Forever, Always, and Then Some

Chapter 23

 

At Wolfram & Hart

Gavin: Is she on her way?

Lila: She will be here soon. You don’t have to be here. I know you have your own little schemes to get at Angel.

Gavin: I think I will stay, your last little encounter with her went so well, I just want to witness your failure.

Druscilla arrives.

Lila: Druscilla, so nice of you to come and help us.

Druscilla says nothing.

Lila: You know why we asked you here. Can you help us? Is Darla here?

Dru: Grandmum. Grandmum. Grandmum is no more. No more Grandmum.

Lila: Darla? Darla is no more.

Dru: Lost ooohhhhhhhh (she starts flitting around the room and swaying) The world, the world is shifting, shifting, shifting, the world…….ohhhhh it is shifting, the world spins backwards, oohhhhh backwards it goes. He did it. But only he knew. Shifting, shifting. She has learned what he did. Oh the world is shifting.

Lila: Druscilla, where is Darla? Do you know?

Dru: He is here, my boy is here. He clings to her, his heart belongs to her.

Lila: Druscilla, is Darla with Angel?

Dru: Grandmum is not with daddy.

Lila: Are you sure?

Dru: Oooooohhhhhhh. His heart beat for her. It belongs to her. Daddy was lost. The world is shifting.

Gavin: This is getting us no where.

Lila: We can’t give up.

Gavin: Let me try. Druscilla, where is Darla and where is her baby.

Dru: Baby? Grandmum had no baby.

Gavin: Druscilla we need you to tell us what happened to the baby.

Druscilla vamps and growls at Gavin, who steps back an falls backwards over a chair. She takes off out the door.

Lila: Good going Gavin. Thanks for the help.

Back at the hotel.

Buffy: Wesley what is Bill and Lesley’s full story?

Wesley: Well from what I have learned they came here on their honeymoon from Missouri by bus with plans on spending two weeks in our city. They saved up and this was suppose to be a combination honeymoon/job seeking trip. Bill it happens is a writer and he was hoping to peddle some of his works at the studios in hopes of finding work. They took the bus in order to save money but the demons grabbed them almost as soon as they arrived. They lost all their luggage and money. We told them they could stay here. But with Bill’s ankle, he really can’t get out and visit the studios either. He lost all the printed copies of his work, but he luckily did have the disk with them in his pocket, so he can print more, but without money or a way to get around it looks like they may just head back.

Buffy: Do you know what kind of writing he is looking for. Movies? Television?

Wesley: I think he was looking toward television script work.

Buffy: Hmmmm…..Wesley do you have a phone book?

Wesley: Sure what are you up to?

Buffy: Just looking up old friends. Here we go?

She dials the phone.

Buffy: Hello is Michelle there? ……… Buffy, Buffy Summers…..thank you……….Michelle, hello…….yes it has …….I am in LA…….just visiting and I thought I’d ring up an old friend……..gosh it has been ages……still living at home?………well kinda, my mom passed away and I have custody of Dawn…….no not single, married and have a son…..yes I have a baby……I know………..Michelle I would love to see you……..hey I am staying here at my husband’s place………yes we have one of those commuter marriages………I have Dawn and he has his business……..investigative……uh huh like a detective, but not quite……..good looking? I think the word is hottie………uh huh, you see for yourself……..lunch? I think so, let me make sure Angel doesn’t have plans already…………oh sure come on over and we can talk……The old Hyperion Hotel…….yeah that one…..I am serious……okay see you then. Bye (she hangs up)

Wesley: Okay are we having guest?

Buffy: Old friend from my days at Hemry. Her dad is a big wig at one of the studios and she has a soft spot for sob stories.

Wesley: And you think she maybe able to get Bill a ticket in the door.

Buffy: Worth a shot.

Angel: What is worth a shot?

Wesley: Buffy is trying to help Bill.

Angel: And how are you going to do that.

Buffy: Go to lunch with an old friend.

Angel: Boyfriend?

Buffy: No, a girl, a classmate from Hemry. Did I notice a little jealousy?

Angel: Hey with a wife as good looking as you I should be concerned.

Buffy: I like when you call me that.

Angel: Good looking?

Buffy: That too, but I meant wife.

Angel: Nice sound isn’t it?

Buffy: Honey, I invited Michelle over to meet you and she wants me to go to lunch. Can I be spared? I wanna see if she can help Bill get into see her dad at Twentieth Century Fox.

Angel: Hey if it will help the helpless. Okay not my best joke. You are spared.

Buffy: Next time spare me from the joke too.

Angel: But before you go, I was wondering if we could finish what we started downstairs.

Buffy: The Tai Chi?

Angel: No the other.

Buffy: Here.

Angel leads her into Wesley’s empty office and closes the door.

Angel: Better?

Buffy: Much.

Out in the lobby Wesley is talking to Gunn and turns around.

Wesley: Where did Angel get to? And Buffy?

Gunn: I think they have found a new use for your office.

Wesley: They better stay off my desk.

A few hours later, Michelle arrives.

Cordy: Well hello. May I help you? This is Angel Investigations and we help the helpless. Looking at that designer pant suit, I would say you are not in any need of help.

Michelle: Buffy? I am looking for Buffy.

Cordy: Buffy? Oh okay let me see where she went.

She walks over to the office.

Cordy: Wesley, have you seen Buffy?

Wesley: I think she went up stairs, she has an old friend coming by.

Cordy: Looks like the friend is here.

Wesley walks out.

Wesley: Hello, I am Wesley Wyndam-Price. Welcome. Cordy could you see if Buffy is upstairs?

Cordy: Sure, now I am her butler.

Wesley: Cordy please.

Cordy goes upstairs and knocks on the door. She receives no answer so opens the door.

Cordy: My lord, do you two ever do any thing else.

Angel: Cordy, can we help you?

Cordy: Just wanted to tell Buffy her friend is here.

Buffy: Thanks Cordelia. I will be right down.

Angel: Give me a minute, I need to remove somebody’s lipstick off my lips.

Buffy: Why, I will just replace it.

Angel: Go see your friend.

Buffy: Going.

Buffy follows Cordy down.

Buffy: Michelle, it is so good to see you.

Michelle: Buffy, you look wonderful. But where is this husband of yours. I want to see if he really is a hottie.

Cordy: Angel, a hottie? Angel?

Buffy: Cordelia please, don’t even try it.

Cordy: Okay I was kidding, Angel is quite the looker.

Angel: Thanks Cordy, I never knew you thought so.

Buffy: Michelle, I want you to meet my husband, Angel.

Michelle: Nice to meet you, Angel.

Angel: Nice to meet you too. I know you ladies have a lot of catching up so I will leave you alone. ( he leans down and kisses Buffy on the cheek). Let me know if you are going to leave.

Buffy: Of course.

Angel walks to the office. Michelle watches him.

Michelle: Buffy he is magnificent. Hottie falls short of him.

Buffy: Don’t I know it, but you wouldn’t have believed me.

Michelle: Is it true love?

Buffy: Oh yeah. No one else for either of us.

Michelle: And you have a baby?

Buffy: A little boy, Conner. He is a sleep but we can sneak up and peak if you want.

Michelle: Oh I want.

Buffy takes her upstairs.

Buffy: (whisper) Here is my little guy.

Michelle: He is adorable. Do you live here?

Buffy: Me? No I still live in Sunnydale, but I get up here as often as possible and Angel come to Sunnydale. This room is a bit masculine, isn’t it.

Michelle: I was thinking dark. Those curtains sure keep out the sun.

Buffy: Well with Angel’s workload, he is up a lot of nights and has to get his sleep during the day.

Michelle: That makes sense. Come on, let’s go get some lunch and you can tell me why you really called.

Buffy: Could never fool you.

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