Flesh and Blood (3/25)

Author- Midnight Faith

Pairing- Lindsey/Lilah with Cordy/Angel on the side…

Spoilers- 'Blind Date.'

Distribution- ff.net, Ace of Harts, Neurotica… anyone else just ask :)

Rating- R

Summary- Cordelia gets a shock

Notes-' Part 3/3 of a trilogy. Which also contains 'Southern Comfort' and 'Silver Cloud, Bitter Lining.'

"They'll be OK won't they?" Wesley asked Angel and Cordelia as they turned the corner onto Glendale.

"They'll be fine," Cordy assured him, "Fred and Lilah can both hold their own… they'll be OK with each other by the time we get back… you'll see."

"I guess all they need is a little time to talk things through," Angel said objectively.

"Yeah they'll find some common ground and… they'll be fine." Cordy reassured herself more than anyone else.

"They'll be fine…" Angel assured Cordy, "They have the same taste in… perfume…"

"I just worry that's all," Cordy said, "About both of them. They really need to re-build…"

"But there's bound to be some reminders of the past that trigger some intense emotions…" Wesley warned gently.

A black limo pulled up to the kerb in front of them.

A familiar figure stepped out. Lindsey McDonald was back in a designer suit and holding a briefcase.

"Oh my god… Lindsey." Cordelia rushed forward to envelop him in a crushing hug; "You're a thing of evil for not telling me you were in town right away."

"That'd be about right," he told her almost unemotionally.

"So… how long have you been in town for?" She asked him.

"A couple of weeks… I would've called but…"

"We're just glad you're OK… and that you're back."

"And I'm glad to be back."

"So pretty cool threads, nice limo for someone who's been… wherever he's been for the past couple of months," Cordelia gently prompted.

"I've been around… catching up with a few old buddies," he held up his briefcase with the words 'Wolfram and Hart' emblazoned across it in gold, "Tell Lilah we'll be in touch."

Before Cordy could really register what had just happened Lindsey was back in the limo and the car had pulled away, tires squealing from the kerb.

Cordelia began to walk back towards her apartment, Wesley and Angel either side of her.

"Slow down for a second," Angel told her, his voice calm.

"He's working for them," Cordy fumed, "After everything… he's gone back to them."

"So what can we going to do about it?" Wesley asked her.

"There's nothing right now," Angel told her.

"You mean there's nothing we can do… ever. He was all redeemed and stuff… for over a year. And now he's right back where he started… evil con one."

"It's a two way system," Angel told her, "You can change for the better… but you have to want to. And you can change for the worse… but to do that you have to want to."

"But we've lost him," Cordy said, her voice brimming with emotion, "I feel like we let him down."

"Don't think like that," Angel gently instructed her, "He made his choice. He walked away. Not us. And let's face it based on his track record who is he really loyal to?"

"What about Lilah?" Cordy asked them, "What are we supposed to tell her?"

"We tell her nothing until we know more," Wesley advised.

"Like what?" Cordy snapped at him, as they reached the door of her apartment building, "He's working for Wolfram and Hart and I'm pretty sure he wants revenge on her, I think we have reason enough to tell her."

"But why is he there… apart from wanting revenge?" Wesley asked, "Shouldn't we find out before we tell her?"

"But what if she runs into him on the street or something?" Angel said, "It's a long shot… but it might happen."

"We have to tell her," Cordy said reaching her apartment and pausing in the doorway.

"Suppose we tell her Lindsey's back but not that he's working for Wolfram and Hart." Wesley put forward.

"That won't work," Cordy said, "She'll wonder why he hasn't come to see her. No… we'll just have to tell her the truth."

Cordy opened her apartment door and stepped inside to see Lilah and Fred sat at the kitchen table.

"We've got a problem," Cordy said with thinking.

"What's going on?" Lilah asked suspiciously, standing up to face them.

Angel instinctively closed the door and locked it behind him.

"What is it?" Fred asked them.

"Lilah…" Cordy began, taking a step towards her.

Lilah took a step back to maintain her distance.

"It's Lindsey isn't it?" she asked Cordy fearfully…