Title: Alone
Author: ligis
Posted: 06-23-2003
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Category: Angst
Content: C/A
Summary:
Spoilers:
Disclaimer: The characters in the Angelverse were created by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.
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Thanks/Dedication:Part 1
Every Monday he does the same thing. He walks down the same hallway to the new boss’s office and delivers an envelope. Ever since the change in Management, the office has bee swirling with rumors; about the new boss and his new executives. Many of the staff have started looking to him for confirmation or new tidbits of gossip, as he is one of the few that has contact with the “big guy”. In truth, he couldn’t tell them much. The boss just sits behind his desk, in the dark. The only conversation they shared has been the “Thank you” uttered by the boss when he drops the envelope on the desk. His curiosity fills his mind with speculation: What is in the envelope? Are t he rumors about the boss true?
He wished he had the answers. This could be his ticket to rule the water cooler. Reluctantly, he pulls his mind back to the task at hand as he reaches the large oak door. After knocking once, he enters the office. It’s been months of following the same routine and he knows his part well. Everything is as it always is and they both play their roles. “Here’s you envelope, sir”, he says, and then places the apparently important correspondence onto the desk and turns to leave. As he reaches the door he hears the usual reply “Thank you.” He turns slightly and responds. “My pleasure, Mr. Angel”, then leaves the room. His job, for another Monday, now complete.
***
Alone again and in the darkness he loves, Angel stares at the envelope in front of him. The same emotions he has felt every week for the last six months run through his mind and soul again. Excitement and hope combined with dread and fear. Excitement and hope that maybe this week things would be different. Dread and fear that they wouldn’t.
Slowly, he reaches for the envelope and tears it open. It contains the usual two pages: the top one contains only two words. The ones he didn’t want to see. “No Change”. Angel doesn’t bother to look at the second document. It doesn’t matter. He throes the pages and envelope into his recycle bin then turns around to look at the night sky. Alone again.
***
As Angle received his envelope…
In another part of Wolfram & Hart, the remaining members of Angel Investigations sat in their private conference room. Lorne, Wesley, Fred and Gunn made a smooth transition into the corporate world. Every week they received open case files for “super natural” cases. From these, they’d pick and choose what they wanted to handle. The remaining files are then distributed to the “staff”.
“Man, I know I say this every week, but this job is the bomb,” expresses Gunn to no one in particular.
“Yes, well perhaps you could move it along Gunn,” Wesley responded. “I would like to finish reviewing these case files tonight.”
At that Fred looked at her watch. “We still have plenty of time, Wes. It’s only midnight.”
“Quite, but we still have all of these,” he responded while gesturing to a stack of files on the side board. Fred followed his gesture and upon noticing the size of the pile, re-doubled her efforts.
All four continued their search. Very few files actually grabbed their attention and as 5am (quitting time) approached there were only two files that they had decided to tackle themselves.
“Well that’s that then,” Wesley sighed in relief as he closed the last file. Monday’s were the day he disliked the most as it involved this time consuming task. “Gunn, why don’t you and Fred tackle the missing creeper demon case, and Lorne and I will start investigating …”
“Not so fast kiddies,” Lorne spoke up. He had spent most of the evening in the corner with his own stack of files. As the team had not heard otherwise, they had assumed his search had been unsuccessful. “I have a doozy of a file you should take a gander at,” he continued, addressing himself to Wesley as he walked over with a file.
“What’s the case,” Wesley asked.
“Read it and find out,” Lorne replied and handed the file over. “I’m going for a seabreaze. Give me a holler when you’re done.” He added as he exited the room.
***
The quiet was shattered as Wesley, Fred and Gunn burst into the private office.
“You have got to see this case, Angel,” Wesley announced as he approached the desk.
Angel was in the same position as when he received his envelope – quietly looking out at the City. He took one last moment to take in the gradually lightening sky then turned to his friends.
“What is it, Wes?”
The former watcher handed Angel the file and then began to summarize. “A building superintendent has reported that his tenants have been experiencing poltergeist activity.” Angel just stared at him – the unspoken question clearly on his face was, “So?”
“Come’n Angel, snap out of it and get a clue,” Gunn bellowed.
“Angel, look at the building address,” Fred jumped in to stop an argument from beginning.
Angel moved his gaze between the 3 people in front of him and then opened the file. After a moment his eyes snapped up to Fred.
“It’s Dennis,” she exclaimed.
***
Beep, Beep, Beep…
That was the first thing she became conscience of; an incessant beeping somewhere in the distance. The sound was first, but then she became aware of her surroundings. It felt like she was floating, surrounded by a thick grey fog.
“Where am I,” she thought to herself. Those were the first words to enter her mind. The first thing she can remember thinking since that night. “And what is with all the beeping?” Even though everything in her being just wanted to let go and float in the fog, the noise in the distance kept drawing her attention.
“I’m never going to get any rest with that noise,” she sighed. “I guess I’ll have to take care of it, just like everything else.” Slowly she started to move her arms and legs, trying to maneuver through the fog. Determinedly, she tried to find anything that she could recognize and use as a guide to lead her to the source of the noise that had disrupted her rest. That noise keep her focused. Now she had a goal to work towards. As she struggled to reach that goal, the fog began to thin.
TBC