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[chuisle]

"Uh, Nina?"

This wasn't right. He knew the hotel — his hotel — like the back of his hand. He could walk the corridors blindfolded, even those in parts of the building that they had barely inhabited before the great move to the Law Offices of Wolfram & Hart. And while the Hyperion had managed to avoid sustaining heavy damage or infestation like a majority of the buildings in Los Angeles, hell wasn't nearly this well-kempt. Especially not where his former mailing address was concerned. The carpets were vacuumed, the floors had carpets, mirrors and glass polished to a glare-free shine...

Not only did he appear to be in the wrong hotel, but the wrong dimension, and that was a problem. A big one.

This was the last thing he needed, whether it be an actual case of dimensional displacement or some trick the Senior Partners were pulling on him in retaliation for overthrowing the Lords. Not that they needed an excuse to meddle in his life. They were the masterminds behind his newfound liveliness in spite of what the heavy glamour that hid his humanity from everyone had to say about him. Angel was alive, but it was important that everyone still believed he was a vampire.

It's like he told Wes; there's only one way to get out of hell. Act like nothing's changed.

Which was why he stared at what he could see of the buffet table across the way, but made no move to approach it. Eating actual food in public? Dead giveaway. (No pun intended.)

He should probably find shoes. Somehow, walking out of his room in nothing but a t-shirt and sweatpants had topped his list of poorly thought out life choices this morning.

Comments

[the_dawnster]

Dawn presses the button for the top floor. After careful deliberation she and her sister had chosen the top floor of he hotel. The elevator car starts to move and Dawn looks to Angel. "Buffy and I decided to live on the top floor right by the exit stairwell cause of strategies. If this place starts to go all wonky, we can get to the stairs. But also we're away from the lobby where most people seem to arrive just in case people like Hell Goddesses come looking for Slayer or Keys."

It was out of her mouth before she could stop herself. Buffy had told her not to talk to anybody about her keyness since someone might take it upon themselves to use her. Or try to use her. "Keys I mean, that open doors cause you know this place is full of them. Doors."

[chuisle]

"I know," he reminds her as the elevator doors closed behind them, "but I won't say anything."

As for where she and Buffy have decided to make a home for themselves in this place, he knows about that as well. Buffy had taken him there while he was still half-convinced this was Wolfram & Hart screwing with his head again in a crude attempt at making him lose it. She'd stitched him up in there and he'd passed out in her bed — not with her in it, of course. He hasn't stepped foot inside it sense, doesn't plan to again, and isn't letting Dawn in on the fact that he's been there before.

[the_dawnster]

Dawn gives him a grateful half-smile. It's actually nice to feel like someone else here gets it and is on her side. Buffy's a sure thing, most other people were fifty-fifty. But Angel seemed to be alright now. "Plus there's the fact that the top floor is mostly abandoned. That's nice too. Less noise. You'll probably like it."

The elevator doors sweep open and Dawn steps out, looking left then right. "There's stairwell exits at either end and one in the middle that goes down and down and down. But we're over there to the left." She looks up at Angel, and my goodness she always forgets how tall he is. "I guess it depends on how close or far away you wanna be." Personally, she wants him close in case anything happens. But look at her holding her tongue for once.

[chuisle]

She isn't saying it, but he's sensing it. There's a reason Dawn brought up her key qualities, former or not, and a concern over someone maybe, possibly trying to come for her like Glorificus had. He hadn't been around for that, off in another dimension seeing to his Champion-ly duties elsewhere. It was over before he'd really been made aware of it, the first he'd heard of the goddess trying to get home and the price Buffy paid to save her sister coming from a despondent Willow who met them in the lobby of the hotel when they returned from Pylea.

For the first time in forever, Angel makes a choice that puts him in proximity to Buffy that isn't because of Buffy.

"Maybe something at the other end of the hall?" He gestures with his head once they step off of the elevator.

If Dawn would feel better having an extra pair of eyes and hands nearby, he'll stick close. Helping people, after all, is what he does best. (Even when he doesn't.)