(no subject)
Amy had been living in the lobby for a few days. A zap of magic had ensured the staff wouldn't bother her unless she needed something. Though she still had the key to Ana's room, she was filled with fear at the thought of going back there. What if they were waiting for her? To tear strips off her self confidence until nothing was left. She had dulled her pain with large amounts of alcohol, often mixed with whatever perscription drugs she had in her bag. The suffocating sleep the cocktails produced was the only rest she had. Carefully crossing back to her seat from the bathroom, her towering heels discarded long ago, Amy's pace was almost hobbling thanks to her emotional and physical exhaustion.
"I don't bloody see why I have to be along for the whole thing." Ethan just managed to keep the whine out of his voice. Screw it.He thought to himself and he pulled away from Giles slightly, whining loudly for all he was worth. "And I don't wnat to have sex with you. It's bad enough we did it four times before we got here." He grinned, looking pleased with himself.
The pedestrian traffic bustling against them, Rupert made effort to remain close to Ethan, so much so they could be accused of being attached to the hip. His right hand squeezing Ethan's upper bicep (if it could be called that, Rupert silently chuckled) ensuring the magician didn't get far. "I didn't hear you complaining earlier," he replied, playing along. The last thing Rupert would do, this close to his goal, was give Ethan any edge.
but aAmy eyed the daunting amount of people. She hated this time of day. Allowing herself to be pushed around, mostly because she couldn't handle the stress of navigating her own way across. Someone stepped on her foot, but Amy didn't bother to react, instead stumbling forward and collapsing into tears across the path of two men, her face buried in her hands. She'd lost everything. Everything.
Ethan sighed and shook his head. "Now I know I'm going to die. You didn't even cuff me for that one." He made a face and looked longingly at the bar. "CanI at least get snookered first?"
Rupert sighed heavily. He needed a drink as well. Seven. "We'll check in first and then--" The rest of the sentence was cut short, the wind knocked out of him as a dishhevelled woman barrelled right into his chest.
Amy was blind with tears. She didn't apologize, she just ignored the men, curling tighter into a ball and muttering to herself. "Nobody loves me. Not Willow, not Jason, not Ana."
Ethan rolled his eyes. "Lovely. If it isn't Cain's sperm bank." He looked her up and down. "I have to say, you've seen better days."
"If there wasn't confirmation before..." Rupert muttered, pushing Amy back a step.
"Ethan?" Amy looked dumbfounded "Giles?!" Her eyes practically became dinner plates. "He's here. She's with him. He's making her his queen. Not me. Why don't they love me?" Amy's babble was nonsensical. She looked from Ethan to Giles, searching for the elusive answer to her question in their eyes.
Ethan stared at her for a second. "On second thought Ripper, I'll have what she's having. I might turn into a self-pitying pest, but at least I won't notice when I get scattered across the universe."
He quickly surveyed their surroundings. Amy's presence meant Jason Cain was nearby. Replaying her rambling monologue, one piece caught him by surprise. Her. A third party in the mix. "Who, Amy?"
Amy's eyes dropped, tuning out Ethan's words since they weren't directed to her. "Ana." She mumbled, shredding a mascara-stained tissue between her fingers.
Ethan snorted. "Let's go, Ripper. For someone so eager to get your woman back, you're suddenly dragging your feet." He stepped away slightly.
"That's why you always lost at chess, Ethan," he groused in return. "Know the players on the board, see the weaknesses."
"Wait, please!" She grabbed Ethan's pants leg with her good hand. "I'll help you. I'll do whatever you want. I can't let them win, let them treat the rest of the world the way they've treated me." Amy looked pleadingly to Giles.
Rupert shrugged. "She's your girlfriend," he pointed at Ethan, remembering their time together a year earlier.
Ethan snorted and tried to shake her off. "She also turned me over to Cain. You take her."
They weren't going to listen. It was time to bluff. Amy didn't want to live the rest of her life in the lobby of the Luxor afterall. "What if I know something you don't?" She croaked. Ethan looked down at her. "Then I'll let Ripper have you while I go have that drink."
Rupert remained impassive. "You've ten seconds to convince me."
Amy let go of Ethan, panicking as she tried to think of something useful to tell Giles. "Cain doesn't trust me. If you want info, find Kennedy. He was interested in what Ana knew about you. I didn't come here with him, it was a coincidence we even met. And I have magic. Useful magic." She scrabbled to construct sentences.
Ethan took another step away. "Good, then you go with Ripper. I'll just see what flights are avaialble to go anywhere else."
Rupert retained his grip on Ethan's arm, squeezing harder. "Not a chance, old man." He knew every moment standing in the lobby offered a chance of being discovered, and Amy's presence -- while possibly useful -- could make things worse for them. "We check in. Cain will be checking for that. Amy," he exhaled loudly, "will join us while I examine her potential use."
"Thankyou. Thankyou." She whispered, wiping her eyes again and clutching her wrist to her chest.
Ethan rolled his eyes. "Great. This is just the perfect end to a perfect life. Spending my last hours trapped in a room with Angsty Amy." He sighed heavily and started for the front desk.
Seven players on the board, Rupert formulated as the trio moved to the reservations desk. One arrogant king, a queen in jeopardy and four pawns. He knew Jason had them in check. And here he was, Rupert Giles, the reluctant knight.
One move. Winner take all.
"Right," he muttered to no one in particular, as they all gatherered around the lobby desk. "Let's begin."
"I don't bloody see why I have to be along for the whole thing." Ethan just managed to keep the whine out of his voice. Screw it.He thought to himself and he pulled away from Giles slightly, whining loudly for all he was worth. "And I don't wnat to have sex with you. It's bad enough we did it four times before we got here." He grinned, looking pleased with himself.
The pedestrian traffic bustling against them, Rupert made effort to remain close to Ethan, so much so they could be accused of being attached to the hip. His right hand squeezing Ethan's upper bicep (if it could be called that, Rupert silently chuckled) ensuring the magician didn't get far. "I didn't hear you complaining earlier," he replied, playing along. The last thing Rupert would do, this close to his goal, was give Ethan any edge.
but aAmy eyed the daunting amount of people. She hated this time of day. Allowing herself to be pushed around, mostly because she couldn't handle the stress of navigating her own way across. Someone stepped on her foot, but Amy didn't bother to react, instead stumbling forward and collapsing into tears across the path of two men, her face buried in her hands. She'd lost everything. Everything.
Ethan sighed and shook his head. "Now I know I'm going to die. You didn't even cuff me for that one." He made a face and looked longingly at the bar. "CanI at least get snookered first?"
Rupert sighed heavily. He needed a drink as well. Seven. "We'll check in first and then--" The rest of the sentence was cut short, the wind knocked out of him as a dishhevelled woman barrelled right into his chest.
Amy was blind with tears. She didn't apologize, she just ignored the men, curling tighter into a ball and muttering to herself. "Nobody loves me. Not Willow, not Jason, not Ana."
Ethan rolled his eyes. "Lovely. If it isn't Cain's sperm bank." He looked her up and down. "I have to say, you've seen better days."
"If there wasn't confirmation before..." Rupert muttered, pushing Amy back a step.
"Ethan?" Amy looked dumbfounded "Giles?!" Her eyes practically became dinner plates. "He's here. She's with him. He's making her his queen. Not me. Why don't they love me?" Amy's babble was nonsensical. She looked from Ethan to Giles, searching for the elusive answer to her question in their eyes.
Ethan stared at her for a second. "On second thought Ripper, I'll have what she's having. I might turn into a self-pitying pest, but at least I won't notice when I get scattered across the universe."
He quickly surveyed their surroundings. Amy's presence meant Jason Cain was nearby. Replaying her rambling monologue, one piece caught him by surprise. Her. A third party in the mix. "Who, Amy?"
Amy's eyes dropped, tuning out Ethan's words since they weren't directed to her. "Ana." She mumbled, shredding a mascara-stained tissue between her fingers.
Ethan snorted. "Let's go, Ripper. For someone so eager to get your woman back, you're suddenly dragging your feet." He stepped away slightly.
"That's why you always lost at chess, Ethan," he groused in return. "Know the players on the board, see the weaknesses."
"Wait, please!" She grabbed Ethan's pants leg with her good hand. "I'll help you. I'll do whatever you want. I can't let them win, let them treat the rest of the world the way they've treated me." Amy looked pleadingly to Giles.
Rupert shrugged. "She's your girlfriend," he pointed at Ethan, remembering their time together a year earlier.
Ethan snorted and tried to shake her off. "She also turned me over to Cain. You take her."
They weren't going to listen. It was time to bluff. Amy didn't want to live the rest of her life in the lobby of the Luxor afterall. "What if I know something you don't?" She croaked. Ethan looked down at her. "Then I'll let Ripper have you while I go have that drink."
Rupert remained impassive. "You've ten seconds to convince me."
Amy let go of Ethan, panicking as she tried to think of something useful to tell Giles. "Cain doesn't trust me. If you want info, find Kennedy. He was interested in what Ana knew about you. I didn't come here with him, it was a coincidence we even met. And I have magic. Useful magic." She scrabbled to construct sentences.
Ethan took another step away. "Good, then you go with Ripper. I'll just see what flights are avaialble to go anywhere else."
Rupert retained his grip on Ethan's arm, squeezing harder. "Not a chance, old man." He knew every moment standing in the lobby offered a chance of being discovered, and Amy's presence -- while possibly useful -- could make things worse for them. "We check in. Cain will be checking for that. Amy," he exhaled loudly, "will join us while I examine her potential use."
"Thankyou. Thankyou." She whispered, wiping her eyes again and clutching her wrist to her chest.
Ethan rolled his eyes. "Great. This is just the perfect end to a perfect life. Spending my last hours trapped in a room with Angsty Amy." He sighed heavily and started for the front desk.
Seven players on the board, Rupert formulated as the trio moved to the reservations desk. One arrogant king, a queen in jeopardy and four pawns. He knew Jason had them in check. And here he was, Rupert Giles, the reluctant knight.
One move. Winner take all.
"Right," he muttered to no one in particular, as they all gatherered around the lobby desk. "Let's begin."