lost so to speak. I guess being dead would throw anyone for a loop."
I got up off of my desk and opened the door. "It's about time." I took the clothing from the man standing on the other side of the door. I walked over and handed them to Lilah. "You'll see these suit your taste. Mr. Pryce's office is down the hall, third door on the right." I walked back over to the door and held it open for her. "I'd like you to go see him now."
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