“Sorry I haven’t been to see you.” Angel squeezed her hand. “Things have been hectic. Maybe you already know. Maybe you’re up there on a higher plane, looking down at us. I hope I’m not disappointing you.”
Angel looked at his watch. He’d have to go if he was going to make his afternoon meeting. He leaned down and kissed Cordelia’s forehead. “Happy Halloween, Cordy.”
It’s not a dream. It’s a memory.
“Who said that?” Connor shouted, looking around the room. He’d practiced all day, then took a nap in the evening. He’d woken a few minutes before his alarm. Covered with sweat, he cast his gaze around the room. He knew he’d had another nightmare. He focused, yet still couldn’t recall what the dream had been. He only knew that it had frightened him. He was pretty sure it was the same nightmare he’d been having for the past month. But as he concentrated on the nightmare, he found it more and more difficult to remember.
Clutching his sheets in the safety of the bedroom in his suite at Wolfram & Hart, Connor heard it again; the beautiful voice. Yet it always told him the strangest things.
It’s not a dream. It’s a memory.
“Who’s there?” Connor waited a moment. “If there’s someone here, can you please say something again so I know I’m not crazy?” Another moment. “Thought so.”
Connor picked up the phone and dialed. “Hey. Sorry to bother you. I didn’t know who else to call.”
“It’s fine,” Eve said into her cell phone. “Wolfram & Hart is on call to help our clients all day, every day.”
“Oh.” Connor hated talking to Official Eve, as he liked calling this side of her personality. “Um . . . do you know if the insurance plan the league gives me covers shrinks?”
“Yes. Why? Are you crazy?”
“That’s what I want to find out. I keep having nightmares I can’t remember and . . . sometimes I hear voices.”
“It’s probably stress. You’re under a lot of pressure for a seventeen year old. Look, I’ll see you at the party tonight. We’ll dance, have a couple drinks.” Eve quickly looked around her. “Maybe find an empty office to make out in.”
Connor laughed. “Sounds fun.”
“That’s the point. And if fun doesn’t cure what ails you, we’ll set you up with a shrink in the morning. Everything’ll be fine, I’m sure.”
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. See you in a couple hours. Maybe you can wear your Kings uniform. I’ll bet you look sexy in that.”
Connor laughed. “Look, can I maybe see you for lunch today? We could go to that deli down the street.”
Eve frowned slightly. She didn’t want to be somewhere so public with him. Then again, it was kind of a dive. No one from the firm would go there. “I’ll see if I can clear my schedule. Make sure the security team doesn’t follow you, okay?”
“Okay.”
“How is she?” Fred asked cautiously as they all sat down.
“Same,” Angel said, not wanting to discuss it really. “So, where is everyone?”
“Preparations for the party are coming along great!” Lorne said.
“Party?” Angel said.
Lorne’s face fell. “Halloween party. The one I’ve been telling you about for a month.”
“Is that really a good idea?” Angel asked.
“It may provide us an opportunity to catalogue our clients, so to speak,” Wesley offered.
“My team’ll be taking down names and faces of all attendees,” Gunn said.
“Wonderful,” Wesley said dryly. “Because your team as done such a smashing job so far.”
“No arguing on party night!” Lorne snapped.
“Well it’s party day,” Gunn said in a disgruntled tone. “So, please Wes, keep going. I’m anxious to hear this.”
“With so many deaths and near deaths in our office as of late, I’m wondering if perhaps we shouldn’t contract with a private security firm.”
“Forget it,” Angel said firmly. “We always knew keeping this place under control would be a nightmare. Gunn has my full confidence.”
Wes gave Fred a meaningful look, but she quickly looked away. Lorne leaned back in his chair and tried to stay cool. He didn’t like being secret agent guy. “Anyway, I figure we should have a karaoke stage set up. That way I can read some of our clients and staff on the sly.”
Angel nodded. “Great idea. That’s the kind of thinking we need.”
After the meeting wrapped up, Wesley walked by Fred, tapping her discreetly on the arm, before turning right as he left the office. Fred coughed and turned left down a corridor. Lorne turned back to Angel and said, “This party should be here before we know it.” He headed straight out of the office. Neither Angel nor Gunn noticed anything.
“Can I just say, I’m not comfortable with all this suspicion,” Lorne said irritably as he locked the door to the bathroom.
“Try to get them to sing tonight,” Wesley said. “That will set my mind at ease.”
“What is going on with us?” Fred said. “I knew coming here would be a strain, but now we’re suspicious of Angel and Gunn?”
Lorne looked down irritably. “They are acting strangely.”
“What about us?” Fred asked. “Don’t you think we’re acting strangely, giving each other weird secret signals and meeting in a men’s room at a deli? What if Angel and Lorne are just acting weird cuz they see us acting weird?”
“Oh, please,” Lorne said. “Like they’d ever come to this crappy little deli.”
“We’ll know for sure tonight,” Wesley said. He turned to Lorne. “Just get them to sing.”
The three filed out of the bathroom, Lorne putting back on his hat and sunglasses to avoid odd looks.
“Okay, seriously,” a voice from the counter came. “What is it with you and the makeup? You’re always wearing it.”
Lorne looked up to see Connor taking a sandwich and soda off the counter.
“Hey,” Lorne said, glancing around nervously. “Big star like you shouldn’t be out without security. Where are they?” Some of Gunn’s low-level goons noticing Wes, Lorne, and Fred in a bathroom at a deli was exactly when Lorne didn’t need. Well, given Gunn’s jealousy of late, he’d probably just think it was some kind of weirdo sex thing.
“Can I tell you something without getting in trouble?” Connor leaned in conspiratorially. “I kind of gave them the slip.”
Lorne breathed a sigh of relief. “Well, you still might want to have them around. You are big and famous now.”
“I don’t think so.” Connor turned toward the other deli customers and loudly asked, “Does anyone here recognize me?”
Most ignored him, a couple people shook their heads no, and one responded, “Weren’t you in that James Woods movie?”
“See?” Connor said. “No one knows who I am.”
“They will soon enough, kid,” Lorne assured him. He started to leave the deli with Wes and Fred.
Connor reached out and touched Fred’s arm. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
“Um,” Fred looked at the other two nervously, then gave them a nod to go on without her. “Yeah, sure.”
Connor sat at a table with her. “You’re the science lady, right?”
“Um . . . I guess so. But I prefer to think of myself as Fred.”
“I’m just wondering if maybe you can check me for a brain tumor or something. I’ve been having these bad dreams and hearing . . .”
Connor looked around nervously. “I’ve been hearing voices.”
“Well, um, yeah. I could maybe do a CAT scan and do some blood work.”
“Blood work!” an angry voice came.
Connor looked up to see Eve staring at him angrily. He wanted to kiss her on the cheek or something, but stopped himself since Fred was there.
“He’s an athlete, Fred,” Eve said. “We can’t have you dragging blood out of him every other day.”
“Oh, I . . . sorry.”
“No,” Connor said, patting her hand. “It’s cool. You were trying to help. I’m the one who should know that stuff. Look, I’ll come by your lab later, okay?”
“Yeah,” Fred said uncomfortably. She looked at Eve. “You . . . does Lorne know you’re here?”
“Angel knows I’m here. He wants me checking in on the progress of the sports clients. I think he really just wants me out of his hair. But orders are orders.”
“I thought you took your orders from the senior partners?” Fred asked confrontationally.
“And they say to do what Angel wants.”
“Oh,” Fred said disbelievingly. “Okay.”
Eve sat at the table with Connor as Fred left. “What were you doing with her?
“I just wanted to find out about the nightmares and voices and stuff.”
“You know she works for my firm. And you kept her here while you were waiting for me?”
“Sorry. I didn’t think. I . . . I hate this sneaking around.”
Eve looked back and forth, scanning the deli. “If you don’t like our relationship, find another girl.”
“I didn’t say that. I’m just not used to duplicity. And . . . wait. Did you say relationship?”
Eve smiled coyly. “Well . . . once we . . . god, I can’t believe this. You’re like eight years younger than me.”
“Seven and half.”
“You’re not even legal.”
“Is that a pro or a con?”
“Stop it. Don’t be cute. I hate it when you’re cute.” Eve took Connor’s hands. “Can you please just do me one favor? Stay away from Fred. She . . . I’m just kind of jealous. And I won’t be like that with all girls, I promise. Just . . . not Fred.”
“Okay. That’s fine.”
A few minutes later, Connor and Eve parted ways. Eve was immediately on the phone. “It’s me,” she said into her cell. “We have a problem. The kid is hanging around Fred more than I’d like.” Eve laughed. “Actually, that’s what I told him. I was jealous. But what’s really upsetting me is that Miss Burkle is offering to take blood from the kid. And seeing as we both went through quite a bit of trouble with regard to keeping Mr. Reilly’s blood out of Miss Burkle’s lab . . .”
“Gunn, do you have a minute?” Angel asked.
“I’ll take care of it,” Gunn said into his cell phone before hanging up. He turned to Angel. “What up, chief?”
“Sit down,” Angel said as they walked into his office. “I need to talk to you about the investigation into the fire in Fred’s lab.”
Gunn sighed and leaned forward. “Yeah. I gotta talk to you about that, too. I meant to do it earlier, but couldn’t with Wes around.”
“What is it?”
“I . . . I killed the cameras in Fred’s lab.”
“You what?!” Angel yelled. “Why?”
“I’m paranoid about people here knowing stuff about my private life. I wanted to talk to Fred about . . . about maybe getting back together. Before I got the chance, Kaiser called me about a problem in security. I forgot to have him turn the cameras back on.”
Gunn put his head in his hands and closed his eyes.
“It’s okay, Gunn. We all mess up. Just look at me and Con . . .” Angel broke off and looked out the window. “Cordy,” he said unconvincingly. “Look at me and Cordy.”
I was struck by lightning
Walkin' down the street
I was hit by something last night in my sleep
It's a dead man's party
Who could ask for more
Everybody's comin', leave your body at the door
Leave your body and soul at the door.
Don't run away it's only me . . .
“Swinging party, huh kid?” Lorne said, slapping a glad-handing hand on Connor’s back. As suggested, Connor was wearing a Los Angeles Kings uniform.
“Any chance an underage kid could get a drink around here?” Connor smiled.
“Wolfram & Hart aims to please. Your parents, that is. Sorry, kid. Your dad made me promise.”
Connor laughed. “Don’t worry. He made me promise, too.”
“Connor!” Fred shouted, running toward him in her angel costume.
“Um . . . hi,” he said nervously. He glanced around the room nervously, spotting Eve wrapped in a heated conversation with Angel. Connor worried the conversation was about him.
Lorne gave Connor an awkward look, then tried to follow the boy’s gaze, but Connor averted his eyes to Harmony. “Um, I wouldn’t if I were you,” Lorne offered. “Our little Harmony’s quite the man eater.”
“Literally,” Fred laughed.
“Guess I should run and hide,” Connor said, backing away.
“Wait,” Fred said, touching Connor’s arm. “I was thinking about what you said earlier. I think you should sing a song tonight. Lorne has a karaoke set up that’s to die for.”
“Maybe later,” Connor said, turning away and making his way toward Eve.
“What was that about?” Lorne asked.
“I want you to read him. He has some things troubling him that you can probably help with.”
“Okay. But I can tell you a few things right off the bat. First, he’s seeing someone on the sly. Second, she’s jealous of you. And third, she’s got good reason to be.”
“What?” Fred said, giving Lorne an as if look.
“When you touched his arm, his aura became . . .” Lorne took a sip of his drink. “Let’s call it confused.”
“Confused?”
“Aroused and ashamed. But I hate it when you make me talk dirty.”
“Lawyer outfit,” Connor smiled to Eve. “Very original.” He looked at Angel. “And you’re what? Vampire maybe? Not the Dracula suck your blood kind, but the Anne Rice, I’m so lonely I could cry type.”
Eve gave a giggle while Angel looked at Connor sternly.
“That was an Elvis song,” Angel protested.
“Yeah,” Connor smiled. “I can tell you’re an Elvis guy.”
Angel wanted to hug the boy and laugh at his jokes. He had to remind himself what a wreck Connor had been not so long ago. Because at this moment, seeing Connor so well-adjusted was making Angel as close to truly happy as he’d been in . . . well, it wasn’t that long, he supposed.
“Is there something you need, son?” Angel said coldly.
“A dance,” Connor said, taking Eve’s hand. “With my lawyer. I was thinking about suing some people and figured I could discuss that with Eve and make an ass out of myself on the dance floor at the same time. Unless she’s spoken for, that is.”
Eve smiled slightly. Connor was jealous. He was fishing. He wanted to see if there was something between her and Angel.
“That’s a good idea,” Angel said. He looked at Eve and mouthed “Keep an eye on him,” as Connor pulled her away.
“Little risky,” Eve said.
“It’s Halloween,” Connor said. “If a dumb, underage, soon to be millionaire hockey player can’t flirt with his lawyer on Halloween, when can he?”
The two began dancing slowly as Oinga Boinga’s “Dead Man’s Party” faded to Mazzy Starr’s “Five String Serenade.”
“We can’t do this around the office,” Eve whispered as Connor put his lips to her ear and kissed it. She leaned her head on his shoulder. “Angel would kill me.”
“Possessive boss?” Connor whispered, gently stroking her hair and kissing her neck. “Or possessive boyfriend?”
“Jealous?”
“A little.”
Eve nestled closer against him. “Don’t be. The only one who possesses me is you.”
Connor smiled. “Any empty offices?”
“I need to make some rounds before I can disappear. I’ll start after this dance.”
“Can’t you make your rounds with me? I don’t want to stop touching you.”
“Alright!” Lorne shouted as the song ended. “Ladies, gentlemen, children of all ages, and . . . um . . . other; it’s time for some karaoke.”
Eve kissed Connor’s cheek and headed off to meet and greet some guests. No sooner was she gone, then Fred grabbed Connor’s hand and started pulling him to the front. “I put you on the top of the list,” she said. “Tell me what song you want to sing.”
“What?” Connor said, confused. “I don’t sing in . . . ever.”
“Not even in the shower?”
They were close enough that Lorne could see and hear them. He smirked seeing Connor’s face turn as red as his aura when Fred mentioned showering.
“Pick a song,” Fred said. “Any song.”
“Beethoven’s ninth symphony.”
“Not fair. It doesn’t have any words.”
“Exactly!”
“Actually, it does have words,” Lorne said. “But they’re all in German.” Lorne helped him on stage. “Pick something else.”
“Eve!” Angel said frantically seeing Connor take the microphone from Lorne. She turned to see Gunn making a nervous movement toward the stage.
“Lorne,” Gunn called. “Can I get a minute?”
“You can go next,” Lorne said.
“I mean with you,” Gunn said.
“After the song,” Lorne said. He smiled at Connor. “Angel-cakes is going to wet himself over this.”
“What?” Connor said. Suddenly, something occurred to him and he laughed. “Ohhhh,” he said, suddenly feeling stupid for thinking Angel was involved with Eve.
“Come on,” Gunn said, grabbing Lorne’s arm and pulling him toward the back of the room. He began talking immediately.
“I remember all my life,” Connor sang.
“So I need you to double check the guest list,” Gunn said as Lorne looked back toward Connor distractedly.
“Raining down as cold as ice.”
“Later, Charlie. It’s Karaoke time!” Lorne glanced at the stage. Nothing yet.
“Shadow of a man; a face in the window. Crying thorough the night. Night turns into- Morning, just another day.”
“You’d rather unwelcome demons come in and eat us all?” Gunn asked.
“Happy people walk my way.”
Angel felt slight relief, seeing that Gunn had some urgent business with Lorne.
“Looking in their eyes, I see a memory”
They were almost out of the room.
““I never realized, how happy you made me . . .”
Angel’s jaw dropped. Eve could see it, too. Lorne froze. Whatever Gunn was saying had taken a back seat to what Lorne was seeing. Lorne turned and, with a look of confusion, concentration, and suspicion, he listened as Connor belted;
“Oh Mandy!
You came and you gave without taking.
But I sent you away.
Oh Mandy!
You kissed me and stopped me from shaking.
And I need you today,
Oh Mandy.”
Shock and terror filled Lorne’s eyes. As he stared at the stage, at Connor, the confusion compounded as he became more and more visibly frightened. Lorne shook.
“Clear a path!” Gunn shouted behind him as Lorne dropped unconscious into the security chief’s arms.
Connor stopped singing as the commotion broke out. Angel ran toward Lorne. Fred turned to see the demon faint and ran to him as well.
“Fred!” Wesley called, intercepting her. “What is it?” He followed her gaze to see Gunn carrying Lorne’s prone body from the room. “What happened?”
“Nothing,” Fred said. “He saw Connor singing and then went caput.”
“He’s been working hard. That, and the number of people here must have overloaded him. You get to the stage and assure everyone that everything’s fine. I’ll grab my books.”
“What happened?” Connor asked as Fred came on stage. “Was I that bad?”
“You were great, sweetie,” Fred said, kicking herself for use of the word sweetie
. “Everyone!” she called. “Can I have your attention?”
“Connor!” Eve shouted, slightly annoyed. He looked at her. “What are you doing?”
“I was up on stage and then she came up here. Honest.”
Eve looked around. Things were hectic, but Fred seemed to have control. “I’m done with my rounds. Why don’t we . . . I don’t know. Go somewhere?”
Forgetting where he was, Connor enthusiastically hopped from the stage and took Eve’s hand.
“Sirk?” Wesley asked as he entered his office. “What are you doing up here?”
Rutherford Sirk was a former watcher who now worked in Wesley’s division of research at Wolfram & Hart. It had been Sirk who’d shown Wesley around the building the day Angel Investigations took over the L.A. branch. Still, Wesley didn’t trust the man any further than he could throw him.
Wesley quickly scanned the office and what he saw confirmed his suspicions. Candles were lit and incense was burning. He could see from the book of incantations in front of Sirk that the former watcher was up to no good. He couldn’t yet see what Sirk was doing, but it was definitely dark, dark magic.
“It’s too late,” Sirk grinned wickedly. “You can’t stop me.” He raised a pistol and pointed it at Wesley. “But just in case . . .”
Sirk fired two shots into Wesley’s gut. Wes hit the floor, hand clamped to his stomach, wondering if the gunshots would be fatal. Sirk’s words floated in and out, but Wesley heard the all too familiar sound of the building shutting down.
“I supplicate myself to thee, mother of darkness,” Sirk moaned. “Send me your undead legions that I may lead them. And I will join you in your sanctum. Nema.”
Sirk slammed the book of incantations closed and smirked at the dying watcher. “There. That ought to keep you busy.”
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