LOG: 28 June 2007
WHO: Angel ihaveasoul, Lorne happybeinggreen, Tonks kinda-trippy, Slytherin the-salazar
WHAT: Visiting, talking about Deep Things, Moodswings and Yayness
WHEN: Thursday Afternoon
WHERE: The Sanctuary
IN WHICH ANGEL AND LORNE GET TO VISIT TONKS, THERE IS HENPECKY OWL BEHAVIOUR, TONKS COMES CLEAN ABOUT SEEING SNAPE - LORNE COMES CLEAN ABOUT A FEW THINGS HIMSELF
"They're going to think you kidnapped me," Tonks said with a huffy sigh.
"They'll think no such thing, Nymphadora," Salazar said patiently, not even looking up from the parchment he was working on.
Tonks paced the room several more minutes before stopping beside him. "Please, Lord Sal, I would like to respectfully request you have them brought for a visit."
"Very well," a small smile tugged the corner of Salazar's lips. "If you are so polite, I can do nothing but aquisce to your request." He didn't mention that he'd sent his owl with a portkey for the denizens of Dienw flat to be able to visit her at will. None other picking it up would allow entrance, but keyed to the life (or unlife, as it may be) signatures of those he trusted with her safety.
Besides, one step outside, or through a window, and they'd be 'ported to the middle of the english channel anyhow.
----
While Tonks had been busy trying to plead her case to Lord Salazar, a regal owl landed in Dienw flat and hooted loud enough to wake the undead.
Nothing answered the owl at first, bar one little hellpuppy, who dashed over, yapping at it incessantly, and thus making the racket tendfold. After this continued for a few minutes, Lorne stalked out of his room, giving the bedroom door of the puppies owner a good glare. He gave the owl a curious glance. ".....Alright then, keep forgeting this is normal."
The regal creature held a package by one clawed talon, and flew up to perch on Lorne's shoulder with her other talon, hooting again, softly this time, before preening his hair for him.
Lorne took the parcel, quietly turning the still yapping puppy in the direction of Angel and Spike's room, allowing the little terror to race off as he opened the package.
Inside was a wooden medallion, a serpent nestled in waves of water, curled around a symbol of the sun. Also, there was a small piece of parchment bearing a terse note.
Members of Dienw Flat - this portkey will only work with those of you whom Nymphadora has told me live here (as of when I last asked). By name Angel, Spike, Lorne, Oliver, Vinnie. Speak simply the word "Solace" and you will be brought to Sanctuary. A note of caution, should you attempt to leave Sanctuary by any route other than by returning using this portkey (passkey Dienw), you will be immediately transported to the centre of the English Channel.
~Lord Slytherin
Lorne arched a brow. "Well, haven't we got a wonderful sense of humor?", he asked.
Chomper's incesant yapping had finally roused his master, who had fluffed a pillow into an Angel-shape to take his place beside the still sleeping Spike, before padding sleepily out into the living room.
"Why is there noise?", he asked, "....And do you know you have an owl on your shoulder?"
"No, I never noticed, thanks for pointing that out", said Lorne dryly, "We have a portkeymagig"
The owl hooted softly, nipping Lorne's horn gently before flapping over to sit on Angel's shoulder. The vampire OBVIOUSLY needed more tending to his hair, it was simply wretched. She immediately set to work preening his hair into order.
Angel twitched. "It's touching my hair"
"You needs grooming", said Lorne with a winning smile, "Your hair is a mess"
"Not many people are allowed to mess with my hair", said Angel quietly, "An owl is not one of them"
Lorne rolled his eyes, picking up the medallion."Facy visiting Tonksie?"
"If it will get rid of the bird, yes", grumbled Angel.
Lorne chuckled, walking over and offering an arm for the owl. "Don't be such a baby, it's just an owl"
The owl gave Lorne a look, then went back to work. OBVIOUSLY Big Green Manthing didn't know how dire this poor vampire's plumage's state was.
"Lorne. Get it off. Now", said Angel.
"It doesn't want to go off", said Lorne, then sighed, holding out the medallion, "Come on, it'll probably fly off once we get it home"
Angel scowled, reaching over and touching the medallion."Fine"
Lorne glanced at the paper again, took the deep breath of a person who, as a general rule, distrusted anything portal-ish in case it took him back to where he Didn't Want To Be, "Solace"
With a tug behind navel and a whirling sensation, they were deposited in the middle of the livingroom of Sanctuary. The owl gave up on the vampire's obviously impossible hair, and flew off to her perch.
"Now I'll have portal-hair", said Angel, giving the bird a glare as it flew off.
"You don't get portal-hair, it's always like that", replied Lorne, then galnced around, "Hidely Ho?"
"-COULD HAVE WARNED ME!" Tonks finished yelling as she left a room and closed the door behind her, before turning and seeing who was there, then grinned and bounded over, reaching to hug them both at the same time.
Angel, as always, gave a somewhat awkward hug back, while Lorne, as always, hugged her just as tight.
"Tonksie! Look at you, you're positively glowing!", he grinned.
"I wish I knew what the heck everyone means when they say that," she said, pulling back. Here in Sanctuary she didn't bother with a glamour to hide her considerable bump, and though her face wasn't entirely her own, nor her hair colour, she managed to look entirely natural that way. As though that was how she were meant to be.
"I think it's something to do with being sick and sweating a lot", said Angel, then off Lorne's look, "....Or soemthing else entirely"
"I'm not sweating," Tonks said with a scowl that lasted all of two seconds before finding a place to sit down and waving for them to do the same. "It's great to see you guys."
"It's great to see you, too, Tonksie", grinned Lorne, sitting down, "Been worried about you"
"Hm", agreed Angel, staying on his feet a little, before finally sitting, "I'm sorry Spike isn't here, but there's no well in hell I'm waking him up, that's a suicide mission"
"It's okay, I didn't even know Lord Sal had even sent a portkey to you. I was just in there trying to talk him into just that," she tossed a little glare at the door, then looked at Lorne. "Why?"
"Why was I worried?", asked Lorne, folding his arms and arching a green eyebrow, "You mean besides the seeing the many possible futures in which you are not alright thing?"
"POSSIBLE," Tonks protested.
"Possible meaning 'could still happen'", said Lorne pointedly, giving a wave, "I make it a point to take anything I pick up seriously, just in case"
"At that time. Every choice made changes things a bit though, doesn't it? Like, if I chose not to heed you and Lord Sal and Merlin's warnings, and not carried the portkey," she fingered the pendant on her necklace, an identical miniature to the medallion.
"Oh, I'm not saying they'll happen for sure", said Lorne, "Destiny is very flexible, I'd just rather be sure it flexes in the right direction"
"It's too early for this sort of talk", sighed Angel sleepily, "Just woke up, you know"
"Oh stop being grumpy," Tonks said. "Or do you want blood'fee?"
"He's not hungry, he's hungover", said Lorne, shooting the vampire a GLARE.
"I did appologise for that", sighed Angel, then offered Tonks a smile, "Don't think I can stomach anything right now, thanks for the offer, though"
Tonks blinked, then looked at Lorne's glare. "Furniture shopping imminent?"
"Unfortunately so, yes", said Lorne, "Not to mention restocking a large quantity of alcohol. Bad vampires"
Angel coughed, looking sheepishly at the floor.
"Make 'em pay for it."
"Oh, I will", smiled Lorne, "Well, Angel-Cakes, anyway, as seen as Spike seems to be alergic to work"
"Steal all Spike's pens," Tonks said with a glinty smile.
Lorne arched a brow. "Steal all his pens, mmm?"
"He'd just take my pens", said Angel, then frowned, "And taking away his ability to release his creative flow is cruel"
"Then he can work or work to pay off his debt," Tonks said.
Lorne blinked, then grinned. "Get Spike to work?", he asked, "Wow, I haven't seen Spike work since...well...I don't think what he did at Wolfram and Hart could be counted as 'working', more loitering than anything"
"It'll never work", Angel sing-songed
"He either works off his half of the debt, or all the writing implements that enter caritas and dienw will automatically not work for him," Tonks said with an evil smile.
"Oh, I do love you so much, Tonksie", grinned Lorne.
Angel folded his arms. "I'll have no part of this", he said.
"Good for you, Angel - but you have to pay off your half of the debt somehow as well," Tonks pointed out.
"I have a job", sniffed Angel
Tonks shrugged.
Lorne rolled his eyes. "As long as you guys repay me for all the booze you guzzled trying to outdo one another"
"We will", said Angel.
"And I'm changing the locked to the cellar"
"Fine"
"Might want a few wards, too," Tonks said thoughtfully, one hand straying to her belly and rubbing gently as the children within decided to wake up and play at acrobatics.
"Oh, I will", said Lorne, "It'll have a direct link to the Furies, so they know to come straight away"
Angel paled considerably, even for a vampire.
Lorne smirked, then nodded at her belly. "Up an at 'em again, huh?"
"Yes, they've got some strange sense of timing, this lot."
"They're babies, their sense of timing will only get worse", teased Lorne.
Tonks fake-groaned and put her head in one hand. "I know."
Angel chuckled softly. "I could tell you stories about Connor that would make your hair curl", he considered, "And his, so I'd better not"
Tonks perked. "I haven't really talked to him, but he seems kind of... moodswingy."
"He's the son of two vampires, with two conflicting sets of memories and the fact he has powers that normal humans should have, despite him being, for the most part, completely human", said Lorne, "You'd be moodswingy too."
"I AM Moodswingy - but I'm also pregnant with three very rambunctious cubs," Tonks pointed out.
"You should have seen Darla", said Lorne with a girn, "Wooo-Ee, very old, very powerful vampiress full of pregnancy hormones"
"It's alright for you", said Angel, "She didn't hate you"
"Wait, wasn't Darla Connor's mum? Wouldn't that mean that she DIDN'T hate you, Angel?" Tonks asked, honestly confused.
"It's.......complicated", said Angel, "Darla and me...we haven't exactly been, umm, okay since the whole soul thing. Plus Connor was concived at a rather low point for me"
Tonks continued to look confused.
Then she blinked.
Then once again.
Then sighed and nodded. "Angelus?"
Angel shrugged. "Tried and failed"
"He had an epithany instead", offered Lorne
"Epiphany, you mean?" Tonks asked.
"Tomato, fwqtxch", said Lorne with an offhand wave, "It got him to get his life back together, anyway"
"Oooookay," Tonks replied, not really getting it. Then she squeaked and put her hands to her belly before scolding the kids, "Oi, settle down you three."
Lorne beamed like a kid. "Can I feel 'em? I love kids!"
Tonks nodded, "I'm not getting up though," she told him.
Lorne beamed, almost skipping over to sit next to her, putting a green hand on her belly.
"You're such a mother", muttered Angel, rolling his eyes.
Tonks was about to reply when Salazar entered without saying a word, put a glass in her hand, which then filled itself with pure water, then looked at her sternly as she sighed and drank it, before taking it back with him before secluding himself back to whatever it was he was working on.
"I was going to say he wasn't as bad as Lord Sal, but I sit corrected."
The children wriggled in her belly then triple kicked Lorne's hand.
"Well, between the two of them, you'll never wnat for a babysitter", said Angel
"You should see Vinnie and Ollie," Tonks replied. She frowned slightly, glancing at the door then whispered to them. "and Lord G. - y'know, before the split. It's too bad, isn't it?" she asked with a small frown.
"Love is good at biting people in the ass", said Angel, "Good or bad"
Lorne rolled his eyes. "Nicely put, Ange", he said, then looked at Tonks, "Things happen for a reason"
"It still doesn't feel right," Tonks replied with a sigh.
"No, it doesn't", sighed Lorne, "But you have to trust the PTB, even if they aren't my favourite being-things in the world"
He cocked his head to one side and then smirked.
"Though YOU seem positively aglo with the loving. Details"
"Uhm... er... huh?" Tonks Stammered.
Lorne's grin widened.
Angel cast them both a curious glance. "....Did I miss something?"
Tonks' cheeks turned pink as she ducked her head, hiding behind her hair, that was looking less purple, and more pinkish by the moment.
"Y'see, when you do that, you just make the whole empathy thing stronger", pointed out Lorne, "Awww come on, tell me?Pretty please?"
Tonks mumbled and threw a pillow at him.
The pillow merrily bounced off the demon's head. "I'll make Angel do the puppy face", he said.
"Excuse me?", frowned Angel.
Tonks made a whinysqueally sound and stomped her feet in quick succession.
Lorne gave Angel a prod. "Do the face"
Angel's face took on one of pure and utter confusion. He really did look like a kicked puppy. "What face?"
Tonks glanced up, then burst into a fit of giggles, "Oh My Angel..."
Angel's face grew even MORE confused. "What?!"
Tonks dissolved into giggles, absolutely useless for anything now.
"Damn, the face usually works", said Lorne.
".....I'm getting very confused here", mumbled Angel.
Tonks was trying hard not to fall off her chair in glee at this point.
"This is why I should stay in bed or in my office", said Angel, "I avoid so much crazy"
Tonks gasped for breath, but started uncontrollably giggling again before she could catch it. Salazar appeared in the doorway, his face a mask of worry until he realised that Tonks was laughing, and raised both eyebrows before looking at the others in the room. "Something funny?"
"Apparently", grumbled Angel.
"She was struck down by Angel's Puppy Face", said Lorne, removing an imaginary hat from his head and placing it over his chest, "Sad, really"
Salazar snorted a small laugh of his own, then conjured a glass, which he sat down near (not too near) Tonks and filled with water before leaving them to it.
"Feeling any better, Tonksie?", grinned Lorne, giving her a light prod.
"heeeeee hehehehehehehee," Tonks continued giggling, trying to catch her breath by biting her lips and chuckling despite.
Angel folded his arms. "You know, I used to strike terror into the hearts of thousands, now, all I'm good for is making people giggle"
"And brooding, don't forget the brooding", said Lorne.
Tonks had very nearly gotten control of the laughter, but a renewed burst of it happened at Lorne's comment.
Angel raised his arms to the ceiling. "I didn't leave my warm bed with a hangover to be mocked, you know"
"Are... are you... pla.. planning a... a coup...?" Tonks giggled.
Angel blinked. "A coup?", he frowned, "....What coup?"
Tonks shook her head, her giggling starting to fade. "No... weird .. hehe. weird muggle song I heard once."
Angel looked helplessly at Lorne, who shrugged.
Tonks shook her head. "Nevermind. So! Can I get you guys something to drink?"
"No drink", groaned Angel, shaking his head.
"That, is a rhetorical question as far as I'm concerned", smiled Lorne.
Tonks rolled her eyes, then saw the water and sighed. She then accio'd some of the elf-made wine Salazar had in the root-cellar, and conjured a glass, handing both to Lorne. "Have at."
"Yey!", grinned Lorne, "Thanks, Tonksie, you know I feel at a loss if I don't have a new intake of alcohol into my system every few hours"
Angel muttered something nasty-sounding at Lorne.
"Oh stop being a spoilsport, hangoverboy," Tonks said.
"I haven't had a hangover for a long, long time", grumbled Angel, "I'm alowed to be grumpy"
"Not when you steal my booze, you're not", said Lorne pointedly.
"Besides, I'm not even allowed to have ANY - I think anyone here who's allowed to be grumpy, it's me."
"Once you've dropped the little kiddies, I promise you can have whatever you want on the house", smiled Lorne.
"I will keep you to that promise, too," Tonks told him with a firm nod.
"Be glad to keep it", grinned Lorne with a salute.
"Why does she get free booze?", frowned Angel.
"Because she didn't steal any", said Lorne, then added, "And she's a lady"
"You know, it seems only Severus, Lord Sal, you and the elf call me a lady," Tonks pondered aloud.
"That;s because I'm a gentledemon", said Lorne, "Plus if you come from where I come from, you learn a great deal of respect for the womenfolk very quickly"
"Matriarchal society?" Tonks asked.
"Not really", shrugged Lorne, "But the females of my species are just as capable of inflicting a great amount of pain as the males"
"I'd say your mother could inflict a damn sight more pain than anyone, male or not", muttered Angel
"Oh?" Tonks asked, curious.
"Lorne's mother is quite the heavyweight", smiled Angel, "Even for a demoness, she's a tough nut"
"I don't talk about my family", said Lorne, casting Angel a pointed look, "What, since the exiling for bringing shame and dishonour to them and all that"
"Ironic you don't get along with Sirius, then," Tonks said.
"I get along with him just fine", replied Lorne, "I don't know what he doesn't like about me"
"You're annoying and you never shut up", said Angel, giving him a smile.
"Oh, thanks, Ange"
"Sirius prefers to be the one that never shuts up, maybe he feels threatened," Tonks chuckled.
Lorne gave the most inocent expression someone with horns could muster. "Threatened? By Moi? Not likely"
"Sirius is an arse and will find whatever ridiculous reason he wants to be an idiot."
Lorne chuckled. "That's family for you"
"Yep!"
"Oh, come on, family isn't all that bad", said Angel.
"Depends on the family," Tonks said.
"....That wasn't a dig at me, was it?", the vampire tried, "Because you really have to spell out the subtle hints today"
"My Angel, you're so distantly related, even the Blacks wouldn't count you as incest."
"That's good then", nodded Angel, "Because, in case you haven't noticed, I've been trying very hard to not get involved where I'm not wanted"
"Yes, we're all very proud of you", said Lorne dryly.
Tonks giggled.
"What?", Angel frowned, "I have"
"Yes, Angel, you have. You've also been busy shagging Spike."
Angel folded his arms. "I think I'm entitled to sleep with my fiance", he said sulkily, "And I've been busy researching"
"Researching?" Tonks asked.
"Yeah", Angel nodded, "Trying to find a way to make Fred corporeal again...it's not easy, though. Wesley was my book-guy"
"Ah," Tonks nodded. "I'm not really doing anything."
"That's because you're hiding out and being pregnant", said Angel, "That counts as doing something"
Tonks just looked at Angel."
Lorne glanced between them, then gave Tonks a prod. "So. Happy aura?"
"Snogs," she muttered.
"Well, I know THAT much", said Lorne with a grin, "But who?"
Angel arched a brow.
Tonks bit her lower lip and shysmiled, ducking behind her hair again.
"Awww come on, I want to know", said Lorne, giving her doe eyes, blood-red doe eyes, but doe eyes all the same, "Please?"
"Vinnie's going to have kittens when he finds out, let's just leave it there?" she asked.
"Ooooh it's the guy with the hair and the nose?", tried Lorne.
Tonks thudded her forehead into her hands, which she did have to raise off her lap to do so, but the effect was the same.
Angel looked at Tonks, considered, then nodded.
"Fair enough", he said, "He seemed the decent sort when you were in school"
Tonks peeked up through her hair. She glanced back and forth between them, then sat up. Then she dropped her hands into her lap. "You guys aren't going to pitch fits?"
Angel gave her a smile. "I'm just glad it isn't the Immortal".
"And you know I'm never one to rebuke love of any shape or form", smiled Lorne.
Tonks rolled her eyes at Angel. "DON'T start that again, okay?" She sighed. "How am I going to tell Vinnie?"
"Sorry", muttered Angel.
Lorne smiled.
"He's your best friend", he said, "You can tell him absolutely anything"
"He despises him for a reason he's refusing to tell me."
"I can always get him to sing", said Lorne, "Then we'd know. Though I'd imagine the 'I'm your best friend, so you have to tell me, so there' method would be enough. Lord knows, Freddles used it plenty of times"
"Vinnie has his own universe of reasoning."
"You clearly have never tried to reason with Fred when she doesn't want to reason", said Lorne pointedly.
"I gave up after she threw a lot of physics babble at me", admutted Angel, then looked at Tonks, "Vinnie cares about you, Tonks, he'll hear you out, at least"
Tonks whimpered and put her face in her hands. "Two most important people in my life, and they won't get along."
"They will if you tie them to a chair for a few hours", smiled Lorne.
"It happens sometimes", said Angel, "Personally, I'm still dreading Spike and Connor meeting up...just a little bit, in case there's...hitting"
"I think this is a little different," Tonks said almost patiently.
"How?", asked Angel.
"You're talking about a fiance, and a son that acknowledges you or not depending on his weird brainthoughts. I'm talking about the best friend I've ever had in my entire existance, and the one person I've had a very deep thing for for decades."
"You clearly forget how important the one and only son I can ever have is to me, regardless on how he feel about me", said Angel, folding his arms, "And how important Spike is to me"
Lorne glanced between them, then folded his arms. "My best friend and love of my life is currently incorpeal matter, after dying a rather horrible death, and who doesn't actually know how I feel about her in the least. I win"
"Hands down," Tonks nodded.
"Thank you", said Lorne, "Now stop whining about it, people are just going to have to deal with things, tell thm that, nicely"
"I could get their brains rewrit to like each other... but knowing my luck," Tonks said, "I'd end up out of the equation. Completely."
"You wouldn't", said Angel, "But I really discourage that"
"So you should, I haven't forgiven you for that yet", said Lorne, then smiled at Tonks, "Just get them to have a pow-pow. Or lock them in the cellar"
"If they kill each other, it would be badness."
"They can't if they are in Caritas", said Lorne with a pointed look.
"I can't go to Caritas," Tonks pointed out.
"I can grab them both and take them", offered Angel, "We even have handcuffs to tie them to bar stoo.....can we pretend I didn't just say that last bit"
"Totally pretending," Tonks said. "And what if it doesn't work? then they'll both... GAH!!!!" Tonks threw her glass up against the wall and crossed her arms.
"Well, the offer stands", said Lorne, "Gods know, it's not the first tim Caritas has been used as a medium ground"
"Maybe..." Tonks frowned. "It's not supposed to be this hard."
"Welcome to the world of adult relationships", said Lorne, "Isn't it lovely?"
"No," Tonks muttered.
"I was being sar...oh never mind", sighed Lorne.
"It's not that hard", said Angel, "Not really"
Tonks pointed at Angel. "YOU two are at each other's throats, not in the good way, almost constantly. YOU.. well, yeah we were at the whole you win thing." She pointed behind her at the door behind which Sal was somewhere, "And don't even get me started on them. Then there's Vin and Reg, who half the time aren't allowed to see each other until someone does a talk up. Then there's Sirius and Remus, I'm not even going there."
"Me and Spike have been at each other's throats for over a century, nothing new there", said Angel with an offhand wave, "And I'm thankful we are, because, quite frankly, I'd rather avoid a perfect bliss relationship if at all possible"
Lorne rolled his eyes.
"And I'm an empath demon, I got a whole load of different rules", he said, "You are aware that the road to love is, y'know, rocky, right?"
Tonks started ticking her fingers. "I was a secret to my first boyfriend, and that ended as soon as summer came. I don't talk about the second... thing. Third dumped me after a handful of months, and then there was NOTHING and NOBODY - except for that crazy meets evil - until now. It's been a very long time, and You'll excuse me if I'm incredibly out of practise on this whole thing!"
Angel arched a brow at her. "I have over two hundred years worth of that right there", he said, then considered, "I don't remember a second one, who was the second one? Was that after I left?....Wait..I'm not sure I remember the first"
"Do we want to go into how out of practise I am again?", asked Lorne, arching a brow.
"I'm not going to live as long as you, Angel, and FIRST was after you left. Lorne, you're going to be getting her back, so quit starting. Can we focus on the freaked out pregnant HUMAN for a minute here?!?"
"Oh, right", said Angel, "I can hit them for you. Would that help?"
Lorne arched a brow. "There is no 'back' to be getting to, unrequited, remember?"
"Oh it'll be requited," Tonks nodded firmly.
Lorne gave her the look he reserved for the drunk and/or insane.
"It will," she told him with utter confidence once again.
Lorne arched a brow.
Angel rolled his eyes. "You really need to give Fred more credit"
"Go talk to Merlin," Tonks said with a nod.
Lorne muttered something in Pylean and found a spot on the ceiling very interesting.
"What was that?"
"I said Qxctz mvqtch pltyvtz", said Lorne cheerfully.
"May I have some vowels and a translation charm, please?" Tonks asked.
"Pat has no vowels in his box", said Lorne, "Thanks for playing Countdown"
Tonks took out her wand and transfigured a pillow into a pile of vowels. "I'm a slytherin, I'm prepared," Tonks replied.
Lorne looked at her pile of vowels, then looked at her. "You're exceedingly persistent, has anyone ever told you that?"
"Family Trait," Tonks picked up a handful of the tiny vowels and tossed them at Lorne. They were made of pillow, and bouncy. boing!
Angel chuckled, which earned the vampire a glare.
"Oh, wow, look at that, time to go open shop!", said Lorne cheerfully.
Tonks pointed her wand at Lorne's feet, which suddenly couldn't, well, leave the floor. "C'mon, I want to know," she replied.
Lorne looked down at his feet, then looked at Angel, who shrugged. The demon frowned, then looked at Tonks.
"Don't wanna"
Tonks walked over then cast a silencer spell, then tapped her ear, making herself taller so he wouldn't have to bend to speak into it.
"...Hey", frowned Angel.
Lorne frowned. "You don't give up, do you? Even Angel-Cakes would have given up by now"
"I'm half black, related to angel, and seamus, practically adopted by the founder of my house, and most of all Me. I'm not going to give up Lorne, the more you put it off, the more curious I'm going to get. I'm like a cat, like that."
Lorne made a frustrated noise. "Fine"
Tonks tapped her ear again.
Lorne sighed, glancing at the floor. "I'm afraid"
Tonks hugged him. "Don't be," she told him.
"Hard not to be", he replied, hugging her back, before frowning, "I can't risk losing her again, Tonks. It damn near killed me the first time 'round"
"Talk to Merlin," she told him softly. "Please."
Lorne arched a brow. "You're not going to let his drop until I do, are you?", he asked.
Tonks shook her head.
"You're worse than Aggie, you know that?", the demon grumbled.
"What's an aggie?"
"She's a psychic, and quite human", chuckled Lorne, "Friend of mine back in L.A. Convinced me to go back to Pylea. 'Never get to save the girl', I hate it when she's vauge"
"I'm no good at vague," Tonks told him.
"No, I have to give you that one", he chuckled.
"I'm still here, by the way", said Angel to the room in general.
"I'm going to take down the silencing charm now, okay?" Tonks asked.
"Fine by me", shrugged Lorne, "It'll save me having to deal with him sulking all night"
"Just, talk to Merlin sometime soon, okay?"
"Alright, I promise I'll talk to Merlin", Lorne rolled his eyes.
"Good," Tonks grinned and waved her wand, taking down the silence bubble then went over and poked Angel in the stomach before sitting down again and putting her achey feet up.
Angel looked at his stomach, then looked bewteen them. "Thank you for including me in your conversation again"
"If you walk over here, we can have a conversation without Lorne, if it'll make you feel better?"
"I'm not a kid who gets placated by....", Angel considered this, "..well....maybe a little"
Tonks beckoned him with a chuckle.
Lorne rolled his eyes as the vampire got up and sat next to her. For someone who was a few decades off three centuries old, he really was still twelve inside.
Tonks bit back a giggle, then put up a silence bubble. "So, what are we going to keep secret from Lorne?"
"I actually have to think of something", said Angel, then thought, "Are you sure this will work? He has really, really good hearing"
Tonks put her hands around her mouth and screamed, "OMIGOD LORNE ANGELS TRIED TO EAT ME!!!"
The demon didn't even register she'd said anything, in face, he'd got up to prod at the curtains, considering fixing up the decour of the place.
"Well, he does", muttered Angel, then arched a brow, "I know he's worried about Fred, you know. I do notice things like that"
"I never said you didn't."
"Good", he nodded, "Just saying, if that's what Lorne is keeping quiet, which it likely is, because Lorne's only ever quiet about a select number of things, I already know"
"Fair enough," Tonks replied, amused. "Shall I get you a fishing pole next time I'm allowed to go shopping?" she teased.
Angel gave her a quizical look. "A fishing pole?"
"You're trying to get me to tell you what he said."
"No, not really", said Angel, with a cough, "...I worry about him, okay? It's my job to worry about my people"
"It's not your job," Tonks told him. "It's okay to worry without it being your job, Angel."
"Okay, clearly, that came out wrong", said Angel, "I meant..well...I just worry"
"You do always worry," she allowed.
"I'm a worrier, it's my nature to do so", said Angel, "However annoying the rest of you think it is"
"You just seem to think you hold the corner market on it, and I happen to know other people are allowed to worry too. Sometimes you have to let them do the worrying."
"They can worry too", Angel allowed, then frowned, "And I have a lot to worry about...well, okay, not so much as when I was at Wolfram and Hart, but still, lots of worry-worthy things"
"You can take time off from worrying too though, you know."
Angel gave her a look.
"Really," she raised her eyebrows.
"That would involve relaxing", said Angel.
"Which would help with the non-vampy forehead wrinkle thing you're developing."
Angel blinked, rubbing a hand on his forehead. "There's a wrinkle?"
"Starting to be," Tonks reached forward and touched the space between his brows. "Gets deeper the more you worry."
"I have lots to worry about", Angel repeated.
"Take a break sometimes and let someone else do the worrying," Tonks repeated.
"Take a break?", Angel said, as if this were a foreign concept to him.
"Yes. Take a break from the worrying."
Angel blinked. "....I'm not entirely sure I know how to do that, Tonks", he said, "I've been worrying for over a century, I have it down to a fine art"
"Trust someone else to be able to do things just as well as you."
"Yes, but knowing they're worrying will make me worry, because I would worry they were over-worrying", Angel sighed.
Tonks just looked at him.
"See? I told you", said Angel, "Fine art"
"I give up," she threw up her hands.
"There you go", smiled Angel, "I'm fine, Tonks, really. I'm used to overly worrying"
"Yeah well, I worry about you overworrying that people are worrying about things you think you ought to be the only one worrying about."
"But you don't have to worry about...", Angel gave up, "You don't have to worry about me. I like the worrying. It keeps me sharp"
"Like a spoon."
"Let me rephrase that", said Angel, "If I always have a worry niggling in the back of my mind, it really does stop that 'pure happiness' thing in it's tracks. Can't be completely happy when you have something to worry about"
"You know...that's really sad," Tonks bit her lip.
"What is?", asked Angel cocking his head to the side.
Tonks sniffled and just hugged him.
Angel blinked a bit confused, glancing at Lorne, who shrugged, having no idea what they were going on about. Angel rather awkwardly hugged her back. "Tonks, what is it?"
"You... you just... and it means... and I...you... " Tonks started crying and hugged him tighter.
Angel blinked again. "Um....right?", he tried, patting her back.
Tonks cried for a little while, before she wiped her face clean, "I can take the spell down now?"
"Sure....though I'm a little confused about the crying", he admitted.
Tonks sniffled and kissed his nose before taking down the spell.
"You made her cry, bravo, Angel-Cakes", said Lorne arching a brow.
"I don't know what I did!", said Angel, "She just started crying"
Tonks waved her hands. "Pregnant thing."
"Oh", said Angel, "...Okay then"
She sniffled.
Lorne arched a brow, before pulling out the hankerchief from his shirt and handing it to her.
"Thanks," Tonks murmured, embarrassed, as she took it and neatened herself.
"Awww, it's alright to have a cry, Tonksie", smiled Lorne, "Doubly so when you're pregnant"
She stuck her tongue out at him.
Lorne chuckled, rolling his eyes in amusement.
"You're all insane", muttered Angel.
"Insane is relative."
"Drusila is as wacky as a....", Angel trailed off, "She is very insane"
"See?" Tonks said, "relative!"
"Technically, Angelus drove her insane", said Angel, "But she was a seer, too, so that didn't likely help matters"
"Yeah."
"I'm standing right here, you know", said Lorne pointedly.
"We already know you're crazy", said Angel with an off-hand wave.
"C'mere," Tonks said, beckoning.
"Why?", asked Lorne, suspcious.
She raised her eyebrows and forcefully beckoned once more.
Lorne, having been instilled with the knowledge that it's best not to ignore a female of any species for long, sighed and walked over.
Tonks pulled him off balance and down for a hug.
The demon gave a yelp, gangly limbs flailing to regain ballance, before he chuckled, hugging her back. "Aww, Honey, those emotions of yours are all over the place"
"Shhhh is a secret."
"Right, because it's not painfully obvious", chuckled Lorne.
"Are your horns happy zones?" she asked out of the blue.
"Grafrasnighit!", yelped Angel.
Lorne blinked at Angel, then blinked at Tonks. "......I have a feeling I really don't want to know what you mean by that"
"Just a random thought."
"...That's frightening", said Angel, "...Bad images in my head"
Lorne cocked his head to one side.
"Can I not answer that question?"
Tonks shrugged. "Is that a yes?"
"It's a not answering that question", said Lorne, shifting his head slightly away from her and any touchy hands.
Tonks didn't touchy - "If they weren't, it wouldn't be a problem to tell me no - so since you don't want to answer - the answer is obviously yes!"
Lorne rolled his eyes. "Tell me no secrets, I'll tell you no lies"
".....That explains why none of the kids had horns", mused Angel, then shuddered, "Oh, I really didn't need that information."
WHAT: Visiting, talking about Deep Things, Moodswings and Yayness
WHEN: Thursday Afternoon
WHERE: The Sanctuary
IN WHICH ANGEL AND LORNE GET TO VISIT TONKS, THERE IS HENPECKY OWL BEHAVIOUR, TONKS COMES CLEAN ABOUT SEEING SNAPE - LORNE COMES CLEAN ABOUT A FEW THINGS HIMSELF
"They're going to think you kidnapped me," Tonks said with a huffy sigh.
"They'll think no such thing, Nymphadora," Salazar said patiently, not even looking up from the parchment he was working on.
Tonks paced the room several more minutes before stopping beside him. "Please, Lord Sal, I would like to respectfully request you have them brought for a visit."
"Very well," a small smile tugged the corner of Salazar's lips. "If you are so polite, I can do nothing but aquisce to your request." He didn't mention that he'd sent his owl with a portkey for the denizens of Dienw flat to be able to visit her at will. None other picking it up would allow entrance, but keyed to the life (or unlife, as it may be) signatures of those he trusted with her safety.
Besides, one step outside, or through a window, and they'd be 'ported to the middle of the english channel anyhow.
----
While Tonks had been busy trying to plead her case to Lord Salazar, a regal owl landed in Dienw flat and hooted loud enough to wake the undead.
Nothing answered the owl at first, bar one little hellpuppy, who dashed over, yapping at it incessantly, and thus making the racket tendfold. After this continued for a few minutes, Lorne stalked out of his room, giving the bedroom door of the puppies owner a good glare. He gave the owl a curious glance. ".....Alright then, keep forgeting this is normal."
The regal creature held a package by one clawed talon, and flew up to perch on Lorne's shoulder with her other talon, hooting again, softly this time, before preening his hair for him.
Lorne took the parcel, quietly turning the still yapping puppy in the direction of Angel and Spike's room, allowing the little terror to race off as he opened the package.
Inside was a wooden medallion, a serpent nestled in waves of water, curled around a symbol of the sun. Also, there was a small piece of parchment bearing a terse note.
Members of Dienw Flat - this portkey will only work with those of you whom Nymphadora has told me live here (as of when I last asked). By name Angel, Spike, Lorne, Oliver, Vinnie. Speak simply the word "Solace" and you will be brought to Sanctuary. A note of caution, should you attempt to leave Sanctuary by any route other than by returning using this portkey (passkey Dienw), you will be immediately transported to the centre of the English Channel.
~Lord Slytherin
Lorne arched a brow. "Well, haven't we got a wonderful sense of humor?", he asked.
Chomper's incesant yapping had finally roused his master, who had fluffed a pillow into an Angel-shape to take his place beside the still sleeping Spike, before padding sleepily out into the living room.
"Why is there noise?", he asked, "....And do you know you have an owl on your shoulder?"
"No, I never noticed, thanks for pointing that out", said Lorne dryly, "We have a portkeymagig"
The owl hooted softly, nipping Lorne's horn gently before flapping over to sit on Angel's shoulder. The vampire OBVIOUSLY needed more tending to his hair, it was simply wretched. She immediately set to work preening his hair into order.
Angel twitched. "It's touching my hair"
"You needs grooming", said Lorne with a winning smile, "Your hair is a mess"
"Not many people are allowed to mess with my hair", said Angel quietly, "An owl is not one of them"
Lorne rolled his eyes, picking up the medallion."Facy visiting Tonksie?"
"If it will get rid of the bird, yes", grumbled Angel.
Lorne chuckled, walking over and offering an arm for the owl. "Don't be such a baby, it's just an owl"
The owl gave Lorne a look, then went back to work. OBVIOUSLY Big Green Manthing didn't know how dire this poor vampire's plumage's state was.
"Lorne. Get it off. Now", said Angel.
"It doesn't want to go off", said Lorne, then sighed, holding out the medallion, "Come on, it'll probably fly off once we get it home"
Angel scowled, reaching over and touching the medallion."Fine"
Lorne glanced at the paper again, took the deep breath of a person who, as a general rule, distrusted anything portal-ish in case it took him back to where he Didn't Want To Be, "Solace"
With a tug behind navel and a whirling sensation, they were deposited in the middle of the livingroom of Sanctuary. The owl gave up on the vampire's obviously impossible hair, and flew off to her perch.
"Now I'll have portal-hair", said Angel, giving the bird a glare as it flew off.
"You don't get portal-hair, it's always like that", replied Lorne, then galnced around, "Hidely Ho?"
"-COULD HAVE WARNED ME!" Tonks finished yelling as she left a room and closed the door behind her, before turning and seeing who was there, then grinned and bounded over, reaching to hug them both at the same time.
Angel, as always, gave a somewhat awkward hug back, while Lorne, as always, hugged her just as tight.
"Tonksie! Look at you, you're positively glowing!", he grinned.
"I wish I knew what the heck everyone means when they say that," she said, pulling back. Here in Sanctuary she didn't bother with a glamour to hide her considerable bump, and though her face wasn't entirely her own, nor her hair colour, she managed to look entirely natural that way. As though that was how she were meant to be.
"I think it's something to do with being sick and sweating a lot", said Angel, then off Lorne's look, "....Or soemthing else entirely"
"I'm not sweating," Tonks said with a scowl that lasted all of two seconds before finding a place to sit down and waving for them to do the same. "It's great to see you guys."
"It's great to see you, too, Tonksie", grinned Lorne, sitting down, "Been worried about you"
"Hm", agreed Angel, staying on his feet a little, before finally sitting, "I'm sorry Spike isn't here, but there's no well in hell I'm waking him up, that's a suicide mission"
"It's okay, I didn't even know Lord Sal had even sent a portkey to you. I was just in there trying to talk him into just that," she tossed a little glare at the door, then looked at Lorne. "Why?"
"Why was I worried?", asked Lorne, folding his arms and arching a green eyebrow, "You mean besides the seeing the many possible futures in which you are not alright thing?"
"POSSIBLE," Tonks protested.
"Possible meaning 'could still happen'", said Lorne pointedly, giving a wave, "I make it a point to take anything I pick up seriously, just in case"
"At that time. Every choice made changes things a bit though, doesn't it? Like, if I chose not to heed you and Lord Sal and Merlin's warnings, and not carried the portkey," she fingered the pendant on her necklace, an identical miniature to the medallion.
"Oh, I'm not saying they'll happen for sure", said Lorne, "Destiny is very flexible, I'd just rather be sure it flexes in the right direction"
"It's too early for this sort of talk", sighed Angel sleepily, "Just woke up, you know"
"Oh stop being grumpy," Tonks said. "Or do you want blood'fee?"
"He's not hungry, he's hungover", said Lorne, shooting the vampire a GLARE.
"I did appologise for that", sighed Angel, then offered Tonks a smile, "Don't think I can stomach anything right now, thanks for the offer, though"
Tonks blinked, then looked at Lorne's glare. "Furniture shopping imminent?"
"Unfortunately so, yes", said Lorne, "Not to mention restocking a large quantity of alcohol. Bad vampires"
Angel coughed, looking sheepishly at the floor.
"Make 'em pay for it."
"Oh, I will", smiled Lorne, "Well, Angel-Cakes, anyway, as seen as Spike seems to be alergic to work"
"Steal all Spike's pens," Tonks said with a glinty smile.
Lorne arched a brow. "Steal all his pens, mmm?"
"He'd just take my pens", said Angel, then frowned, "And taking away his ability to release his creative flow is cruel"
"Then he can work or work to pay off his debt," Tonks said.
Lorne blinked, then grinned. "Get Spike to work?", he asked, "Wow, I haven't seen Spike work since...well...I don't think what he did at Wolfram and Hart could be counted as 'working', more loitering than anything"
"It'll never work", Angel sing-songed
"He either works off his half of the debt, or all the writing implements that enter caritas and dienw will automatically not work for him," Tonks said with an evil smile.
"Oh, I do love you so much, Tonksie", grinned Lorne.
Angel folded his arms. "I'll have no part of this", he said.
"Good for you, Angel - but you have to pay off your half of the debt somehow as well," Tonks pointed out.
"I have a job", sniffed Angel
Tonks shrugged.
Lorne rolled his eyes. "As long as you guys repay me for all the booze you guzzled trying to outdo one another"
"We will", said Angel.
"And I'm changing the locked to the cellar"
"Fine"
"Might want a few wards, too," Tonks said thoughtfully, one hand straying to her belly and rubbing gently as the children within decided to wake up and play at acrobatics.
"Oh, I will", said Lorne, "It'll have a direct link to the Furies, so they know to come straight away"
Angel paled considerably, even for a vampire.
Lorne smirked, then nodded at her belly. "Up an at 'em again, huh?"
"Yes, they've got some strange sense of timing, this lot."
"They're babies, their sense of timing will only get worse", teased Lorne.
Tonks fake-groaned and put her head in one hand. "I know."
Angel chuckled softly. "I could tell you stories about Connor that would make your hair curl", he considered, "And his, so I'd better not"
Tonks perked. "I haven't really talked to him, but he seems kind of... moodswingy."
"He's the son of two vampires, with two conflicting sets of memories and the fact he has powers that normal humans should have, despite him being, for the most part, completely human", said Lorne, "You'd be moodswingy too."
"I AM Moodswingy - but I'm also pregnant with three very rambunctious cubs," Tonks pointed out.
"You should have seen Darla", said Lorne with a girn, "Wooo-Ee, very old, very powerful vampiress full of pregnancy hormones"
"It's alright for you", said Angel, "She didn't hate you"
"Wait, wasn't Darla Connor's mum? Wouldn't that mean that she DIDN'T hate you, Angel?" Tonks asked, honestly confused.
"It's.......complicated", said Angel, "Darla and me...we haven't exactly been, umm, okay since the whole soul thing. Plus Connor was concived at a rather low point for me"
Tonks continued to look confused.
Then she blinked.
Then once again.
Then sighed and nodded. "Angelus?"
Angel shrugged. "Tried and failed"
"He had an epithany instead", offered Lorne
"Epiphany, you mean?" Tonks asked.
"Tomato, fwqtxch", said Lorne with an offhand wave, "It got him to get his life back together, anyway"
"Oooookay," Tonks replied, not really getting it. Then she squeaked and put her hands to her belly before scolding the kids, "Oi, settle down you three."
Lorne beamed like a kid. "Can I feel 'em? I love kids!"
Tonks nodded, "I'm not getting up though," she told him.
Lorne beamed, almost skipping over to sit next to her, putting a green hand on her belly.
"You're such a mother", muttered Angel, rolling his eyes.
Tonks was about to reply when Salazar entered without saying a word, put a glass in her hand, which then filled itself with pure water, then looked at her sternly as she sighed and drank it, before taking it back with him before secluding himself back to whatever it was he was working on.
"I was going to say he wasn't as bad as Lord Sal, but I sit corrected."
The children wriggled in her belly then triple kicked Lorne's hand.
"Well, between the two of them, you'll never wnat for a babysitter", said Angel
"You should see Vinnie and Ollie," Tonks replied. She frowned slightly, glancing at the door then whispered to them. "and Lord G. - y'know, before the split. It's too bad, isn't it?" she asked with a small frown.
"Love is good at biting people in the ass", said Angel, "Good or bad"
Lorne rolled his eyes. "Nicely put, Ange", he said, then looked at Tonks, "Things happen for a reason"
"It still doesn't feel right," Tonks replied with a sigh.
"No, it doesn't", sighed Lorne, "But you have to trust the PTB, even if they aren't my favourite being-things in the world"
He cocked his head to one side and then smirked.
"Though YOU seem positively aglo with the loving. Details"
"Uhm... er... huh?" Tonks Stammered.
Lorne's grin widened.
Angel cast them both a curious glance. "....Did I miss something?"
Tonks' cheeks turned pink as she ducked her head, hiding behind her hair, that was looking less purple, and more pinkish by the moment.
"Y'see, when you do that, you just make the whole empathy thing stronger", pointed out Lorne, "Awww come on, tell me?Pretty please?"
Tonks mumbled and threw a pillow at him.
The pillow merrily bounced off the demon's head. "I'll make Angel do the puppy face", he said.
"Excuse me?", frowned Angel.
Tonks made a whinysqueally sound and stomped her feet in quick succession.
Lorne gave Angel a prod. "Do the face"
Angel's face took on one of pure and utter confusion. He really did look like a kicked puppy. "What face?"
Tonks glanced up, then burst into a fit of giggles, "Oh My Angel..."
Angel's face grew even MORE confused. "What?!"
Tonks dissolved into giggles, absolutely useless for anything now.
"Damn, the face usually works", said Lorne.
".....I'm getting very confused here", mumbled Angel.
Tonks was trying hard not to fall off her chair in glee at this point.
"This is why I should stay in bed or in my office", said Angel, "I avoid so much crazy"
Tonks gasped for breath, but started uncontrollably giggling again before she could catch it. Salazar appeared in the doorway, his face a mask of worry until he realised that Tonks was laughing, and raised both eyebrows before looking at the others in the room. "Something funny?"
"Apparently", grumbled Angel.
"She was struck down by Angel's Puppy Face", said Lorne, removing an imaginary hat from his head and placing it over his chest, "Sad, really"
Salazar snorted a small laugh of his own, then conjured a glass, which he sat down near (not too near) Tonks and filled with water before leaving them to it.
"Feeling any better, Tonksie?", grinned Lorne, giving her a light prod.
"heeeeee hehehehehehehee," Tonks continued giggling, trying to catch her breath by biting her lips and chuckling despite.
Angel folded his arms. "You know, I used to strike terror into the hearts of thousands, now, all I'm good for is making people giggle"
"And brooding, don't forget the brooding", said Lorne.
Tonks had very nearly gotten control of the laughter, but a renewed burst of it happened at Lorne's comment.
Angel raised his arms to the ceiling. "I didn't leave my warm bed with a hangover to be mocked, you know"
"Are... are you... pla.. planning a... a coup...?" Tonks giggled.
Angel blinked. "A coup?", he frowned, "....What coup?"
Tonks shook her head, her giggling starting to fade. "No... weird .. hehe. weird muggle song I heard once."
Angel looked helplessly at Lorne, who shrugged.
Tonks shook her head. "Nevermind. So! Can I get you guys something to drink?"
"No drink", groaned Angel, shaking his head.
"That, is a rhetorical question as far as I'm concerned", smiled Lorne.
Tonks rolled her eyes, then saw the water and sighed. She then accio'd some of the elf-made wine Salazar had in the root-cellar, and conjured a glass, handing both to Lorne. "Have at."
"Yey!", grinned Lorne, "Thanks, Tonksie, you know I feel at a loss if I don't have a new intake of alcohol into my system every few hours"
Angel muttered something nasty-sounding at Lorne.
"Oh stop being a spoilsport, hangoverboy," Tonks said.
"I haven't had a hangover for a long, long time", grumbled Angel, "I'm alowed to be grumpy"
"Not when you steal my booze, you're not", said Lorne pointedly.
"Besides, I'm not even allowed to have ANY - I think anyone here who's allowed to be grumpy, it's me."
"Once you've dropped the little kiddies, I promise you can have whatever you want on the house", smiled Lorne.
"I will keep you to that promise, too," Tonks told him with a firm nod.
"Be glad to keep it", grinned Lorne with a salute.
"Why does she get free booze?", frowned Angel.
"Because she didn't steal any", said Lorne, then added, "And she's a lady"
"You know, it seems only Severus, Lord Sal, you and the elf call me a lady," Tonks pondered aloud.
"That;s because I'm a gentledemon", said Lorne, "Plus if you come from where I come from, you learn a great deal of respect for the womenfolk very quickly"
"Matriarchal society?" Tonks asked.
"Not really", shrugged Lorne, "But the females of my species are just as capable of inflicting a great amount of pain as the males"
"I'd say your mother could inflict a damn sight more pain than anyone, male or not", muttered Angel
"Oh?" Tonks asked, curious.
"Lorne's mother is quite the heavyweight", smiled Angel, "Even for a demoness, she's a tough nut"
"I don't talk about my family", said Lorne, casting Angel a pointed look, "What, since the exiling for bringing shame and dishonour to them and all that"
"Ironic you don't get along with Sirius, then," Tonks said.
"I get along with him just fine", replied Lorne, "I don't know what he doesn't like about me"
"You're annoying and you never shut up", said Angel, giving him a smile.
"Oh, thanks, Ange"
"Sirius prefers to be the one that never shuts up, maybe he feels threatened," Tonks chuckled.
Lorne gave the most inocent expression someone with horns could muster. "Threatened? By Moi? Not likely"
"Sirius is an arse and will find whatever ridiculous reason he wants to be an idiot."
Lorne chuckled. "That's family for you"
"Yep!"
"Oh, come on, family isn't all that bad", said Angel.
"Depends on the family," Tonks said.
"....That wasn't a dig at me, was it?", the vampire tried, "Because you really have to spell out the subtle hints today"
"My Angel, you're so distantly related, even the Blacks wouldn't count you as incest."
"That's good then", nodded Angel, "Because, in case you haven't noticed, I've been trying very hard to not get involved where I'm not wanted"
"Yes, we're all very proud of you", said Lorne dryly.
Tonks giggled.
"What?", Angel frowned, "I have"
"Yes, Angel, you have. You've also been busy shagging Spike."
Angel folded his arms. "I think I'm entitled to sleep with my fiance", he said sulkily, "And I've been busy researching"
"Researching?" Tonks asked.
"Yeah", Angel nodded, "Trying to find a way to make Fred corporeal again...it's not easy, though. Wesley was my book-guy"
"Ah," Tonks nodded. "I'm not really doing anything."
"That's because you're hiding out and being pregnant", said Angel, "That counts as doing something"
Tonks just looked at Angel."
Lorne glanced between them, then gave Tonks a prod. "So. Happy aura?"
"Snogs," she muttered.
"Well, I know THAT much", said Lorne with a grin, "But who?"
Angel arched a brow.
Tonks bit her lower lip and shysmiled, ducking behind her hair again.
"Awww come on, I want to know", said Lorne, giving her doe eyes, blood-red doe eyes, but doe eyes all the same, "Please?"
"Vinnie's going to have kittens when he finds out, let's just leave it there?" she asked.
"Ooooh it's the guy with the hair and the nose?", tried Lorne.
Tonks thudded her forehead into her hands, which she did have to raise off her lap to do so, but the effect was the same.
Angel looked at Tonks, considered, then nodded.
"Fair enough", he said, "He seemed the decent sort when you were in school"
Tonks peeked up through her hair. She glanced back and forth between them, then sat up. Then she dropped her hands into her lap. "You guys aren't going to pitch fits?"
Angel gave her a smile. "I'm just glad it isn't the Immortal".
"And you know I'm never one to rebuke love of any shape or form", smiled Lorne.
Tonks rolled her eyes at Angel. "DON'T start that again, okay?" She sighed. "How am I going to tell Vinnie?"
"Sorry", muttered Angel.
Lorne smiled.
"He's your best friend", he said, "You can tell him absolutely anything"
"He despises him for a reason he's refusing to tell me."
"I can always get him to sing", said Lorne, "Then we'd know. Though I'd imagine the 'I'm your best friend, so you have to tell me, so there' method would be enough. Lord knows, Freddles used it plenty of times"
"Vinnie has his own universe of reasoning."
"You clearly have never tried to reason with Fred when she doesn't want to reason", said Lorne pointedly.
"I gave up after she threw a lot of physics babble at me", admutted Angel, then looked at Tonks, "Vinnie cares about you, Tonks, he'll hear you out, at least"
Tonks whimpered and put her face in her hands. "Two most important people in my life, and they won't get along."
"They will if you tie them to a chair for a few hours", smiled Lorne.
"It happens sometimes", said Angel, "Personally, I'm still dreading Spike and Connor meeting up...just a little bit, in case there's...hitting"
"I think this is a little different," Tonks said almost patiently.
"How?", asked Angel.
"You're talking about a fiance, and a son that acknowledges you or not depending on his weird brainthoughts. I'm talking about the best friend I've ever had in my entire existance, and the one person I've had a very deep thing for for decades."
"You clearly forget how important the one and only son I can ever have is to me, regardless on how he feel about me", said Angel, folding his arms, "And how important Spike is to me"
Lorne glanced between them, then folded his arms. "My best friend and love of my life is currently incorpeal matter, after dying a rather horrible death, and who doesn't actually know how I feel about her in the least. I win"
"Hands down," Tonks nodded.
"Thank you", said Lorne, "Now stop whining about it, people are just going to have to deal with things, tell thm that, nicely"
"I could get their brains rewrit to like each other... but knowing my luck," Tonks said, "I'd end up out of the equation. Completely."
"You wouldn't", said Angel, "But I really discourage that"
"So you should, I haven't forgiven you for that yet", said Lorne, then smiled at Tonks, "Just get them to have a pow-pow. Or lock them in the cellar"
"If they kill each other, it would be badness."
"They can't if they are in Caritas", said Lorne with a pointed look.
"I can't go to Caritas," Tonks pointed out.
"I can grab them both and take them", offered Angel, "We even have handcuffs to tie them to bar stoo.....can we pretend I didn't just say that last bit"
"Totally pretending," Tonks said. "And what if it doesn't work? then they'll both... GAH!!!!" Tonks threw her glass up against the wall and crossed her arms.
"Well, the offer stands", said Lorne, "Gods know, it's not the first tim Caritas has been used as a medium ground"
"Maybe..." Tonks frowned. "It's not supposed to be this hard."
"Welcome to the world of adult relationships", said Lorne, "Isn't it lovely?"
"No," Tonks muttered.
"I was being sar...oh never mind", sighed Lorne.
"It's not that hard", said Angel, "Not really"
Tonks pointed at Angel. "YOU two are at each other's throats, not in the good way, almost constantly. YOU.. well, yeah we were at the whole you win thing." She pointed behind her at the door behind which Sal was somewhere, "And don't even get me started on them. Then there's Vin and Reg, who half the time aren't allowed to see each other until someone does a talk up. Then there's Sirius and Remus, I'm not even going there."
"Me and Spike have been at each other's throats for over a century, nothing new there", said Angel with an offhand wave, "And I'm thankful we are, because, quite frankly, I'd rather avoid a perfect bliss relationship if at all possible"
Lorne rolled his eyes.
"And I'm an empath demon, I got a whole load of different rules", he said, "You are aware that the road to love is, y'know, rocky, right?"
Tonks started ticking her fingers. "I was a secret to my first boyfriend, and that ended as soon as summer came. I don't talk about the second... thing. Third dumped me after a handful of months, and then there was NOTHING and NOBODY - except for that crazy meets evil - until now. It's been a very long time, and You'll excuse me if I'm incredibly out of practise on this whole thing!"
Angel arched a brow at her. "I have over two hundred years worth of that right there", he said, then considered, "I don't remember a second one, who was the second one? Was that after I left?....Wait..I'm not sure I remember the first"
"Do we want to go into how out of practise I am again?", asked Lorne, arching a brow.
"I'm not going to live as long as you, Angel, and FIRST was after you left. Lorne, you're going to be getting her back, so quit starting. Can we focus on the freaked out pregnant HUMAN for a minute here?!?"
"Oh, right", said Angel, "I can hit them for you. Would that help?"
Lorne arched a brow. "There is no 'back' to be getting to, unrequited, remember?"
"Oh it'll be requited," Tonks nodded firmly.
Lorne gave her the look he reserved for the drunk and/or insane.
"It will," she told him with utter confidence once again.
Lorne arched a brow.
Angel rolled his eyes. "You really need to give Fred more credit"
"Go talk to Merlin," Tonks said with a nod.
Lorne muttered something in Pylean and found a spot on the ceiling very interesting.
"What was that?"
"I said Qxctz mvqtch pltyvtz", said Lorne cheerfully.
"May I have some vowels and a translation charm, please?" Tonks asked.
"Pat has no vowels in his box", said Lorne, "Thanks for playing Countdown"
Tonks took out her wand and transfigured a pillow into a pile of vowels. "I'm a slytherin, I'm prepared," Tonks replied.
Lorne looked at her pile of vowels, then looked at her. "You're exceedingly persistent, has anyone ever told you that?"
"Family Trait," Tonks picked up a handful of the tiny vowels and tossed them at Lorne. They were made of pillow, and bouncy. boing!
Angel chuckled, which earned the vampire a glare.
"Oh, wow, look at that, time to go open shop!", said Lorne cheerfully.
Tonks pointed her wand at Lorne's feet, which suddenly couldn't, well, leave the floor. "C'mon, I want to know," she replied.
Lorne looked down at his feet, then looked at Angel, who shrugged. The demon frowned, then looked at Tonks.
"Don't wanna"
Tonks walked over then cast a silencer spell, then tapped her ear, making herself taller so he wouldn't have to bend to speak into it.
"...Hey", frowned Angel.
Lorne frowned. "You don't give up, do you? Even Angel-Cakes would have given up by now"
"I'm half black, related to angel, and seamus, practically adopted by the founder of my house, and most of all Me. I'm not going to give up Lorne, the more you put it off, the more curious I'm going to get. I'm like a cat, like that."
Lorne made a frustrated noise. "Fine"
Tonks tapped her ear again.
Lorne sighed, glancing at the floor. "I'm afraid"
Tonks hugged him. "Don't be," she told him.
"Hard not to be", he replied, hugging her back, before frowning, "I can't risk losing her again, Tonks. It damn near killed me the first time 'round"
"Talk to Merlin," she told him softly. "Please."
Lorne arched a brow. "You're not going to let his drop until I do, are you?", he asked.
Tonks shook her head.
"You're worse than Aggie, you know that?", the demon grumbled.
"What's an aggie?"
"She's a psychic, and quite human", chuckled Lorne, "Friend of mine back in L.A. Convinced me to go back to Pylea. 'Never get to save the girl', I hate it when she's vauge"
"I'm no good at vague," Tonks told him.
"No, I have to give you that one", he chuckled.
"I'm still here, by the way", said Angel to the room in general.
"I'm going to take down the silencing charm now, okay?" Tonks asked.
"Fine by me", shrugged Lorne, "It'll save me having to deal with him sulking all night"
"Just, talk to Merlin sometime soon, okay?"
"Alright, I promise I'll talk to Merlin", Lorne rolled his eyes.
"Good," Tonks grinned and waved her wand, taking down the silence bubble then went over and poked Angel in the stomach before sitting down again and putting her achey feet up.
Angel looked at his stomach, then looked bewteen them. "Thank you for including me in your conversation again"
"If you walk over here, we can have a conversation without Lorne, if it'll make you feel better?"
"I'm not a kid who gets placated by....", Angel considered this, "..well....maybe a little"
Tonks beckoned him with a chuckle.
Lorne rolled his eyes as the vampire got up and sat next to her. For someone who was a few decades off three centuries old, he really was still twelve inside.
Tonks bit back a giggle, then put up a silence bubble. "So, what are we going to keep secret from Lorne?"
"I actually have to think of something", said Angel, then thought, "Are you sure this will work? He has really, really good hearing"
Tonks put her hands around her mouth and screamed, "OMIGOD LORNE ANGELS TRIED TO EAT ME!!!"
The demon didn't even register she'd said anything, in face, he'd got up to prod at the curtains, considering fixing up the decour of the place.
"Well, he does", muttered Angel, then arched a brow, "I know he's worried about Fred, you know. I do notice things like that"
"I never said you didn't."
"Good", he nodded, "Just saying, if that's what Lorne is keeping quiet, which it likely is, because Lorne's only ever quiet about a select number of things, I already know"
"Fair enough," Tonks replied, amused. "Shall I get you a fishing pole next time I'm allowed to go shopping?" she teased.
Angel gave her a quizical look. "A fishing pole?"
"You're trying to get me to tell you what he said."
"No, not really", said Angel, with a cough, "...I worry about him, okay? It's my job to worry about my people"
"It's not your job," Tonks told him. "It's okay to worry without it being your job, Angel."
"Okay, clearly, that came out wrong", said Angel, "I meant..well...I just worry"
"You do always worry," she allowed.
"I'm a worrier, it's my nature to do so", said Angel, "However annoying the rest of you think it is"
"You just seem to think you hold the corner market on it, and I happen to know other people are allowed to worry too. Sometimes you have to let them do the worrying."
"They can worry too", Angel allowed, then frowned, "And I have a lot to worry about...well, okay, not so much as when I was at Wolfram and Hart, but still, lots of worry-worthy things"
"You can take time off from worrying too though, you know."
Angel gave her a look.
"Really," she raised her eyebrows.
"That would involve relaxing", said Angel.
"Which would help with the non-vampy forehead wrinkle thing you're developing."
Angel blinked, rubbing a hand on his forehead. "There's a wrinkle?"
"Starting to be," Tonks reached forward and touched the space between his brows. "Gets deeper the more you worry."
"I have lots to worry about", Angel repeated.
"Take a break sometimes and let someone else do the worrying," Tonks repeated.
"Take a break?", Angel said, as if this were a foreign concept to him.
"Yes. Take a break from the worrying."
Angel blinked. "....I'm not entirely sure I know how to do that, Tonks", he said, "I've been worrying for over a century, I have it down to a fine art"
"Trust someone else to be able to do things just as well as you."
"Yes, but knowing they're worrying will make me worry, because I would worry they were over-worrying", Angel sighed.
Tonks just looked at him.
"See? I told you", said Angel, "Fine art"
"I give up," she threw up her hands.
"There you go", smiled Angel, "I'm fine, Tonks, really. I'm used to overly worrying"
"Yeah well, I worry about you overworrying that people are worrying about things you think you ought to be the only one worrying about."
"But you don't have to worry about...", Angel gave up, "You don't have to worry about me. I like the worrying. It keeps me sharp"
"Like a spoon."
"Let me rephrase that", said Angel, "If I always have a worry niggling in the back of my mind, it really does stop that 'pure happiness' thing in it's tracks. Can't be completely happy when you have something to worry about"
"You know...that's really sad," Tonks bit her lip.
"What is?", asked Angel cocking his head to the side.
Tonks sniffled and just hugged him.
Angel blinked a bit confused, glancing at Lorne, who shrugged, having no idea what they were going on about. Angel rather awkwardly hugged her back. "Tonks, what is it?"
"You... you just... and it means... and I...you... " Tonks started crying and hugged him tighter.
Angel blinked again. "Um....right?", he tried, patting her back.
Tonks cried for a little while, before she wiped her face clean, "I can take the spell down now?"
"Sure....though I'm a little confused about the crying", he admitted.
Tonks sniffled and kissed his nose before taking down the spell.
"You made her cry, bravo, Angel-Cakes", said Lorne arching a brow.
"I don't know what I did!", said Angel, "She just started crying"
Tonks waved her hands. "Pregnant thing."
"Oh", said Angel, "...Okay then"
She sniffled.
Lorne arched a brow, before pulling out the hankerchief from his shirt and handing it to her.
"Thanks," Tonks murmured, embarrassed, as she took it and neatened herself.
"Awww, it's alright to have a cry, Tonksie", smiled Lorne, "Doubly so when you're pregnant"
She stuck her tongue out at him.
Lorne chuckled, rolling his eyes in amusement.
"You're all insane", muttered Angel.
"Insane is relative."
"Drusila is as wacky as a....", Angel trailed off, "She is very insane"
"See?" Tonks said, "relative!"
"Technically, Angelus drove her insane", said Angel, "But she was a seer, too, so that didn't likely help matters"
"Yeah."
"I'm standing right here, you know", said Lorne pointedly.
"We already know you're crazy", said Angel with an off-hand wave.
"C'mere," Tonks said, beckoning.
"Why?", asked Lorne, suspcious.
She raised her eyebrows and forcefully beckoned once more.
Lorne, having been instilled with the knowledge that it's best not to ignore a female of any species for long, sighed and walked over.
Tonks pulled him off balance and down for a hug.
The demon gave a yelp, gangly limbs flailing to regain ballance, before he chuckled, hugging her back. "Aww, Honey, those emotions of yours are all over the place"
"Shhhh is a secret."
"Right, because it's not painfully obvious", chuckled Lorne.
"Are your horns happy zones?" she asked out of the blue.
"Grafrasnighit!", yelped Angel.
Lorne blinked at Angel, then blinked at Tonks. "......I have a feeling I really don't want to know what you mean by that"
"Just a random thought."
"...That's frightening", said Angel, "...Bad images in my head"
Lorne cocked his head to one side.
"Can I not answer that question?"
Tonks shrugged. "Is that a yes?"
"It's a not answering that question", said Lorne, shifting his head slightly away from her and any touchy hands.
Tonks didn't touchy - "If they weren't, it wouldn't be a problem to tell me no - so since you don't want to answer - the answer is obviously yes!"
Lorne rolled his eyes. "Tell me no secrets, I'll tell you no lies"
".....That explains why none of the kids had horns", mused Angel, then shuddered, "Oh, I really didn't need that information."