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Chapter nine

Lindsey let out a moan as he stood from the chair he had been stuck in for the last three hours. He had forgotten how painful it could be to have to sit researching for hours on end. After his first year at Wolfram and Hart there had always been someone there to do all the grunt work for him. He and Cordelia, after several disagreements and a few rude comments, had narrowed the search down to two schools that not only had blue as one of their school colors, but were having a dance that night as well.

More than anything he was overjoyed when Cordelia had announced that she was going to check in on the little redhead. If he had to be in the same room with the shrew for one more second he swore he�d strangle the beautiful brunette, with or without any help from is evil hand. The girl just wouldn�t let up, and after the first hour of biting his tongue and putting up with her abuse, he started firing his own rude comments right back. She had looked shocked that he said anything back, and taking a look to see what Angel would do about his rude words, she huffed at the vampires small shrug.

Rubbing his lower back, Lindsey walked over to get another cup of coffee. He could feel Angel�s eyes glued on him, and Lindsey tried to brush it off. He knew that there was no reason for these people to trust him, had the tables been turned he�d be suspicious of them as well. Hell if the tables had been turned he�d have kicked them out in to the streets without batting an eye.

�Don�t let this get to your head Lindsey, but you�re really kind of good at researching.� Lindsey watched Angel for a moment, trying to figure why the vampire was giving him a compliment. �Don�t let Cordelia get to you, she�s just like that... well to most people... sometimes.�

�She�s just a pleasure to be around.� Rolling his eyes Lindsey took a sip of coffee.

�To tell you the truth I haven�t seen her this bad since...� Angel stopped and made a face. �Um High School.�

�Let me guess she was one of those self-centered flakes that believed herself to be better than everyone else.� Lindsey saw the sheepish expression on Angel�s face and knew he had correctly guessed.

� She was...popular. For reason�s still unknown to mankind she dated one of Buffy and Willow�s friends, Xander.� Angel couldn�t help but make another small face, never really liking the boy.

�Poor bastard.� Lindsey said into his mug.

Angel knew he said too much, and wished he knew why he had shared with Lindsey anything about Cordelia. Pushing himself from the counter he had been leaning on he walked toward the stairs. �I�m going to check on Willow. You might as well get some rest; you�re going to need it for tonight.�

�I thought we needed to find out what we�re fighting.� Lindsey looked back with a questioning look.

�You look like crap Lindsey and I need you rested if you�re going to any help to me tonight. Cordelia and I can research the demon.� Lindsey was going to argue, but saw the determined look in Angel�s eyes and decided it would do no good. With a short nod Lindsey followed Angel up the stairs.

Angel stopped just outside Willow�s door and watched Lindsey walk past and on to his own room. He had to give it to the guy; he never lost his cool over Cordelia�s lethal comments she sent his way. When Lindsey finally stood up and retaliated it took all his self-control not to start laughing. Though Cordelia had changed drastically from the self absorbed brat she was in High School, Angel couldn�t help but think her behavior rated pretty high as the Queen C attitude. That or when Xander was ever around right before they started dating.

~~~*~~~

�Are you sure there�s nothing else I can get for you?� Cordelia hurried around the room straightening everything up.

�I�m fine Cordelia, really.� Willow leaned her head back against the pillow behind her. �What I�d like is a nice hot bath.�

�Willow the doctor said that you needed to keep the stitches dry.� Angel looked up from the book he was reading and saw the determined look in her green eyes. �How are you going to keep your stitches dry in a tub of water?�

�I hadn�t thought that far.� Willow gnawed on her lower lip. �Maybe I could keep my leg out of the water somehow.� Seeing the unconvinced look that Angel gave her, Willow sat back in a huff against the pillows behind her. �If I don�t bathe there will be serious hygiene issues you know.�

�There are always sponge baths.� Cordelia quirked her brow at Angel�s suggestion, making him feel like some sort of pervert.

Willow didn�t see the exchange, and thought about his suggestion. �What about my hair?�

�We�re a resourceful group, I�m sure we can manage to figure out a way to get your hair washed... won�t we Angel?� Angel glared over at Cordelia again, turning his attention back to his book.

�So have you figured out what you�re up against tonight?� Willow squirmed trying to get comfortable. If she was already getting sick of being stuck in bed, how was she going to last being bed bound? It almost seemed like cruel and unusual punishment.

�Nothing so far, but I think I have found out at least twenty demons that it�s not.� Angel muttered flipping through a few more pages.

�Oh did I say that it had this strange vein like thing that looked like it wrapped around its neck?� Cordelia flashed Angel an innocent smile.

�No, it would have been nice if you had about an hour ago.� Setting down the book he had been reading he picked up another that he had set aside twenty minutes earlier.

�Oops. Silly me.� Shrugging off Angel�s annoyed look, Cordelia sat on the edge of Willow�s bed. �So what are we going to do tonight while Angel and retard boy go out and fight evil?�

�With these stitches there isn�t much that I can do.� Willow played with the edge of the fluffy comforter. �I feel as though I should be doing something useful to help the others in Sunnydale.� Cordelia studied Willow�s guilty expression and rolled her eyes.

�They have the book, they have *our* watcher, not to mention another key member of the A.I. team. They have lots of help. You need rest and a break, and I insist on a chick flick night.� Rising from the bed before Willow could protest, Cordelia stopped next to Angel�s chair. �Angel I�m going to rent a movie and grab the usual essentials for a girl�s night in... You don�t need me for anything do you?�

�Oh not at all Cordelia.� Angel commented sarcastically, lifting up the book he had been researching, hoping she�d take the hint.

�Good, I�ll be back in an hour.� Leaning over Cordelia whispered into Angel�s ear. �Perhaps while I�m gone you could give Willow that sponge bath.� Cordelia stood quickly, laughing at the growl that her friend sent her way. �TaTa, you two behave now you hear?� With a wave Cordelia hurried out the door.

~~~*~~~

Lindsey tried to sleep, honestly he did. But after what seemed to be hours he only succeeded in getting the scratchy sheets tangled around him. With a sigh of annoyance he sat up against the headboard. Could things get any stranger? He was stuck helping Angel and Cordelia, and besides the verbal battle he had going with the stuck up princess, it really wasn�t all that bad. Interesting in fact. Lindsey had once thought that Angel�s little followers worshipped his every move, but in reality that wasn�t the case at all.

And even though it seemed that Cordelia had been put in charge of him, it seemed that she had become bored with ordering him about. It had been easy figuring out her little game fast. She wanted to get a reaction out of him, giving him jobs she probably thought he would protest to, just as long that he held his tongue Lindsey knew that he�d be fine. Where her little game had been easy to solve the girl herself was a puzzle. The little he knew about her just confused him more. When he had first met her, he was positive that Angel kept her around just for eye candy. But the times, though few that they were, she let her guard down he realized that there was something in that head of hers besides the latest fall fashions.

One of the things he loved about being a lawyer was figuring people out, find out what made them tick, and what could make them go off. Lindsey bet that Cordelia would make a great study. Too bad he wasn�t going to around long enough to figure the girl out.

He hoped that the englishman and that street kid came back soon. It wasn�t safe staying here with the amount of people that Wolfram and Hart hired to follow Angel and his troop. But really what else could he do? He had no cash; his credit cards were frozen so even if he could get that new tire he wasn�t going to get far. What in the hell was he going to do?

First things first. He had to live through that night, fighting at Angel�s side. Then get his truck fixed, after that he�d worry about what how he was going to make it out of LA alive.

~~~*~~~

�I swear to God if I have to listen to that idiot say one more thing my brain will turn to mush and ooze out of my ears.� Gunn muttered to Wesley while glaring over at Xander. �The kid is so damn annoying.�

Wesley looked up at Gunn�s object of scorn and had to silently agree with him. Xander had been a nuisance the second he came crashing through the hotel door with Miss Rosenberg. But Wesley knew that nothing would get accomplished by verbally agreeing. �Yes well it seems that he�s been through a lot these last few weeks. I suppose the stress is just getting to him.� <That and the apparent lack of oxygen to his brain. >

�Please tell me that we�ll be outta here soon. I feel like some sort of leper here, the only ones that haven�t been hostile to us is that other Watcher dude and the kid...what�s her name?�

�Dawn.� Wesley answered, picking up another book and opening it.

�Yeah that�s it, Dawn. Have the rest always been so...�

�Anti-social, narrow-minded, inconsiderate, self-absorbed, insensitive, rude?� Wesley shot out, not looking up from his book. Gunn picked up a decorated dagger from a shelf nearby and tested its sharpness.

A hand shot out from behind and grabbed the dagger from his hands. �This is not a toy. You break it you buy it.� Anya rested the sharp object back on the shelf and went over to her boyfriend's side.

Gunn growled, �yeah, all that.�

�Yes to some extent, but never this bad. Once they get to know you it won�t be that bad.� Wesley looked up and pushed his glasses back up his nose.

The bell over the door rang out, and Spike sauntered in. �Wussy, Pun still here?� Gunn stepped in the vampire�s direction, but stopped when Wesley placed a hand on his shoulder.

�It�s not worth it.�

�You may not think it is, but from where I�m looking it looks like a great plan to me.� Pulling his arm free from Wesley�s grip Gunn slammed out the door. Wesley let out a long sigh; this was going to be one long week.