Sam made his way up to Angel's office as Dean took the impala around the back. He hesitated at the door, deciding to knock first. He could really have had anything in there with him...
Dean parked the car in the main garage and headed for the elevator.
Priestly & Angel
Priestly got up from his seat to answer the door, and he grinned when he saw his father.
"Well hi there, Pappy," he chuckled.
Angel looked up and shook his head, though he was smiling faintly.
Sam
Sam's eyes widened when he saw him.
"Priestly!" he exclaimed, grabbing him into a hug.
"I can't believe how long it's been! Oh wait, I'm sorry..."
He pulled back.
"Do you prefer Zac?"
Priestly & Angel
"Either or," Priestly chuckled. "I'm used to Zac now, so... I guess, Zac is fine."
He scratched the back of his head, messing up his hair a little.
"It's definitely been a few years. Sorry, I'm not really good at keeping in touch. I think I got that from Mom."
Sam & Dean
"Oh we're not much better, believe me," Sam assured, "I just figured you'd need some time to yourself. What with all the acting and the singing and... yeah."
Dean took the moment to barge through, stopping when his eyes locked on Priestly.
"Hey! How's my favourite nephew?" he grinned, going to give him a high five.
Priestly & Angel
"And losing the love of my life?" Priestly joked. "It's ok."
He turned to Dean and high fived him.
"I'm your only nephew... unless, there's something you need to tell me, Dad?"
He chuckled, and then stepped back to let them fully into the office.
Sam & Dean
"I think that was the point," Sam pulled a face.
"Don't tell me you're what Faith sent us to pick up," Dean teased.
Priestly & Angel
"Yeah, please tell me this isn't my protective detail," Priestly joked to Angel.
Angel smiled and shook his head. He lifted up the square wedge that Faith had sent him. "Nope. She sent this."
Priestly whistled. "She sent herself."
Sam & Dean
"You've got to be kidding me," Dean scowled, walking over to snatch it from Angel.
"Her dollhouse chip?" Sam shook his head.
"What, you guys don't have fancy enough lockers to keep it here yourself?" Dean looked it over.
Angel & Priestly
"The first place they'll look for it is here," Angel told them. "A moving target is the hardest to hit."
"Hopefully they won't work out it's gone until Mom's ready to make her move," Priestly commented, rubbing his neck. "The theory panned out, yeah?"
"It did," Angel confirmed. "It was sped up too, the more wipes she has, the more she's able to fight it off, and seeing as she's become their most requested... she's advanced faster than we had thought she would."
Priestly frowned for a second, and turned to his father. "Wait, how did you guys know she was going to send something?"
Sam & Dean
"She told us," Dean shrugged.
"It was weird," Sam shook his head, "but I mean... it's the dollhouse, so what isn't weird? It was like she had two personalities - one being her own - fused together in there somehow."
Angel & Priestly
"Fred," Angel started, eyes clouding over for a second. "Discovered something in Faith's spinal fluid, awhile back. It makes her immune to the wipes. So, each time she's wiped, more and more of her actual personality shines through."
"But it's not completely her, right?" Priestly made sure. "That's why she sent her wedge back?"
"No, it's not completely her, what comes through is more... her 'self aware' wiped personality. She's able to access her true persona, as if that had been an imprint," Angel told them. "But it's not a complete picture, I guess is how you'd put it. At least, that's what Fred's research indicated."
"Do they know?" Priestly asked. "The Dollhouse, I mean."
"I suspect they have a theory," Angel nodded. "That she's different. Her first few 'becoming aware' incidents might've been obvious, being that they're meant to be a blank slate."
He looked over at Sam and Dean.
"If you guys need to get in contact with her for any reason, let me know, and I'll have her hired out on an engagement," he said. "It's the only way we can make contact while she's in there."
Sam & Dean
"But why is she even there?!" Sam asked incredulously.
"I thought everyone was working to shut the place down years ago!"
"Doesn't mean they wouldn't start up again," Dean shrugged.
Angel & Priestly
"Chicago was shut down," Angel told him. "But LA is still their head office."
Priestly shrugged a little. "Well, she's safe right, for now?"
"For now," Angel nodded. "We've got people monitoring her in there, and we'll pull her out if it gets too risky."
Sam
"And still, no answer. Why?!" Sam reiterated.
"Why on Earth would she do something so... so... stupid?"
Priestly & Angel
"Dad, do you really care what Mom's doing?" Priestly raised his eyebrow.
"We've been looking for a way in for awhile," Angel told them. "Since we got rid of the Senior Partners, Rossum Corporation have been trying to step up as the new big bad. They thought they had Faith backed into a corner, and she took the chance to get in and find out as much as she could about them."
Sam & Dean
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sam frowned at Priestly.
"Makes sense," Dean screwed his face up, "but what's her angle?"
Priestly & Angel
"Well, you haven't really cared enough to keep in contact with her," Priestly shrugged. "So why does it matter what she's doing now?"
"It's in all of our best interests that Rossum don't take over," Angel said. "We're trying to find out the silent co-founder of the Dollhouse. Faith being in there is our best bet."
Sam & Dean
"How long has she been in already?" Dean frowned.
"It's not that I didn't- it's complicated," Sam sighed frustratedly.
Angel & Priestly
"About a month," Angel said. "I thought she might've mentioned... I know she kept in contact with you, Dean."
Priestly looked up at that, then returned his attention to his father. "Apparently."
Sam & Dean
Sam gave Priestly a pointed look.
"Not that often," Dean admitted, "well, yeah, okay I'd expected to hear from her before then. But I mean it's Faith, so not hearing from her for months on end wouldn't be all that surprising, you know?"
Angel & Priestly
"Yeah, I get that," Angel almost smiled. "I'll keep you as updated as I can."
Priestly held us hands up in response to Sam. "Whatever. Hey Angel, I gotta motor, got a radio interview in a little while."
Sam & Dean
Dean smirked at that, and Sam gave him the same look he'd just given Priestly.
"We should probably hit the road too, keep this thing moving," Dean sighed, indicating the chip.
Priestly & Angel
"We're hiring Mom... well, that sounds weird," Priestly shook his head. "Later on this month, if you guys are gonna be out Georgia-way."
"Yeah, it's all been approved," Angel confirmed. "She'll be an extra on your movie, and she can update you on what's going down."
Sam & Dean
"What movie?" Sam asked.
Dean slid the chip into his jacket pocket and began to head for the door.
Priestly & Angel
"'At Any Price'," Priestly shrugged. "With Dennis Quaid. Then I've got reshoots for the Paperboy with Nicole Kidman."
Angel smiled faintly.
"See ya, Angel," Priestly waved, heading for the door.
Sam & Dean
"Oh cool," Sam nodded, at least trying to show an interest in his son's work.
"Sammy?!"
Sam gave Angel and apologetic look before following his brother out.
"Catch you guys later," he called over his shoulder before disappearing.