Death and the Hot Dog Vendor

Disclaimer : I don't own any of the characters, I just enjoy bending them to my own will. Don't sue, I have no money. I'm sorry to disappoint y'all. Enjoy reading, it was great fun writing. ;-)

"What would you like on your hot dog, Sir?" the vendor asked Lindsey McDonald.

Lindsey smiled at him. "Surprise me,"

The vendor raised his eyebrows, then proceeded to squirt ketchup into the bun.

"Someone's in a good mood." Lilah smiled at Lindsey. "Why?"

Lindsey shrugged. "I don't know, but it inspired me to have a hot dog for breakfast."

Lilah wrinkled her nose at the thought. "I'll see you later." she replied, then continued on her way into the Wolfram and Hart building.

"Yeah, see ya." he replied, squinting at someone who was crossing the street a block ahead of where he was standing. He thought he recognized her, and tried to remember where he might have seen her before.

"Your hot dog, Mr. M," the vender held it out to Lindsey.

"Thanks," he replied taking the hot dog, then closed his eyes against an oncoming headache.

"You okay?"

"Yes, I'm okay. I'll see you around."

"Have a good day."

"You, too." Lindsey smiled, then went up to his office.

* * *

Elenore didn't knock before she opened the door to Angel's office. "You're that vampire with a soul right? I'm in the right place?"

"Yes, how can I help you?" Angel didn't comment on the fact that she hadn't knocked.

"My name is Elenore Pratt. Something's after me." she stated.

"What kind of something?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "I haven't actually seen it, yet."

Angel furrowed his eyebrows at this revelation. "Then how do you know that something's after you?"

Elenore sat down. "Three weeks ago, my mother went missing." her eyes filled with tears, and she got up again, turning away from him.

Angel waited patiently for her to recollect herself and continue.

"And then a week ago, I received a package in the mail containing an ear and an eye." she turned back to him.

"Were they...your mother's?"

Elenore nodded. "It killed her to get to me."

"Do you know why it's after you?"

"I - " Elenore shook her head. "I thought it was because I had information about a client of Wolfram and Hart's."

"Why do you think it is now?"

"I don't know. But the thing that's after me must have been hired by them." she sat down again. "Can you help me?"

Wesley entered the room just then, an expression of concern on his face. "Cordelia just had a vision." he said, then saw Elenore. "A vision of the office in this really nice shade of green." he added quickly, smiling at her.

"Right. Because we want to redecorate the office." Angel agreed. "I'll be right back."

Elenore nodded, arching her eyebrow at them as they left. She knew that that wasn't what Cordelia had had a vision of.

"What did you see?" Angel asked Cordelia worriedly, as soon as the door had closed behind him and Wesley.

"This guy was being attacked by something." Cordelia answered, massaging her temples with her fingertips.

"I need a little more information than that, Cordy."

"Here," she handed him a piece of paper.

"Victor Pratt," Angel threw a look over his shoulder at the closed door, remembering that that was Elenore's last name. "27 Condor drive." he read the note aloud. "But what attacked him?"

"I couldn't see anything attacking him. It was invisible or something - the thing that attacked him."

Angel turned to leave, putting the note in his pocket.

"Angel, there's no point going. He's already dead." Cordelia told him.

He looked at Wesley, then at Cordelia. "I'm going to go investigate, anyway. Wesley, come with me. Cordy, make sure that girl in there doesn't leave."

"Okay," she shrugged.

The door opened, and Angel returned. "I want you to stay here. Cordelia will get you a coffee and something to eat."

Elenore nodded, getting up slowly. "Sure,"

Angel and Wesley left quickly.

"So, what can I get you?" Cordelia asked Elenore, a smile on her face.

"Holland knocked on Lindsey's door again, but no one came to open it for him. Again. Finally, he took out his key, and let himself in. As he had suspected, Lindsey was asleep, his head down on his desk. Holland moved quietly around the desk, and bent over so that he was breathing into Lindsey's ear.

"Good morning, Mr. McDonald." Holland said loudly into his ear.

Lindsey's head immediately jerked up, his eyes wide. He looked at Holland standing beside him. "I'm sorry, Sir, I must have dozed off." he muttered stupidly.

"Yes, I'd say so."

"It's been a slow morning."

Holland smiled at Lindsey, and patted him on the shoulder. "It's about to speed up. You remember Nexus?" he motioned across the desk.

Linsey's gaze followed the outstretched arm to the Lizon demon that stood with her arms folded across her chest, her green-gold scales shimmering in the sunlight that flooded the room. "Yeah, um, Hodgins' client, right?" Lindsey tried not to look worried.

"Formerly. Mr. Hodgins had a bit of an accident."

"What kind of - "

Lindsey didn't get to finish his sentence because he was knocked back onto his desk, cold fingers around his throat.

"I killed him." Nexus hissed, her reptilian eyes gleaming at the panic in his eyes.

Holland put his hand on Nexus' shoulder, and she released Lindsey, a smile on her face.

Lindsey straightened slowly, then fixed his tie.

"I'm glad to see that you two are going to get along." Holland grinned, handing Lindsey a folder that he had been carrying under his arm. "Nex, here, is now your client."

Lindsey took the folder reluctantly. He was not looking forward to this one.

"Smile, Mr. McDonald." Nexus grinned at him, sensing his dread.

Lindsey took Holland's arm, and led his out of Nexus' hearing range - which, he admitted to himself, he didn't have the slightest idea what her hearing range was.

"I don't think this is a good idea." Lindsey whispered, trying to sound professional.

"Lindsey," Holland clamped his hand on his shoulder. "A good lawyer never lets his personal feelings get in the way of his work. Especially your kind of work."

"I - "

"You're terrified of her, I understand that. Quite frankly, so am I. But we need her to stay with us."

"Why me?" Lindsey didn't want to sound whiny, but it was hard to keep it out of his voice. "Lilah could easily - "

"She asked for you, Lindsey. She knows your reputation, and she wants you to represent her."

"What did she do this time?" Lindsey asked finally.

"It's all in that folder, but she's still working on it. This whole ugly situation could have been avoided if there hadn't been a witness to the first murder. I think she's up to three in total, now."

"Four," Nexus corrected him.

Lindsey looked at her over his shoulder. So, she can still hear us, he thought. "How many more can I expect?" he asked her.

"As many as I have to," Nexus strode over to them, and snatched the folder out of Lindsey's hand. She flipped it open, then showed him a photograph of a young woman. "Until I find her."

"That's the witness," Holland explained. "What is it, Lindsey?"

He looked up from the picture. "I saw this woman this morning."

"Where?" Nexus demanded quickly.

"She was crossing the street. I thought I recognized her. I must have seen this photo before, in Hodgins' office." The blade concealed in Nexus' scales in her right forearm pressed against Lindsey's throat. "If you continue to threaten my life, I won't help you." he said flatly.

The blade didn't move. "Where did she go?" Nexus demanded.

"Across the street."

She screamed at him; a piercing sound that echoed through his head. He covered his ears, and dropped to his knees with the pain.

Then, suddenly, it stopped.

Lindsey opened his eyes, and looked up at her.

"Lindsey, Lindsey, Lindsey," Holland was shaking his head at him. "Don't piss off the client."

"Is that...an arm?" Wesley choked on his question.

Angel leaned a little closer. "Most of it, yeah,"

Wesley looked up at him, and his eyes went wide. "And is that...his head?"

Angel turned his head slowly, then backed away from the wall. "All of it, yeah,"

"Oh, God," Wesley turned away.

"Well, Cordelia was right. We're too late." Angel sighed. "I'm gonna take a look around. Maybe whatever did this left us some kind of clue."

* * *

"Hey, Wesley,"

"What is it, Angel?"

"What does this look like to you?"

Wesley knelt beside Angel. "Scales?" he picked the three of them up, and examined them in his hand. "Scales." he nodded, offering them to Angel.

Angel got up, and walked back to Victor Pratt's head hanging on the wall. "This is a fairly clean cut,"he observed, pointing to the severed neck. "Something very sharp and precise did this. But what could it have been?" he shook his head, thinking hard. "I've never encountered a demon that could have done this. Let's go home." he said finally, walking past Wesley. "We have to figure out what did this, and soon."

"I agree," Wesley nodded. "Before this thing kills again."

* * *

"Elenore, do you have a brother?" Angel asked her.

She shook her head, then took a sip of her coffee.

"Do you know anyone named Victor Pratt?"

She swallowed, then set the mug down. "Vic's my cousin," she smiled, recalling the mischief they used to get themselves into in high school. "Why - " the smile vanished. "Oh, god, no!"

"I'm sorry,"

Elenore got up quickly, heading for the door. "I - I need to go for a walk."

"Take Wesley with you, just to be safe." Angel requested.

""O - okay," she agreed uncertainly, waiting for Wesley to put his shoes on. "I just need time to think this through."

"Of course you do," Wesley put his hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

Elenore looked away from him, unable to take the regret in his eyes. A picture on the front page of the newspaper caught her eye. She walked over to the chair, and picked up the paper.

"Are you alright?" Angel inquired getting up.

"Mm hmm," she nodded, reading the article.

Cordelia walked over to stand beside Elenore. "What's so fascinating? It's just the newspaper."

"Just a familiar face," she replied distractedly. "Lindsey McDonald."

"Familiar because he hired the creature that's after you?" Angel asked hopefully.

"No, no. We went to law school together." Elenore explained with a smile. "Thank God he fixed his hair." she looked up at Cordelia, still smiling. "It used to be jet black, gelled straight back. He looked like such a dork." she shook her head at the memory.

"Yuck," Cordelia shook her head.

Elenore looked back at the picture. "And now look at him."

"He works for Wolfram and Hart." Angel commented, a little more harshly that he had intended.

"Yeah, I know. That's why I told him that we couldn't see each other anymore."

The three of them raised their eyebrows at her.

Lindsey sat alone in his office, staring at the file picture of Elenore Pratt. Something nagging at the back of his mind told him that he knew her from somewhere, but just could not remember.

He set the picture aside, and picked up two of the Polaroids that were taken at the crime scene. He quickly dropped them face down on his desk in disgust. He had seen many crime scen photos before, but these were the worst. One picture was of Victor Pratt's head as it hung on the wall, mounted on something that he couldn't see from the angle of the photograph. The other was of his arm, lying beside a stack of boxes. Of course, neither body part was still there. After the pictures had been taken, the photographer had cleaned up Nexus' mess, before the police found out about the murder.

Feeling sick to his stomach, Lindsey got up from his desk, and stared out the window.

"Holland didn't tell me that you were squeamish." Nexus remarked, picking up one of the Polaroids. "I like this one. It captures the mood perfectly." she walked over to stand beside Lindsey. "Don't you think so, Mr. McDonald?"

He glanced at the picture briefly. "Sure,"

Nexus' hand tightened around Lindsey's right wrist, then jerked his arm up. "Holland told me how you lost your hand." she hissed, stroking the stump where his hand had once been, amusement in her eyes.

"That's great," he smiled sarcastically. "Is there anything else you'd like to know, but won't ask me yourself?"

Nexus grinned. "Like I'd tell you."

"That's what I thought you'd say." he grumbled, trying to pull away from her.

She tightened her grip. "Have you found her yet?"

"My people are still working on it."

"Don't fail me, Mr. McDonald, or you'll lose more than just a hand."

Lindsey's eyes widened when he felt the blade between his legs.

Nexus smiled sweetly, then turned away from him, looking out the window. "How well do you know this city?"

He cleared his throat, before replying, "Fairly well, why?"

"If I were after you, where would you go to hide? Who could help you?" she crossed her arms across her chest. "Who can you trust to keep you safe?"

Lindsey immediately came up with the answer, and couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it before, but instead of telling Nexus the truth, he lied, "I don't know." he was looking at the picture of Pratt. "If she were uninformed, she might come here, but that wouldn't help her much."

"No, it wouldn't." she agreed mysteriously. "And I was asking you."

Lindsey checked his watch. "Look, Nexus, I have a meeting in a half hour - "

"And you want me to leave now."

"Please,"

"As you wish," and she left.

Lindsey breathed a sigh of relief as she let the door close behind her. He then put the pictures into the folder, and placed it into the bottom drawer of his desk. Just before he opened the door, Lindsey changed his mind, and went back to his desk. He took the picture of Pratt out of the folder, and put it into the inside pocket of his jacket.

He locked the double doors behind him, then pressed his forehead to his nameplate. "Lindsey McDonald, are you aware of how stupid the thing you are about to do is?" he sighed, straightened, then answered himself, "Yes, I do."

"Holland, I'm starting to think that this was a very bad idea." Nexus growled,

"All is well, stop worrying."

"He knows. Somehow, he knows."

"He knows nothing." Holland shook his head.

"You're losing him, Holland. The longer he stay son this case, the farther away he becomes. He will remember her, and then he will be gone."

"Nexus, let me assure you that I have taken every precaution to ensure that that doesn't happen to our dear Mr. McDonald." Holland explained calmly.

"Should we at least change our plans, to compensate for his loss?"

"It will not happen." he repeated, still calm, but more firmly.

"You have too much faith in this...hot dog vendor." Nexus muttered.

"This is a test, Nexus. A test of his loyalty." Holland rose from his desk, and taking her arm, gently escorted her to the door.

"What if he fails the test?"

"Then I have learned my lesson, and I will put an end to my experiment."

Nexus grinned, then left the office.

Holland closed and locked the door behind her, and strode to his desk. He picked up the inter-office phone, and dialed. As soon as the secretary answered, he told her, "Call an emergency meeting with the Senior Partners."

* * *

The doorbell rang, so Wesley got up to answer it.

"You order a pizza?" the delivery boy asked.

"Yes, we did."

"Twenty-two even," he grinned at him. Wesley gave him the money, then took the pizza. "Thank you, Sir, have a nice night."

"Yes, you, too." Wesley closed the door, and returned to the others. "Pizza, anyone?"

"Yes, please. I'm so hungry I could eat a horse." Cordelia exclaimed, taking a slice out of the box for herself.

Wesley cut one for Elenore, but she wasn't very interested in the food.

"I'll be back in a few minutes." Angel went downstairs.

"He likes to eat alone." Cordelia explained.

"Eat up, Elenore, you'll feel better." Wesley urged.

"I'm not hungry," she replied, pushing the plate away.

Wesley looked to Cordelia for help. "Oh, come on. It's pizza. It's good for you."

"Look, I see what you're trying to do here, and thank you, but I don't want any food right now." Elenore said.

"But you haven't eaten all day."

"My family is being murdered. I'm not hungry."

"Well, maybe you'll be hungry later." Wesley shrugged.

"I think I'm going to go to sleep." Elenore decided.

"Alright, I'll escort you to your room."

"Okay,"

Angel returned in time to see Wesley close the door to the spare room. "Is she alright?"

"No," Cordelia answered, shaking her head. She took Elenore's unwanted piece of pizza for herself.

"I have to ask her if she's ever seen one of these." Angel showed her a picture in a book of a Fothra demon. It was covered in scales from its neck to its ankles, had hooves for feet, and a feathered head.

"Well, that thing's ugly."

"What is it?" Wesley had returned.

"A Fothra demon," Angel showed him the sketch. "I think the scales we found came from one of these."

"Quite possibly you're right. But I thought they were a relatively peaceful species."

"Elenore said that whatever it was that was after her was hired by Wolfram and hart. If they're involved, nothing's relatively peaceful. And look here, Fothra demons can make themselves invisible."

"Yes,"

"Elenore said she hadn't seen the thing that was after her. And in Cordy's vision, she couldn't see what was attacking Victor, either."

"And she hasn't seen it because it's been invisible. Of course! Yes, you should show her this picture, but wait until morning. That poor girl has been through enough for one day."

Lindsey raised his hand to press the doorbell, hesitated, then pressed the button.

"Who could that be?" Cordelia asked.

"I'll get it," Angel handed Wesley the book, then went to the door. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I don't intend to stay, seeing as this is the dumbest thing I'll ever do." Lindsey began, taking the photo of Elenore out of his pocket. "Find this girl, Angel, and protect her."

"And why would I do that?" he pretended not to recognize the face in the picture.

"Something evil is after her - "

"Something that you hired personally, Lindsey?"

"No, not me," he shook his head.

"What does she mean to you?" Angel turned the photo to face him.

Lindsey furrowed his eyebrows, as he was sure someone had asked him a similar question before. "I'm not sure actually."

Angel tried to suppress a laugh. "Then why do you care if I find her or not?"

"I have to go," Lindsey said distractedly. "Just do your best, alright? And not for me. do it for her. She doesn't deserve this."

"Why do you say that?"

"I have to go,"

Elenore watched from the window as Lindsey headed away from the building. She almost called out to him, but decided it was probably best if he didn't know she was there.

He stopped and looked back, and for a moment she thought he'd seen her, but he turned and continued on his way.

When he was out of sight, Elenore went to find Angel. "What did he say?"

"He told me to find and protect you." Angel replied.

"He did?"

"Yeah, he did,"

"Why?"

"He didn't say. I don't think he remembers you, Elenore."

"What do you mean, he doesn't remember me? We dated for over a year, how can he not remember me?"

"Maybe he just didn't want me to know that he knew you."

"That - that's gotta be it. He just didn't want you to know." Elenore sat down. "What if he really doesn't remember me? What does that mean? There must be something wrong. Maybe he needs our help."

"I tried to help him once. He didn't really want it." Angel said matter-of-factly.

"Well, maybe now he needs it."

"He's changed a lot since you knew him, apparently."

"Y'know, I buy a hot dog from you at least once a day, and I don't even know your name." Lindsey remarked to the hot dog vendor.

"Stu," he replied.

"I'm - "

"I know who you are, Mr. M. You're in the paper all the time. I have bragging rights to all my friends that you buy from me."

Lindsey smiled, shaking his head. He looked up at the building, and noticed that the light was on in his office. Probably Holland wanting to talk to him. He left Stu and headed up to his office, wondering, as he ate his hot dog, why he'd just gone to see Angel anyway. If Holland found out, he'd lose his job - and probably his life - for sure. He didn't even know this Pratt woman, but somehow he felt like he should. And even this feeling retreated back to the very back of his mind as he ate his snack.

"Holland?" Lindsey called into the dimly lit room. He must have turned down the lights while Lindsey was in the elevator. "I need another copy of the picture of Pratt. I accidentally soaked it in coffee."

"No problem," Holland replied warmly, turning the chair around to face Lindsey. "Y'know, even though I have a nicer office upstairs, I still miss this view." he waved at the window.

Lindsey nodded. "It's a nice view."

"Where were you? I was worried that Nexus had gotten a little too...blade happy."

Lindsey was unsure how to take this comment. Did Holland mean it in a sarcastic way, or was Nexus planning to slice him into tiny pieces? He held up his hot dog. "I went for a snack."

"That took about fifteen minutes from the time you left the office to the time you walked back through that door. What about the other seventy-five?"

"I needed to go for a walk. Sitting here in the office all day makes me feel like I'm getting fat."

Holland smiled at this, and Lindsey was no longer worried. "Well, I'm going home. I suggest you do the same."

"Yes, Sir."

"Be careful, Lindsey. Don't let work take over. The last thing you want is a pull-out couch in here."

"Actually, that's not a bad idea." he chuckled.

Holland shook his head, then left the office.

"Go home. That's a good idea." Lindsey said to himself, after Holland had left. He organized his briefcase, then went home.

* * *

Lindsey hung his coat on the rack, then kicked off his shoes. He went into his bedroom, threw his shirt and belt on the bed, and was about to take off his pants when a voice said, "Hold it right there, Hot Stuff. I don't need to see you naked."

"Oh, God," Lindsey muttered, turning to face Nexus.

"It's about time you got home. I was starting to think you lived in that office." she tossed his shirt aside.

"What are you doing here?"

"Stalking you," she shrugged, getting up off the bed.

"What do you want Nexus?"

"Elenore Pratt's blood on my hands."

"That's not what I meant." he tried not to picture it in his head.

"Oh, then what did you mean?"

Lindsey realized that he had backed himself up against the wall, and that she was almost nose to nose with him, her eyes watching his.

He pushed her away, then moved past her. "I want you to leave, right now."

"Aw, is my poor big shot lawyer uncomfortable around me?" Nexus cooed.

He knew that by 'uncomfortable' she meant afraid, but he didn't care. "Let me think about that. Yes,"

Nexus smiled. "Alright, I'll leave. But I don't like you, Mr. McDonald. And I don't trust you, either. Don't cross me, or I'll take your eyes out with a spoon."

"Great, something to look forward to. But I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you."

Nexus glared at him as she walked past him and he followed her to the door to reassure himself that she was gone. He locked the door behind her, so that she couldn't come back in, although he knew that if she wanted to get back in she would have no trouble in doing so.

Only after this did he release the breath he'd been holding.

* * *

"Holland, I want off this case."

"You can't run away from every case just because you don't like the client, Lindsey. you have to learn that. I'm leaving it as is." Holland replied, leaning back in his chair.

"This isn't every case. This is one case. I want to stay as far away from that woman - that creature - " he corrected himself. "As I possibly can."

Holland smiled at him. "She just wants under your skin."

"I know she does. But not the way you mean it." Lindsey crossed his arms across his chest.

He arched his eyebrow at Lindsey. "I'm pretty sure she wants into your pants, too." Holland laughed.

"Oh, great. That's just great!" Lindsey threw his arms into the air.

"Oh, calm down, Lindsey. It's just a case, like any other. Don't let Nexus get to you, or she'll just keep pushing."

"Holland, she broke into my house last night. She was in my bedroom - lying on my bed! And I didn't even see her. I had no idea she was there." he shook his head, then looked up at Holland, as a thought occurred to him. "Did you tell her where I lived?"

He shrugged. "She may have asked me where she could find youif she needed to talk to you and you weren't in your office."

Lindsey's jaw dropped. "And it didn't occur to you to warn me?"

Holland shrugged again. "Relax, Lindsey. It's like I said before, she just wants to - "

"Play." Nexus finished his sentence, entering the office.

"I'm leaving now." Lindsey told Holland. "You are not following." he turned on Nexus.

She smiled, then stepped out of his path. "I must speak with Holland alone."

Lindsey strode down the street, eating his hot dog, trying not to think about Nexus. He smiled and nodded at acquaintances and past clients as he made his way to the park.

He stuffed the rest of his lunch into his mouth, wiped his fingers and face with a napkin, tossed it into the metal trash can, then sat down on a bench overlooking the river.

"It's nice,"

Lindsey's head snapped in the direction of the voice. "Elenore Pratt," he stated, recognizing her from the picture. "We can't be seen together." he turned his gaze back to the water.

"It's funny that you and I should end up here again. This is even the same bench, I'm pretty sure."

"Same as what?"

Elenore sat down beside Lindsey. "So, Angel was right. You really don't remember."

"Remember what?"

She looked into his eyes, and that thing at the back of his mind started nagging at him again.

"Us,"

Lindsey stared at Elenore for a long time before shaking his head. "There has never been an 'us'."

"Yeah, okay." she got up to leave.

"I'd remember something like that, wouldn't I?"

Elenore stood in silence, watching him.

"And Holland wouldn't put me on a case that involved someone I knew." he was babbling now.

"You're not so sure." Elenore sat down again. "Angel told me that last night wasn't the first time you'd paid him a visit."

"What I did last night was a mistake. If they find out - "

"You already thought of that, Linds." she gazed into his eyes as if she were trying to read his soul, and he felt as though she had looked at him this way a thousand times before. He found himself wanting her to tell him what it was that he couldn't remember. "There's something there, at the back of your mind, but you just can't draw it out, can you?"

Lindsey shook his head, not taking his eyes away from hers. "Please, tell me what it is."

"Elenore?" Wesley called from down the street.

"I'd better go," she got up from the bench, looking behind her at Wesley.

And suddenly, Lindsey remembered that day two years ago when he had told Elenore that he was offered a placement at Wolfram and Hart, and she had told him that it was over between them if he took it. She had also said that there was someone else, a friend of his, that didn't have plans to defend demons in court. They agreed to stay friends.

Today was the first day they had spoken since then.

"Hey, Lenny,"

Elenore stopped, turned, a look of surprised happiness on her face.

"How is Jeffray, anyway?"

Elenore laughed. "It didn't work out. He cheated on me, then left me."

"He was a jerk anyway." Lindsey consoled her.

"Yeah, you say that now."

"As I recall - now that I can recall - I tried to tell you that before."

"Yeah," she nodded. "You certainly did. And you used very explicit words, too."

"I didn't want to lose you." he said seriously, not looking at her, as if uncertain about his words.

"You would have lost me anyway." she stated, shaking her head.

"I know,"

Elenore glanced at Wesley. He was catching up, but wasn't hurrying, so he must not have known who she was talking to. "What's after me, Linds? It's already killed my mother and my cousin. Who or what is it? I know you know."

Lindsey looked up at her. "I can't tell you."

"What do you mean you can't? Of course you can! You just won't." Elenore shook her head angrily. "How would you like to be hunted? To not sleep at night? To be afraid to be alone? You wouldn't. I know you wouldn't."

"Listen, Lenny, what am I supposed to do? I've helped you too much already. I could lose my job - all someone has to do is see us together." Lindsey looked at his watch, then got up from the bench. "I'd better go, before someone does."

"Lindsey! How can you do this to me? After all that we were to eachother, you're just going to walk away?"

"Don't throw that in my face, alright? You left me, remember?"

Elenore's face suddenly cracked into a smile. "And we're your typical former couple again."

Lindsey tired not to smile back. They could never keep things serious between them.

"I miss you Linds," she admitted unexpectedly. "I really do." she took a step toward him, then saw Wesley raise the book above his head.

Wesley whacked Lindsey across the back of his head, and he dropped to the ground.

"No, Wesley, don't!" she yelled at him, before he could hit Lindsey again.

He quickly handed Elenore the book, then pulled Lindsey to his feet. "Act casual," he ordered in a whisper.

"You just hit me with a book, how can I act casual?" Lindsey muttered rubbing the back of his head. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Wesley was trying to direct him to the street.

"Just come with us, and we won't beat you with the book, alright?" Wesley hissed.

"We?" Lindsey threw a look at Elenore.

"Let him go, Wes." she replied with a sigh. "He won't help me."

"Well, he just needs a little persuasion. And maybe some hot pokers, eh?"

"He doesn't care anymore. Let him go."

Wesley looked at both of them, utterly baffled.

"Lenny, of course I care, but I - "

"You're more concerned with saving your own skin to be bothered helping others, as usual. Come on, Wes." she turned to go.

"Oh, so now I don't care and I'm selfish? Lenny, wait!"

"Talk fast,"

"Are you staying at Angel's?"

"Yes,"

"Then I'll come by later, so we can talk, okay?"

Elenore glared at him, but believed that he did want to talk to her. "Don't let them know that you remember me, Linds. I have a feeling it'll just get you in trouble."

"What, you think they didn't want me to remember you?"

"How else do you explain it?"

Lindsey didn't respond. Instead, he kissed her lightly on the cheek, then left.

"Do you want to explain to me what just happened?" Wesley demanded.

"Let's get back to Angel's. I'll tell you on the way." she replied.

* * *

Lindsey watched the sun go down over the river from the park bench where he had met Elenore earlier that afternoon. His head was spinning. What was wrong with him? He hadn't seen her in two years, but he felt like she had dumped him just yesterday.

And he wanted her back. But that was silly. he didn't even know her anymore.

Lindsey put his head in his hands. "What am I supposed to do now?" he asked himself harshly.

"You're going to die, Mr. McDonald, but first I need some answers." Nexus pressed her arm-blade firmly to his throat.

"What are you on, Nexus?" he demanded carefully.

"Don't play dumb with me. I watched you two from that tree right over there." she cocked her head in the direction of the tree. "Where's Angel's?"

"I'm not sure." Lindsey lied.

Nexus pressed the flat side of her blade across his neck, choking him. "You're not in the position to lie to me, Mr. McDonald." she backed off, then pulled him to his feet. "You don't want to tell me how to get to Angel's, that's fine. I'm not very good with directions, anyway." Nexus grinned. "You can take me there."

"I don't think you're thinking this through - "

The sound pierced his skull, and he thought that his head would explode. Nexus just glared at him through merciless eyes. He dropped to his knees with the pain.

"Will you take me to Pratt?"

"No," he barely managed to utter.

The scream intensified, and Lindsey put his hands to his head, hoping that he could somehow ease his pain. The pounding in his skull got worse and worse until he couldn't take it anymore, and he screamed.

The noise stopped, but the headache didn't go away.

Nexus hauled him up to his feet by his hair. "Lead the way, Mr. McDonald."

Lindsey stumbled forward, unsure of what else he could do.

Elenore sat staring out the window, waiting for Lindsey. Angel was wrong, he hadn't really changed at all in two years. She shook her head at her thoughts. When you boiled it down, his work still came first.

"Who are you waiting for?" Angel asked her quietly.

"Lindsey said he'd stop by tonight." she looked up at Angel. "We have a lot to talk about."

"I would have appreciated a little warning before now." he informed her.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't think you'd appreciate his coming here to begin with."

"No, I don't."

"Tell me, Angel, was it you who cut off his hand?"

Angel sighed. "He left me no other choice."

Elenore smiled sadly. "Yes, that sounds like Lindsey." she got up from the chair. "Sitting here isn't going to make him get here any sooner. What do you have to do around here?"

* * *

"Knock." Nexus barked from the shadows beside Lindsey.

"No,"

Nexus grabbed the back of his head, and slammed him face first into the door.

"What was that?" Angel wondered aloud.

"Lindsey must be here." Elenore got up, and set her cards face down on the table.

Angel followed her to the door, an ax in hand. Elenore gave him a questioning glare.

"Just in case it isn't." he explained.

Lindsey rubbed his forehead gingerly.

"When it opens, we go in." Nexus hissed.

Elenore looked through the peephole. "Lindsey?" she called through the door.

"Don't o - "

Nexus thrust the blade in her forearm through Lindsey's back. She retracted it into her arm, and Lindsey fell to the ground.

Elenore saw him fall through the peephole. "Lindsey?!" she called frantically, unlocking the door. "Lindsey!"

Angel pulled her away from the door before she could open it. "Me first," he stated, readying the ax, then opening the door slowly.

Nexus swung her arm even with Angel's neck, her blade extended. He blocked it with the ax blade.

"Stay back!" he yelled at Elenore, glancing at her quickly.

He backed up as Nexus stood in the doorway.

"You!" Elenore exclaimed.

"So, I've finally found you, Pratt."

Elenore saw Lindsey lying outside the door. She lost control of her temper, and tore off the charm she always wore to maintain her human form, then dropped it.

"Make sure Lindsey's alright." she told Angel, putting her hand on his shoulder as she walked past him towards Nexus.

Angel watched as Elenore's skin was overgrown with scales. She blinked, and her irises went yellow, the pupils narrow slits in their centers.

Elenore blocked Nexus' lunge with her own arm blade. They fenced back and forth, knocking each other back.

Angel checked for a pulse in Lindsey's neck, but couldn't find one. A part of him hoped that he was dead. Angel shook Lindsey lightly, trying to wake him.

He looked back at the two Lizon demons, battling back and forth. Elenore was bleeding out a cut in her arm. Angel glanced down at Lindsey, then decided to help Elenore, as he was convinced that he couldn't help Lindsey.

Angel swung the ax at Nexus skillfully. She blocked it, her arm blade shattering the shaft of the ax. She then spin-kicked Angel, and he slammed into the wall, then slumped to the floor.

Elenore lunged at Nexus, and stabbed her through her shoulder. Nexus screamed at her, back-hand punching her in the face. Elenore fell back, turned slowly to face Nexus.

"This isn't over." Nexus growled, pressing her hand against her bleeding shoulder. She turned and ran.

Angel helped Elenore up. "Who was that?"

"I'll explain later. Go call an ambulance."

"He's dead, Elenore."

"Go call an ambulance." she stated firmly, kneeling beside Lindsey.

Angel tossed her her charm, and she tied it around her neck, slowly transforming back into her human form. He then went to make the call, though he was sure that it was too late.

"You're gonna be alright, Linds." she told him, kissing his forehead.

* * *

Elenore sat at Lindsey's bedside, holding his hand, and waiting for him to wake up. The doctors had assured her that he would be fine, it was just the waiting that was the worst.

Her mind was filled with fearful thoughts that he would not wake up. "Happy thoughts, Elenore, happy thoughts. Come on, Linds, wake up."

"I am awake," he mumbled, opening his eyes groggily.

Elenore laughed happily, hugging him as best she could considering he was lying down.

He looked around his hospital room. "How long have I been here?"

"A few hours."

"What happened to Nexus?"

"She got away."

"Will she come after us?"

Elenore shook her head. "Not you. She thinks she killed you."

Lindsey took a deep breath, and Elenore squeezed his hand.

"You wanted to see me, Sir?" Stu inquired timidly, peaking around the edge of the door to the office.

"Yes, Stu, please come in." Holland smiled invitingly.

"So, uh, how's it goin'?"

"Not so good, Stu." he motioned for someone behind them to close the door. "I'm sorry I have to do this to you, but you've left me with no other choice."

"Do what, Sir?"

"This," Holland nodded, and the man put a bullet through Stu's skull.

THE END

By : Bonnie Seidel