Angel Baby
Cordelia leaned against her desk wishing, for the hundredth time, that the office had air conditioning and that there wasn't a heat wave. This heat made the already ugly grainy waiting room worse. All the brown hues melted together in the sweltering air, as she was sure her make-up was too. So to get her mind off the temperature and to stop wondering if LA was actually in one of the rings of hell she started a argument with Doyle. And over the stupidest topic ever whether Native Americans in Canada should be called Native Canadians.
"Cordelia, me girl, listen to these phases and tell me if you're finding the connection, North America and South America," Doyle said and gestured in a circular motion. He didn't understand why they were having this conversation. He was just happy they were having one.
Cordelia narrowed her eyes, "Ok, first off; not your girl. Second off yes the word America is in both. But don't they call Incas Native Mexicans or something?"
Doyle raised an eyebrow, "No, princess, they don't."
Cordelia laughed, "How dumb do you think I am? Oh geez, Mister Single Malt Scotch, I did graduate high school. I know what I'm talking about."
"Yeah, but didn't your school explode during that graduation?"
Suddenly Angel exploded from the elevator.
Cordelia and Doyle jumped at the noise. Doyle weakly said, holding his heart, "Mary mother of Pearl, Angel where's the fire?"
Cordelia's reaction was less mild. She crossed her arms and asked, "Angel, we all know how you love those entrances of yours but do you think you could tone it down?"
Angel indignant and sheepish at the same time, yet with the same facial expression, "Well, you're always yelling at me to not sneak up and hey, I'm the boss!"
"What were you doing? Trying to fight the elevator? Rude much? Me and Doyle were having a conversation!"
"That's no reason to thunder up here scaring your employees to death. If you keep doing that you'll end up without any." Doyle said only now realizing that Cordelia had admitted to talking to him.
Cordelia was thinking that Doyle had a pretty cute accent and that it was too bad that he was you know poor and short. Angel was also thinking along the lines as Cordy. He remembered when he had a thick Irish brogue and how for some reason Doyle's was better than his. "I wasn't fighting the elevator and I wasn't thundering. As a--"
Angel was cut off when a middle-aged almost bland looking man in a business suit walked in. He had dusty brown hair and his only remarkable feature was his gray eyes. The man walked to Angel and stuck out his hand, which Angel shook. "Hello, are you Mr. Angel?" At Angel's nod he continued, "I'm Ted Watkins and I heard from a colleague of mine that you specialize in, well um, unusual cases?"
Cordelia piped up from behind Angel, "Oh we totally do. The unusual is actually what we do best!"
Angel shook his head, "Mr. Watkins, these are my employees, Doyle and Cordelia. So tell me what do you need us to do?"
Cordelia tapped Angel on the shoulder. Angel looked back at her and saw her gesture with her head toward the green economy chairs that were against one wall. "Oh, right. Mr. Watkins please sit down."
Angel and Ted Watkins sat down. Angel asked again why Ted needed his services. Ted replied, "My wife has given birth to a child every year for almost four years. And soon after the child..." Ted wiped his eyes and started up again, "When Amy my first child died and even when Mary died too I thought it was just fate. But then Bobby died and Sally who is still alive is getting sickly I started to get suspicious. And after I saw this green horned demon in Hollywood... At first I thought it was an actor but I wasn't in that part of Hollywood and he didn't seem like an actor. I knew what had to be happening." Ted held on to his belief that a demon had killed his children and described in detail what had happened. "It has to be a demon! Can you do something?"
Paper and bits of glass litter in the gutter reflected the sun into Doyle's eyes. He hated East Hollywood. Well, most specifically the demon community of East Hollywood. And if you wanted to be honest the fuel behind the hate was because he owed quite a few demons money around here. Doyle kept his head up looking straight ahead, but his eyes lowered. He was on his way to Izzy's Sink Hole located behind Queen Sondok's Korean Cuisine, which boasted of having the best Kimichi in the entire city. It was a trick and a half getting into Izzy's not only was it in another dimension but you also had to climb a fire escape and jump on to a platform that trembled when it rained. Doyle did the jump and caught the dimension portal. Izzy's Sink Hole featured a bar that sold, the polite term would be, exotics, the impolite term being 'disgusting shite' that made him really not want to be a demon, and most stout but for some ungodly reason it had Lister brains but not Guinness, and a dance floor complete with a Kalliff demon as a DJ. Doyle sorted out his jacket that he was stupid enough to wear. He knew it was hot out and yet he was wearing a coat. 'That's it Doyle old boy show 'um the brilliance that got you through those A-Levels.' Doyle headed for the table farthest away from the DJ where his man Henry was. He sat down and tried not to notice Henry's glare.
He played it casual and said, "Henry, you old alco, how you been?" Henry wasn't buying it and with his plumage a bright red. Which for Garobas meant that Henry was angry. Garobas were a mix of birds and chameleons and looked worse than their description sounded. Doyle knew that he would have a heck of a time convincing Henry of anything.
Henry gave Doyle the stink eye, "You want to know what's wrong? What's wrong? My beloved wife of three centuries has been cheating on me with, if you believe this, a vampire."
Doyle was speechless; he'd seen Henry's wife and that was a sight he had to drink away, "Martha? Henry that's horrible." Doyle hoped that Henry thought he was being sincere instead of disgusted.
"You don't care, you bastard Mic, what do you want?"
Ignoring the insult, Doyle told Henry about the case leaving out certain bits. Henry sighed, "All I wanted was some sympathy. Maybe some experimentation." Henry looked hopefully at Doyle who was wide eyed and shaking his head no. Henry sighed again, "Oh, well, anyway no there haven't been any demons that feed on human baby auras or do anything to them that you're describing for around six years. Some gang on the east side wiped them out." Henry leaned forward and smiled in what for Garobas was sexy, well Doyle figured it was a smile but you couldn't be sure because of the beak. "But remember my little Irish raunch puppet, I'm here for you."
Doyle half ran and half walked out of Izzy's trying to forget that a bird/lizard demon had come on to him. He was hoping that Angel had some really good stuff not the polymalt shite he usually had. A big bonus he had better get for this.
At Angel's request Cordelia was at the Watkins' residence. It was a house with the usual ranch design that was rampant in this part of LA. The inside was a mix of beige, white and boring. Cordelia was creeped out. Everything was too normal. Even Helena Watkins' was eerily normal with her shoulder length, dirty blonde hair and brown eyes. Thank goodness for little baby Sally wasn't cursed with normalcy, she was a cute little roly-poly blonde, blue eyed, made for commercials baby. Sally was in a blue and green playpen and was banging a pink octopus against her chubby little baby knees. Helena was in the kitchen pouring some lemonade and Cordelia was thankful that she would have something to do in this interview. She didn't know why Angel sent her. Most likely because she was a woman but Cordelia was anything but a sympathetic woman. Baby Sally cooed and gurgled at her and it had to be the cutest thing ever. She might never want to have kids but in baby form, in controlled circumstances, they were adorable. Helena walked into the bland living room and set down two tall glasses of lemonade.
"So what questions do you have, Ms. Chase?" Helena asked.
"I have only a few, most of the questions my employer had were answered by your husband. Did your children have any illnesses before they passed away?" Cordelia asked but then wished she had been gentler when Helena started to cry.
"Yes, they had breathing problems. I was always taking them to the h-hospital." Helena took a ragged breath before continuing. "Sally, here is the only healthy one." Cordelia was surprised that Helena sobbed for her other children but talked about Sally as an after thought. Cordelia asked a few more questions before she left.
Kate's police station was gritty and dingy and Angel really liked it. He wasn't feeling the heat that the cops seemed to be practically dying from but he smelled their sweat. It was times like these that having supernatural senses bit the big one. Angel wanted to yell at the coppers and tell them that spending a few seconds with Old Spice wouldn't hurt. He silently made his way to Kate's desk. No one gave him a passing glance because after all the times he'd come here he guessed that maybe they thought he was Kate's boyfriend. Kate wasn't at her desk so Angel just hung around her desk fiddling with a button of his trench coat. He resisted the urge to reorganize her pencils. Angel fiddled a bit too hard with the button and when it popped off he had to scramble to catch it. He was thinking that her desk needed something when she wandered over and surprised him.
"So, let me guess, you need something?" Kate asked smiling. Angel caught a whiff of her perfume; it was lilac. Her step was bouncy and she was humming lightly when she sat in her chair. Her mood was infectious. She pushed her blonde hair off her shoulder and straightened her cream colored blouse. Angel smiled or what he considered a smile, as he was somewhat out of practice. "You know me well. I do need you to look a couple up and I want to know if you like ferns or African Violets?"
Kate laughed because Angel wanting to discuss potted plants was a complete turn around from the gory murders and disturbing cases that usually filled their conversations and because the picture of him in a straw hat, apron, and gardening gloves bloomed in her mind. "African Violets. And who are these people and can I know why I'm looking them up?"
Angel nodded, "I got this case from a man, Ted Watkins, who thinks that his children are dying as a result of unusual circumstances. Can you look up him and his wife Helena?"
Kate furrowed her brow, "Yeah, and you'll probably want info on the children' deaths. I'm on it." Angel told her thanks and strolled out of the office with a smile.
Cordelia, Doyle and Angel sat at Angel's kitchen table. Angel had been gracious enough to make eggs, so Doyle and Cordelia were chewing happily. Angel told them about his visit to Kate. Cordelia daintily wiped her napkin against her mouth before launching into her story about her interview with Helena. Her finishing statement of the story was, "And the weirdest thing besides the creep factor of the house was her totally ignoring Sally. That baby was made for hocking diapers. She was so cute."
Angel pressed the tips of his fingers together as he asked Doyle, "So what did you hear from your guy?"
Doyle leaned back, "Well, besides hearing about his wife troubles and being traumatized, I found that no aura eaters or baby killing demons have been in LA. Chuck Gunn's gang chased them out years ago."
Angel slumped back with his brow a mess of furrows, "So what you are saying is were looking for a human suspect or are there other demons?"
Doyle scratched the back of his neck, "No, I don't think there are any more..."
Cordelia pushed her hair over her shoulder, "It has to be the mom."
Angel raised his eyebrows, "What? Wouldn't the police have caught her earlier?"
Doyle looked between the two sensing a fight was coming, "Hey, there are options you've been missing. What if it's just SIDs?" At Cordelia and Angel's blank faces he elaborated, "Sudden Infant Death syndrome. The guy might just be too deep in grief. "
Cordelia looked from Doyle to Angel, "So do we research?"
Kate walked quietly with a manila folder in her hand to her boss' office. Something about Angel's case made her skin crawl. That many dead babies in one family wasn't normal. And all those mysterious illnesses weren't helping matters. So Kate decided to take the case to her supervisor. It was late and in the middle of a shift change. She might as well been the only one in the building. Kate knocked on her boss' door and brought the folder up in front of her chest. The door opened and Kate said, "Sir, I have something you might want to look at."
Angel waved to Cordelia and Doyle who were going out to lunch while he was waiting, on the phone, for Ted to pick up. Angel wanted to ask him if he had ever questioned his wife.
After saying their good-byes to Angel, the duo set off. The sun was beaming and with the office being miles away from the ocean there was no chance of a cool breeze. This struck Doyle as unfair because TV and books had led him to believe that everywhere in sunny California there was a beach and a scantily clad beauty with loose morals. They were right about the beauties he thought as he looked at Cordelia, even slightly sweaty and ill tempered, was beautiful. Actually a sweaty Cordelia wasn't a bad thing; that mental picture kept Doyle's frown upside down. Cordelia breathed a sigh of relief when she and Doyle reached the air-conditioned café. She flopped down in the nearest booth, closed her eyes and leaned her head back. Doyle looked around the café; it was way too bright for his tastes. He liked his hangouts dim and smoky. Not bright and cheery with red and white striped seats and check topped tables.
"Damn, it's way to hot out there." Cordelia said straightening up.
"Want to go see if we can an fry egg on the sidewalk?" Doyle deadpanned.
Cordelia cracked a smile. "But that fun would entail us leaving this nice and cool haven. Which I don't see myself doing until winter."
Doyle and Cordelia shared a smile. They ordered sandwiches and sundaes from an old actress/waitress. Cordelia eyed the waitress and her 'Actors Do It On Cue' patch and hoped that that wasn't an omen for her own acting career. After the waitress brought them their orders they ate with a comfortable silence watching the air sizzle outside.
Doyle was finally able to get Cordelia to go back to the office without a scene, but just barely. As they were walking in, the scene of Angel trying to calm someone down over the phone greeted them. Cordelia thought the scene was funny with Angel stuttering and looking vaguely sick. Angel perked up at the sight of them and made his excuses to get off the line. Angel got up from Cordelia's desk and walked over to them.
"We have problems. That was Ted on the phone. His wife was arrested."
Cordelia and Doyle said simultaneously, "What?"
"Yeah, I know that's bad but did he really have to scream? Supernatural hearing in all and I told him not to yell but..."
Cordelia interrupted Angel, "So she was arrested for murder, right?"
Angel nodded, "Kate must have reported it. I'm going to go over to the station and talk to her."
Angel picked up the potted violets from the desk and started toward the elevator so he could hit the sewers. Cordelia asked, "Why are you taking a plant? Going to spruce up that dungeon of yours?"
Angel looked confused, "No, they're for Kate and they're African Violets."
Doyle and Cordelia looked at each other before looking back at Angel. Cordelia nodded and smirked, "Well, you and your African Violets better get a move on then."
Doyle was smirking as well. "Yeah, don't leave your police woman waiting."
Angel looked even more confused. "She's not my police woman."
Cordelia crossed her arms, "Ok, Angel, you tell her we said 'hi.'"
Angel looked at both of them and his head. He got inside the elevator and, clutching the African Violets, disappeared from view.
Angel moved from shadow to shadow keeping out of the light as he made his way to Kate's desk. He held out the African violets when he got there. He hoped they and him didn't smell from his trip in the sewer.
"Here you go, Kate. You did say you liked African Violets, right?" Angel asked.
Kate looked at the violets and then at Angel and blushed lightly, "Yes, I like them. Thank you."
She took the small plant and set it on a clear spot in the back of her desk. A policeman walked past and said, "Way to go Lochley."
Kate glared at the policeman before looking back at Angel, "So, you came here just to give me violets?"
Angel fidgeted before he said, "Well, no, I came because I heard that you arrested Helena Watkins."
Kate nodded any trace of a blush gone. "Yes, I didn't personally, but I did take the case to my boss."
"Why?"
She leaned forward, "didn't you find anything suspicious about their story?"
Angel shrugged. "I thought it was SIDs..."
Kate leaned back. "Well, I thought it was murder. And the brass agrees with me."
"Who is questioning her? Are you?" Angel asked.
Kate frowned. "I'm not. I'm not really sure who is. Probably Johansen."
"Why aren't you?"
Kate's frown deepened, "My superiors didn't think I was delicate enough."
Doyle decided to go Izzy's Sink Hole to talk more with Henry. Henry was his main contact and Doyle couldn't ditch him. Henry needed to get back with his wife to make their working relationship go back to normal. Doyle really needed that to happen since Henry had started calling him asking about dates. He jumped through the portal and walked over to Henry's table ignoring the crap the DJ was playing. Doyle sat down and cleared his throat, then said, "Henry, we need to talk."
Henry was swaying to the music. "Oh, come on, Doyle let's dance!"
Doyle shook his head. "Sorry, Henry, Ace of Base really isn't my thing."
Sighing, Henry asked, "So what do you want to talk about?"
"I was thinking about you and your new persuasion," Doyle said. He gave Henry a look when the bird demon opened his mouth to talk. Doyle continued, "Are you really sure you're into men? Or is this just because Martha left? If it's just about Martha, then really, Henry, don't play with me. I'd just want to be friends. But if you're really swimming on that side of the ocean, I'll support you. "
Henry hung his head, "Doyle, you're right. And thank you. You're a good friend." Henry lifted his head up and said, "You know that case you were telling me about." He continued at Doyle's nod, "Well I was thinking that it isn't an aura eating demon."
Doyle gestured for Henry to go on, "And then?"
"Yeah, the babies are still alive. And before you ask me. I know this because a friend of mine was telling me about this Moskeri'ha demon who was planning a big sacrifice of his human mate... tonight "
The house's occupants were unaware of the shadowy figure lurking outside their window. The shadowy figure was Angel and with his dark hair and dark clothes he completely blended in with the night that had recently fallen. Angel was somewhat iffy on why he was mingling with the foliage. It started with Doyle.
Angel was reading poetry in what he considered the living room of his apartment when Doyle flipped on the lights. Blinking from the sudden illumination Angel wondered what Doyle wanted. When Angel's eyes got used to the light he noticed Cordelia behind Doyle. Doyle was playing with the hem of his jacket and didn't say anything until Cordelia poked his shoulder. "You know how I said that there weren't any baby killing demons in town?" "Yes..." Angel said in a suspicious tone. "Well, I think I was wrong." Cordelia flipped her hair and crossed her arms. "Tell him how wrong. You'll get a kick out of his story. Really what gay man or demon would want Doyle?" Angel raised his eyebrows as Doyle shot Cordelia an exasperated look. Doyle then said, "Angel, I'm serious. Henry told me that Moskeri'ha was planning a sacrifice and it's happening tonight." Angel a bit slow on the uptake asked, "Ok... Where?" "I meant Ted. Ted is the Moskeri'ha! He's the demon." Angel straightened, "How do I stop him?" "Well, this is what Henry told me..."
And that's how Angel got to be crouching in the bushes outside the Watkins' residence. He had been there since dusk waiting for Ted to make a move. Angel was grateful when Ted walked out the door and he could get out of the position he had been in for hours. After Ted got into his car and was at the end of the block Angel ran to his convertible and sped after him. Angel mimicking movies kept a good distance behind Ted and still kept him in eyesight. Angel tapped his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of some pop tune Cordelia had been playing. Angel tailed Ted to a Santa Cruz apartment complex. Parking his car on the other side of the complex, Angel walked to the apartment Ted had entered. Angel fought the urge to hum; that pop song had gotten stuck in his head. Ted, inside, turned on the lights and was greeted by a feminine voice. Angel rolled his eyes thinking that he had walked into a lovers tryst. He was proven wrong when a young brunette woman walked out and Ted thanked her for baby-sitting. After the girl walked out of sight Angel made his move. He kicked open the apartment door revealing three blond children sleeping on a fold out sofa. Angel did a double take when he saw the children. Then Angel got upset that an innocent woman had been put through her children's pretend deaths. Ted spun around and walked toward Angel, then he rapidly turned in a green-scaled humanoid demon with white eyes. 'So, Doyle was right, Angel thought as Ted took a swing at Angel, which he easily blocked. Angel, trying to avoid the now awake and terrified children, used his elbow to slam Ted into the wall. The children were frozen with fear and it made some memories of Angel's soulless past resurfaced, making him angrier. Not giving Ted a chance to breathe, Angel kicked him out the door. Ridges protruded from Angel forehead and his canines lengthened. Angel was now officially in ass-kicking mode. Ted hit a Ramada post and he turned around just in time to catch Angel's boot with his neck. Angel kept him immobilized.
"Why are you doing this to Helena?"
Ted hoarsely replied, "That breeding sow's job is almost done. I don't need her."
"What, you're just going to kill her? Haven't you heard of divorce?"
"Who cares about a human? You're a vampire you should know!"
Angel grimaced then promptly put more pressure on Ted's neck until the vertebra crushed together. "I'm different."
Angel was about to turn around to get Ted's children when Ted's corpse started to liquefy. Angel jumped back when the liquid spread toward him. He watched with interest when it started to sizzle and disappear before his eyes.
"So, he just melted?" Cordelia asked after Angel finished telling them what happened the day before. Doyle was sitting in a chair near Cordelia who was at her desk and they were both looking at Angel who was leaning against a wall.
"Angel, man, she didn't know he was a demon?"
"Yes to both questions and Helena was set free. I told her the whole story. She thought he was having an affair."
Cordelia turned to Doyle, "So how did you know that Ted was a demon?"
Doyle smiled and leaned forward, "Let me take you out to lunch again and I'll tell you."
Cordelia laughed, "I'd rather do filing."
"Which you haven't ever done." Doyle said leaning back in his chair.
"I have so done filing! That's what I do around here!"
"Oh so that's what you do."
Angel smiled at his employees as they bickered. The sun was shining, a heat wave was in full force and Cordelia's shrill voice was enough to break glass. It was going to be a beautiful day.