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"Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite Chapter Four"
Meghan crawled out of bed around lunchtime, yawning heavily as she padded into the kitchen. A brief tour of the cupboard's contents only produced some hard biscuits. A peek in the refrigerator revealed the requisite blood packs and two cans of beer, courtesy of Doyle, not exactly your recommended breakfast.
Last night Meghan had to be woken up twice by Angel, the second time she had almost hit him in fright. Feeling more than slightly embarrassed she looked about the apartment but he wasn't there. Going back into the bedroom she dragged her overnight bag out and headed for the shower.
When Cordelia came down a few minutes later all she could hear was off-key singing and the sound of running water.
"Hello?" Cordy called out. "Meghan?"
The water stopped in the bathroom. "Who's there?" Meghan called out.
"Hello, it's Cordelia," Cordy replied, with a large dose of sarcasm. "Remember me?"
"Oh, its just you."
The water resumed quickly followed by the singing.
"Well, excuse me I don't think," Cordy sat down on the couch in a huff. She looked about the room and noted the lack of reasonable reading material. "Would it be asking too much if he placed a couple of magazines about?" she complained.
A noise on the stairs revealed itself to be Doyle. "Where's the broody guy?" he asked.
"Out," Cordy replied.
"Out where?"
"Do I look like his personal secretary? Just out!"
"Sorry," Doyle walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed a beer. "Has he come up with anything to help Meghan?"
"I'm not sure. I think that's why he left."
The sound of running water stopped. "Cordy," Meghan yelled out. "Is there anything to eat in this damned place?"
"I ask myself that question every day," Cordelia told Doyle. "Not really," she called back at Meghan.
"I could go get somethin' for you, if you like," Doyle yelled out.
"Cheers, Doyle, that would be great," Meghan yelled back. "Just a pastry would do."
Cordelia frowned. "She recognises your voice but not mine?"
Doyle shrugged. "Must be my manliness, I guess." He noted Cordy's expression. "Either that or she's secretly in awe of your poise and beauty."
"Your second suggestion sounds more likely," Cordy said.
"Yeah," Doyle looked glum, "I was afraid it might be that. Do you want something to eat, Cordy?"
Cordelia fluttered her eyes at the Irishman. "Could you?"
"It would be my pleasure." Doyle stood up and started for the elevator before stopping. "Uh, could you loan me twenty bucks." He asked.
"What?"
"I'm skint, Cord, it's just until next week." He turned around and flashed her a quick grin. "I know a guy who knows a guy who owns a horse and I have inside information that she's gonna win at the tracks. It’s a sure thing and I can pay you back then."
"Yeah, right, like all the other times," Cordy grumbled but it didn't stop her from moving towards the elevator, too. "My purse is upstairs. You owe me, buster."
Doyle pulled the heavy metal doors behind him and they disappeared upstairs.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Angel moved through the darkness, his habitual black duster flapping behind him in his wake. Los Angeles's extensive sewer system was a blessing for creatures such as himself. Creatures who were hampered by their appearance or - in his case - by an aversion to sunlight. It enabled him to move about the city without having to resort to buying shares in a sunblock company.
He stepped over a stream of dirty water and stopped just before the last T-junction. He listened carefully before moving to his left and continuing on. Okay, so maybe it didn't have the glamour of above ground going for it, his nose wrinkled, and it sure didn't smell very nice. But you were never stuck in traffic and it appealed to his broody, not to mention lonely, persona. As long as you avoided the rats and the homeless demons you were fine.
Angel had just come from the Precinct where he had 'borrowed' something that he was hoping would help Meghan. The device in question was an ALS - or 'Alternative Light Source'. It was a small metallic box, about ten inches by five, which opened on one side to reveal a fluorescent tube. The ALS was primary used to reveal invisible evidence (like fluids, fingerprints or clothing fibres) in police investigations. He remembered how Kate had once told him that the ALS produced visible and invisible light at various wavelengths that caused things to glow under a black light.
It was a similar reference that he came across during his research. According to one book the bugs could only be rendered visible under a 'light black as the heart of a dream-demon'. Unfortunately the book's author didn't know the spell needed to create this 'black light'. Angel was hoping that modern technology had come up with a suitable substitute.
Angel stopped walking and stared down at the device. Actually it might be a good idea to test it first. The last thing he wanted to do is get Meghan's hopes up and then find out that the torch needed a new battery or something. Here was as good a place to try as any. Kate had said it needed almost complete darkness to work and you don't get much darker than the sewers. He flicked the switch and a blue glow shone out against the wall. Angel waved it about a little just to make sure before turning it off again.
"So far, so good," he muttered. "Let's hope the rest of my hunch pays off."
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
When Angel re-entered his apartment - via the grate that led to the sewers - he found Cordelia, Doyle and Meghan lounging about on his sofa eating pastries.
"Well isn't this cosy," he said.
Doyle jumped up and gave a choked yelp of surprise. "Jeez, man," he said wiping crumbs off his shirt. "Scare me, why don’t'cha?"
"Sorry." Angel put the ALS on the counter and went over to his fridge.
"When's your birthday, Angel?" Cordelia asked. "I'm going to buy you a bell. Maybe then you'll stop sneaking up on people."
"Occupational hazard," Angel said as he poured himself some blood.
"What's that?" Meghan asked pointing to the ALS.
"That is hopefully a solution to your bug problem," Angel replied, taking care not to drink in Meghan's direct line of sight.
"That's one hell of a 'Roach Hotel'," Doyle said.
"I still say we should just call in the exterminators," Cordy added.
"What will it do?" Meghan asked.
"It should show us the bugs," Angel said. "I hope," he muttered to himself.
"Way to go, man," Doyle said. "Where did ya get it from, anyway?"
"I borrowed it from Kate's precinct," Angel replied.
"Borrowed it?" Cordelia said. "Borrowed as in 'Here you go, Angel, take it with my best wishes' or borrowed as in 'Gee, I hope I can get it back before anyone notices its gone'?"
Angel washed his glass out in the sink. "Uh, as in the second one?"
"You stole from the police?" Meghan looked shocked, then she grinned as the thought sunk in. "That is so cool!"
"No, its not, that's stupid," Cordy looked from Angel to Meghan. She flung her hands up in despair at their attitude. "Oh, you two are as bad as each other. I'm going upstairs."
"So how does it work?" Doyle asked.
"It works on different wavelengths," Angel explained. "Reveals things invisible to the naked eye. "That’s the theory anyway."
"So we wave it about my place," Meghan said. "Find the bugs and then what? Squash ‘em?"
"Well," Angel rinsed his glass out in the sink. "I haven’t quite worked that part out, yet."
"Nothin’ new there then." Doyle said.
"Just killing the bugs isn’t going to solve your problem, Meghan." Angel said.
"Sure it will," she replied. "Kill the bugs, toss the plant and problem solved."
"There is a demon involved in this, Meghan. A demon that thrives on the pain of others," Angel said. "They don’t usually just get bored and go away."
"No, they usually need a bit of persuadin’" Doyle said. "That’s where we come in," he shifted his weight about and glanced at Angel. "Well, mostly you come in," he amended.
"Uh-oh. Break out the codpiece, crank up the ‘bat signal’ Angel’s on a mission," Meghan said.
"And I didn’t even need to have a vision," Doyle said. "You should bring your problems to us more often," he added to Meghan.
"Very funny," Angel picked up the ALS and headed for the elevator. "Let’s go."
"After you, ‘Robin’," Meghan said to Doyle.
"Well if I’m Robin and Cordy’s Catwoman, what does that make you?" he said.
"Don’t ask, Doyle, don’t ask."
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Meghan let Doyle and Angel into her apartment. Cordy had declined to join them citing that ‘bug extermination’ wasn’t in her job description. When asked what exactly was in her job description she had mumbled something and turned back to her computer.
"Where do you want to start?" Meghan asked as Doyle wandered into the kitchen to scrounge for food.
"We might as well start in the bedroom," Angel said referring to the room furthest in the apartment. "And work our way into the kitchen."
"Way ahead of you, boss," Doyle said as he reappeared, carton of milk in one hand and a piece of bread in the other.
"Make yourself at home, why don’t you?" Meghan said, sarcastically.
"Don’t mind if I do." Doyle walked over to the sofa and sat down.
"Unbelievable," Meghan shook her head. "Just don’t get crumbs on my furniture."
She walked into her bedroom to find Angel standing in the corner of her room away from a patch of sunlight, looking at a stuffed elephant. "I always wanted to get you into my room, Angel." She joked. "I just never imagined it quite like this."
An involuntary image of the Angel from her nightmares popped into her head and she shuddered.
"Are you all right?" Angel asked.
"Yeah, sure. Let’s just get this over with."
Angel flicked on the overhead lights. "If you close the curtains we can get started."
When Meghan had finished with the curtains Angel pulled out a screw-top jar and a pair of tweezers from his jacket pocket. "In case we find any bugs," he explained. Handing them over he turned off the lights, casting the room into darkness.
"I can’t see a thing," Megan said.
"I can." Angel replied. He switched on the ALS and proceeded to scan the room.
"Well?"
Angel flicked the torch over in Meghan’s direction. "This could take a while."
"Great." Meghan watched Angel as he knelt down next to her bed. "How about I go through the rest of the rooms and close the curtains before you get there?"
Angel continued crawling along the carpet and replied absently: "Good idea."
"Right," Meghan nodded in the darkness. "I’ll go do that then."
Doyle sat channel surfing on the sofa while drinking milk straight from the carton.
"Gross!"
The Irishman spat a mouthful back into the container and jumped up in fright. "Scare a man, why don’tcha?"
Meghan strode across the room and snatched the remote out of his hand. "Aren’t you supposed to be helping?"
"I am. I’m keeping out of everyone’s way."
Turning the television off Meghan turned to the windows and closed the curtains. "Well you’re doing a great job so far."
"Thanks! How’s Angel doin’?"
"Hard to say since he’s only just started."
"Doyle!" Angel called for his friend.
"Duty calls." Doyle handed Meghan the milk carton and headed down the hallway.
"Oh, thanks." Holding the carton at arm’s length Meghan walked into the kitchen to dump the container in the trash.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The sun had long since set when the three convened in the kitchen.
"I don’t get it," Angel was saying, "I was sure it would work."
Meghan sat on the dining table swinging her legs back and forth. "Maybe you got it wrong."
"The spell said ‘a black light’, well this is a black light."
"I’m sure the guy who wrote the spell never took modern day technology into account," Doyle said helpfully. "It’s not your fault, man."
"It should have worked!"
"Oh well, back to the drawing board." Meghan jumped off the table and headed over to the refrigerator. A sudden thought made her turn around. "Hey, maybe the bugs are at your place. I mean I spent the night there and had nightmares. Can they travel?"
"Maybe they had help travelling," Angel strode over and turned Meghan so she was facing away from him. "Doyle hit the lights."
"Hey, what?!" Meghan tried turning back but was stopped. "What are you doing?"
The room darkened as Angel turned on the ALS and swept Meghan’s hair away from her shoulders. As he moved the light over her body a ‘bug’ was revealed on her neck.
"Is that what I think it is?" Doyle asked.
"What do you think what is?" Meghan asked. "Somebody talk to me, I’m getting a little anxious here, guys."
The bug looked like some sort of deformed red spider. It had ten legs ending in pincers that griped onto Meghan’s skin and there looked to be a spike running from what would have been its mouth to the base of her neck.
"We found it," Angel said.
"We found somethin’ all right," Doyle added.
"Oh god!" Meghan reached back. "You mean it’s really real?"
Angel stopped her before she could touch it. "Don’t."
"Get it off! Get if off!!"
The demon inside of Angel noted with detached amusement that as Meghan’s voice rose the bug seemed to increase in size. Its abdomen began to gently pulsate and it tightened its grip. It was literally feeding on her negative emotions.
"God!" Doyle had noticed it also. "Get it off of her, man."
"I can’t," Angel replied.
"Why not!"
"Yeah, why not?" the fear was now obviously evident in Meghan’s voice.
Angel handed the torch to Doyle and wrapped his arms about Meghan, trying to stop her from panicking. "Easy, easy," he murmured before directing his attention over his shoulder. "Doyle you have anything strong to drink?"
"Oh yeah, sure," Doyle pulled out a small flask and handed it the vampire. "Knock yourself out."
Angel hooked a foot around the leg of a chair and pulled it towards him. Easing Meghan down on it he crouched by her side. "Here, have some of this," he unscrewed the flask and passed it over.
"Thanks." Meghan took a big swallow, choking as the liquid burned a path down her throat. "What is that, lighter fluid?"
"I’ll have you know that’s cheap gut-rotting whiskey," Doyle protested.
Meghan gave the flask back. "I’m sorry," wiping her mouth with the back of a hand she took a deep breath. "I’m not normally like that, I don’t know what came over me."
"I suspect the bug probably injects adrenaline to heighten the fear," Angel explained.
"All the better to feed off you with," Doyle said.
Meghan shot his a look. "Do you mind? That’s me you’re talking about."
"Sorry."
Angel looked at her intently. "Feeling better?"
"Yeah, yeah," fingers straying to the back of her neck Meghan made a conscious effort to stop and dropped her hands onto her lap. "Can we get this thing off now?"
"I can’t," Angel said. "It’s hooked into your spinal cord and I don’t want to risk a chance of any damage if we tried to pull it out."
"So what do we do?" she said.
"The only thing we can do. Wait until its ready to drop off and follow it back to the source."
"That’s it? That’s your big plan?" Meghan snatched the flask back and took another swallow. "I have to say I’m not impressed."
"Neither am I at the way you’re drinking my only booze." Doyle said taking the flask and hiding it in his coat pocket.
"Look your apartment is clean," Angel said. "So we take you back to the office and wait."
"For how long?"
"It shouldn’t take more than another night, two at the most."
"And you’re judging this on?"
Angel looked a little uncertain. "On a drawing in a book."
"Oh great!"
"It was the same book that told me about the plant and the black light. I’d say it’s been pretty accurate so far."
"Oh well colour me comforted," Meghan looked at Doyle’s pocket.
"Forget it, sister," the Irishman tightened his grip on his coat. "You can take friendship only so far."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Cordelia was just thinking about calling it a day when the others entered the office. "Finished already?" she said.
"You could say that," Doyle replied. "Meghan has a bug on her and we’re waiting for it to drop off."
Meghan shot Doyle a dirty look. "Put an advertisement out in the paper why don’t you?"
Angel strode past carrying Meghan’s overnight bag. "Leaving, Cordy?"
"Uh, well," Cordelia looked down at the purse clutched in her hands. "Its not like Doyle’s had any visions lately and we don’t have any paying customers so I thought . . ." realising she was beginning to sound defensive Cordy threw back her shoulders and glared at Angel. "So I thought ‘why not have an early night?’"
"Because we need your help." Angel said.
"Oh, in that case." Cordy dropped the purse back on her desk. "Wait a minute, what with?"
"Me." Meghan said.
"What about you?" Cordy looked from one person to the next.
"I told ya," Doyle explained in his ‘I’m dealing with a retard’ voice. "Meghan has a bug on her and we’re waiting for it to fall off so we can track it back to the demon and kill it."
"Hey! Don’t use that tone of voice with me, mister. Nobody bothered to fill me in with all the pertinent details." A look of horror spread across Cordelia’s face and she turned to Meghan. "You’re infected?! As in plague infected? Should I be wearing a mask?"
"It’s one bug, only one bug! I am not a leper!"
"Let’s take this downstairs before anyone comes in and disturbs us." Angel said.
"Yeah right, like that might happen." Cordelia snorted. She caught the look on Angel’s face. "Sorry." She meekly followed him to the elevator.
"Pull up a sofa." Angel said to the others.
"So we’re staying here tonight?" Cordy asked. "All of us?" she looked pointedly at Meghan.
"That is the whole point, Cord." Doyle said. "It’s all about ‘helpin’ the helpless’ remember?"
"Hey, who are you calling helpless?" Meghan threw herself on the sofa.
"Can we at least charge her for services rendered?" Cordelia said putting as much distance between herself and Meghan as possible.
"We don’t charge friends, Cordelia." Angel said.
"Typical!" Cordy grabbed a chair from the kitchen area and sat down. "Can we at least order in pizza?"
"Yeah, good idea! Make it like a slumber party." Doyle noted the less than impressed looks he was getting. "What? It’s not like I sleep nude or nothin’."
Cordelia shuddered. "How long do you think it will take to get that image out of my head?"
"Too long." Angel pulled his car keys from out of his duster. "Stay here, I’ll go get something to eat."
"I’m coming with you." Cordelia jumped up quickly. "Just to make sure its edible for all of us."
Angel knowing that was the last thing of her mind agreed anyway. "Sure, fine."
"Good and on the way can we stop at my place?" she asked as they headed for the elevator. "I’m sure I have some bug spray somewhere."
è
CHAPTER FIVE