Title: Dark Midnight: Tea Paradox
Author: Shaz Nolan / ladycyke@hotmail.com
Rating: NC-17: sexual situations, language, some violence
Genre: Xover: Angel/X-Men, sequel to FIRST NIGHT; C/A, F/G, S/J, J/W
(flashback only)
"Just presume I'm a paradox in an anomaly, and get on with your tea."
--Timelord, Dr. Who
--
Chapter Twelve
The first clue that something was actually happening was the bright
white flash that exploded over the crowd, the group gasp yanking away the
concentration of each of the team members as they weaved through people,
hunting the blonde.
Giving in to the smile, the tension in her jaw released suddenly, Jean
pointed towards the side. Already moving, she turned briefly to face
the others. "That way. It's Fred."
Wesley and Gunn exchanged confused glances. "Well, we assumed
that much, but how do we know she's that way?"
Scott cocked his head to the side before following his fiancée
quickly. "It's an X-Men thing. Come on!"
Gunn shrugged. "And this Reece girl?"
"We'll find her soon enough, I'm sure."
"Yo, works for me."
~*~*~
The light show was perfect for his needs as he jogged a large circle
around the area, cutting through a planter full of flowers and well trimmed
bushes to creep up behind the boy's position. Shielding his eyes
as he stole towards a gawking pair of students-- apparently they weren't
used to a little homemade flash and dazzle-- he locked gazes with the brunette
girl long enough for her to recognise him from the crowd.
Dammit. Turning a heel and breaking into a run, feinting to the
left as the girl tried to bolt, Angel opened his arms and full on tackled
her, dragging them both to the ground in a series of grunts and startled
cries, his hands quickly grabbing her arms and pinning them at her back.
A swift backwards kick connected with his back, making him growl through
the struggle to hold the brunette down. The pain lancing up to his
shoulder, tightening his fingers at her wrists, he waited until she squeaked
and relaxed unwillingly.
"Sit here and be a good girl."
Turning her head up to him, her blue eyes narrowed briefly as she spit
in his face.
"Fine." Despite his one hundred percent human body and soul, the
echo of the demon rumbled deep in his chest and he released a single hand
to lace it around the girl's scalp, hitting her head to the ground just
hard enough to knock her out. "Don't listen to me."
Standing up and crossing to the boy, barely getting a fair glance at
the tome on the ground before feeling the wind blow past him, Angel had
seconds to duck the first swing of the crowbar being swung at him.
"I thought--" dropping to his knees as he tried to anticipate the next
swing of reinforced steel towards his head, Angel extended a hand out away
from him. "I thought you were supposed to go after Wesley!"
His assailant, bulkier than most of the male students milling around
and bearing a symbol that matched the one on the book cover, grunted and
staggered back, ignoring the jibe.
"Great, just great." Standing up and narrowing his eyes as the
man came towards him again, Angel steadied himself, tensed his muscles
and braced for the move he was about to make. Anticipating the power
behind the swing, he reached out both hands to grab the open section of
rebar, grasping it tightly and dragging his attacker across the pavement
as he yanked his arms towards his body.
Dropping the rebar before it crashed against his chest, instead getting
an armful of bulky male, Angel brought a leg up, kneed the brute sharply
and shoved him away. Watching the man fall, curling into a fetal
position on the ground, Angel moved to the boy, picked him up and set him
away from the powder.
"You okay, kiddo?"
The boy nodded quietly. "Can I go home now?"
"Let's get you cleaned up first so your mom doesn't get angry, okay?"
Pausing for a moment, young eyes nearly welling with tears, the boy
nodded. "Um, okay... um..."
A rush of sympathy tugged at Angel as he took the boys hand and led
him away from his cringing assailants. "Everything'll be okay, I
promise."
~*~*~
"You stole my glory!"
Angel, sitting on the dining room table as he relented to Jean's examination,
held out his hands helplessly. "Sorry, Cordelia. I saw the
chance, figured it was the boy and--"
A different voice interrupted Cordelia's response. "Dove in without
calling in backup."
"...And?"
The Seer crossed her arms. "Glory stealer!"
The ex-vampire ignored the poke at his side as Jean continued to shake
her head. "Team. T-E-A-M. As in, good for you and Fred
working together, but you have more than two or three people to rely on.
There's no need to get stupidly heroic."
"You were busy getting the blonde ringleader and I didn't want to wait.
Ow... OW! What ARE you doing, Jean?"
Walking around and patting Angel's leg, the redhead tsked. "You're
not impervious or immortal anymore, Angel, start acting like it.
You strained your shoulder trying to swing that man around like a toy."
"We did get Reece, though," Scott commented from his safe perch in a
chair scooted towards the wall. "And the authorities have more than
enough to incarcerate her."
Gunn nodded, his hand absently stroking Fred's arm. "After
we took her mojo witchy stuff away."
"Strange though," Wesley frowned, cleaning his glasses, "that Angel
stepped into the role of the one facing off with the rebar."
"No it's not."
"Fred?"
Shrugging deferentially, she pointed at Angel and then Wesley.
"Ya got attacked by that wiry girl before anything started, so it changed
things. And because we were all anticipatin' you gettin' creamed
in the rescue efforts, Angel's move to intercede before that crowd did
anything rowdy was enough to keep ya alive. If the magic had started,
ya might have been killed anyways when they got all mystically riled."
Cordy snorted, waving her hands in the air mockingly. "Gooo magic."
"Spells, though. I just can't... get used to the concept."
Scott sighed, ignoring the offhand glance both Jean and Xavier shot him.
"Could someone find an easy way to make it make sense?"
The LA four exchanged a round of looks, each battling internally with
the sheer amount of knowledge they each carried from all their experiences.
There was just too MUCH to try and cover in one sentence. When Gunn
shrugged and Fred opened and closed her mouth, pouting her lip out in frustration,
Angel shook his head. "No better than you can explain being a mutant
to any of us."
Jean crossed her arms, disappointed, even though she understood the
weight of the matter. But still... "Like trying to explain a vampire
with a soul?"
Angel opened his mouth partially. "You've been reading about--"
The recent memory of a night spent reading dusty tomes floated back
to her. "You. You're intriguing, Angel."
Wesley buried his head in his hands, groaning. "You've no idea,
you truly don't."
Fred and Cordelia nodded. "Big time no idea."
The telepath smiled gamely. "Good."
~*~*~
"So 'fess up, Mister Broody."
He sighed lightly, sliding his hands behind long brown hair as Cordelia
rocked her hips against his, swaying to the music. "Confess to what?"
"Being human. What do you think?"
Arching an eyebrow as he shuffled the step, the slow beat of a Michelle
Branch ballad playing on the basement stereo lulling him along, Angel inhaled
the scent of her shampoo, sweet and tangy. "I get you-- that's enough
to make it worth it. How's being a mutant?"
"Mmmm." Nuzzling against his neck, she closed her eyes, drinking
in the moment, letting slip that teensy bit of control to mix his emotions
with hers. "I can see the appeal behind knowing one's lover so much
better. Jean kinda brought that home to me, being psychic and happy--
and all that. But... you have no idea how much I need you."
"I have a good idea."
"Pfft."
"Her story, right?"
"What," there was a slight pause as Cordy let her mind drift, enjoying
being held, "the whole thing with hooking up with her lucky ace?
Yeah, she told me earlier."
"Lucky ace?"
"Scott, duh. It's just so funny. We come together in disparity,
in the face of chaos. Maybe it makes us closer, or something."
"I don't need chaos to want you."
"Mmm-hmm, sure. Your heart beats for me, mister."
Drawing back from his shoulder, studying his eyes as his gaze fell on
her face, she felt them stop moving. Slipping a hand along his cheek
as she licked her lips, she kissed him, pressing herself wholly against
his body.
When she finally slid back and laid her head back against his shoulder,
he half-purred and shifted them back into the slow dance, the movement
feeling right. "Yes, it does. My heart beats because of you."
fin
[ chapter one - chapter
two - chapter three - chapter
four - chapter five ]
[ chapter six - chapter
seven - chapter eight - chapter
nine - chapter ten]
[ chapter eleven - chapter
twelve ]
