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Learning To Let Go: New Evil
By Alexis Pryce

Spoilers: Billy
Rating: R

"I just don't get it, Angel." Cordelia sighed, "I mean...I thought I had them all figured out, but this new spin on things has completely changed my view on the situation."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Angel tucked his hands in his pockets. "I thought I knew it all at first, but over the years I came to realize that Ginger was attracted to the Professor, but they never really hooked up."

They walked on, Cordelia pondering that thought. "Hmm...anyway, thanks for the ice cream. I really needed to get out of that stuffy hotel. It drives me nuts." She finished her last bite of the cherry cordial ice cream that Angel had bought for her. "Now I have to go back home and sweat it all off again."

"We're just around the corner from the hotel. What do ya say we race, then you see if you have to sweat it off." He smiled.

"Yeah, right. You and your vampness racing against me? I hardly see how that's fair, Angel." She rolled her chocolate brown eyes in exasperation.

Suddenly, with a frightening growl, a dark-clad vampire dropped down in front of Cordy, reaching for her. Cordelia screamed, trying to duck away behind Angel. The vampire only reached her jacket, leaving scratch marks in the leather.

"Oh, you are SO paying for that!" She protested.

Angel immediately threw two punches at the hostile vamp, both to her head and face. The vamp fell down in a mess of blonde hair and black rags. She glared up at Angel, bearing her teeth. Within moments, the vamp was back up on her feet snarling in Cordy's face. Angel kicked her twice in the stomach, but she was relentless.

Cordelia grabbed at the steak inside her jacket, but she realized that it was missing. She looked up just in time to see the blonde vampire charge at Angel's back with the stake.

"Angel! Look out!" She screeched.

Angel reached behind him and tossed the vamp over his shoulder, knocking her onto the ground, flat on her back. The stake clattered to the ground with a wood-on-concrete sound and Cordelia dove for it, eager to stake the fiend who had ripped her good jacket. She looked up to see Angel nursing a bloody lip and heard footsteps as the vampire retreated.

"What the hell was with her?" Cordelia asked, beaten.

"I don't know...but something's up." Angel licked his lip, cringing at the tangy taste of his own immortal blood.

"Wes?" Angel asked, entering through the front doors of the Hyperion.

"Yes?!" Wesley seemed to jump, secretly hiding a journal underneath a drawer in his desk.

Angel raised and eyebrow for a moment, but sighed. "We were just attacked."

Wesley put on his glasses, his bright blue eyes gazing out from underneath the thick lenses. "Yes, I see that. By what?"

"A nasty vampire bi--"

Angel covered Cordelia's mouth. "A very not nice young lady vampire. Who was incredibly strong, might I add."

Cordy backed out of the room, frowning over her jacket. She looked around for Fred, but didn't seem to find her. She climbed the stairs curiously.

"Fred? You here?" She asked, heading down the hall towards Fred's room.

"Yeah...I'm here." A quiet voice answered. The voice didn't come from Fred's room, but a tiny maintenance closet.

Cordelia stopped and knocked on the door. "You okay, Fred?"

"I'm fine." The latch on the door clicked and Cordy took a step back.

"What are you doing in there?" She asked.

"Oh...nothing." Fred tugged on the waistband of her skirt which was a bit too big, needing mended. "I just like to think in there, that's all. You know me," Fred smiled her big southern smile, "I like dark places."

"Uh huh...well...I'm gonna head home now. Just thought I'd check on you before I left." Cordy turned around, forming the word 'weirdo' with her lips.

"I'll be fine. I'm just going to go to bed. Well, I thought maybe I'd solve a few equations to ease my brain first, but then I'll get some sleep." Fred watched Cordy wave goodnight and turn the corner to descend down the staircase.

Fred turned on her heel and ran back to her closet, pulling a leather-bound journal from the dark floor. She hugged it close to her body and walked cautiously back to her room to continue her writings.

"So, what do you think's up with her?" Angel asked, flopping his body down in Wesley's chair.

Wesley removed his glasses and rubbed the space on his nose where they usually resided. "Well...honestly..." He looked up. "I've got no clue."

Angel sighed and planted his hands firmly on his desk, standing. A black-covered book fell from underneath the bottom drawer of the desk. Angel reached down and picked it up. "What's this?"

Wesley's eyes got wide. Not forgetting to re-place his glasses, he rushed up towards Angel and snatched the book from him. "It's...a...very detailed journal from a past vampire hunter. I was reading it...uh...seeing what I should do about...Spike." He nodded.

"Spike?" Angel laughed. "Yeah...Spike. Okay, you do your Spike research and I'll just go try and find that vamp again." He shook his head, laughing the whole way out the door.

Wesley let out a deep breath, placing the book inside his briefcase. "Great cover, Wes...just great."

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