Unknown Factors (Book One)

Ch.107: So lay down

  "Hey, Pops."

  "....Aud?"

  "Yeah, it's me. How....How have you been?" I held the phone to my ear, nervously fiddling with the twisted cord attached to it.

  "Oh, Aud. It's so good to hear your voice." It sounded like he was actually relieved. "And-And I've been good. Things are.... They're good. How about you?"

  "I've done better, but I'm okay."

  "Where are you? Where have you....Where have you been?"

  "Andrew didn't tell you?" There was a pause, and I cleared my throat before sitting on the edge of the desk. "Pops, when I left....I went to Wolfram & Hart. I was going to kill Angel- Hell, I nearly did. But then Spike was here." I told him, listening for anything on his end. "I've been...." Taking a deep breath, I let it out through my nose. "I've been here pretty much since then."

  "Aud....you're with Wolfram & Hart?"

  "No! No, no, no." I quickly said. "For a time, I just sort of lived here in Wesley's office. Didn't really have anywhere else. Now I actually live in an apartment." I chuckled. "It's pretty complicated."

  "So you're in an apartment in L.A.?"

  "Yeah. And-"

  "Aud, love, who the bloody Hell are you talkin' to?" Looking up, I saw Spike walking in and setting down a few grocery bags.

  "It's Pops." I smiled as the blond glanced at me and he raised his brows.

  "Oh, well....tell the old bugger I said 'Hi', then."

  "No need, I can hear him." Pops stated, and his tone sounded a bit strange.

  "You think it's weird, don't you?" I questioned and heard Pops stumbling over words trying to form a simple sentence in reply.

  "No, not at all. I, uh- It-It, um- No, definitely not weird at all."

  "No, I get it. It is strange. I mean, me, Aud Giles, formerly disgusted by even kisses, now sharing an apartment with William the Bloody, a decades-old vampire and asshole that hardly ever does dishes."

  "Hey!" The blond stood up from the fridge after putting packs of blood onto the shelves.

  "It's weird, but....it's nice, Pops. How is everyone?" Asking, I listened as I lost track of time while on the phone with the human.

  Fred had made me remember just how short life could be, and I didn't want to leave things as they were between Pops and I with only a letter being our last form of contact. After everything was through with here, I was definitely going to pay a visit to the old man whether I was anxious or not.

~

  "No way. Even if my connection to the senior partners wasn't completely severed, I'm done helping you."

  "This isn't a negotiation, Eve."

  "Ooh, I'm intimidated." She took a step toward Angel with her arms crossed. "What could you possibly do to me? I've been trapped in this house for weeks like a-"

  "Rat? Snake? Beady little rat snake?" Spike popped off.

  "You're not trapped, Eve. You're hiding. You know the second you step out that door, the second you don't have these symbols keeping you invisible to the partners, they're gonna zero in. So don't bother playing the pity angle. The only thing you care about is saving your own ass."

  "The only thing I care about is gone." Eve stated. "You gave him up to the senior partners. Let them suck him into the-"

  "Could do the same to you. Tell 'em how to see through your security system."