Part 23
“My father told me that God gave me to him to protect me,” Connor glared at Wesley.
Wesley sat back in his chair. “To be more accurate, it was a large talking plastic JollyBurger that really set the final stages in motion. If that is God, then we’re all in trouble.”
“What? I don’t understand you.”
“Connor, no one, God included, gave you to Holtz. Holtz took you because I acted out of fear for you. Fear that Angel was going to kill you. I believed that because of a prophecy I found and signs that were manufactured or manipulated. That’s why.
“I don’t believe you. You’re trying to get me to doubt my father.”
“I’m trying to get you to see the truth. The cliché, in the one instance anyway, is correct. The truth will set you free.”
“Truth, what do you know about the truth? I know what my father told me.”
“Holtz was not your father.”
“He was.”
“No, like or not, Angel is your father.”
“NO.”
“Yes Connor.”
“I don’t want him to be.”
Wesley rubbed his forehead a sad knowing smile on his face. “That’s not a choice that you get to have, Connor. You can deny your father, you can hate him, ignore him, wish that it wasn’t so, but in the end, he is your father and that fact will effect your future choices and the life you choose. It can’t be helped, not until you accept and understand your father. Love and trust come automatically with birth and Connor I was there with you. You did love Angel.”
“NO.”
“Yes, you trusted that he would care for and protect you. It’s the nature of being a baby, Connor, it’s not wrong or anything to be ashamed of. However, the trust and love a baby has can grow stronger as the relationship between child and parent develops or it can falter and mutate into something akin to hate. It all depends on the relationship and the actions of the parent and child. You feel that Angel’s actions to Holtz’s family has made him untrustworthy, unworthy of your love.”
“He is, he’s a demon.”
“Yes. But those acts Holtz filled your head with were over 150 years old. His warnings weren’t current with the Angel of this era, the era to which you were born. You don’t have a relationship with Angel or a basis that trust can grow because Holtz stole that from you.
“Why do you want me to trust him? I’ve heard them talk,” Connor motioned to the locked door. “They say you hate him too. That you are working with them against him.”
“Like I said before, I want you to know the truth. Holtz was a human, a mortal, that should’ve died over a hundred years ago, but instead he made pact with a demon to circumvent the natural order of things so that he could get revenge on the vampire that killed his family. Holtz wasn’t noble, he was a revenge-minded fanatic.”
“How dare you,” Connor swung knocking Wesley down.
Wesley stumbled back to his feet, his hand going to his jaw. “The truth, Connor. Holtz wasn’t an agent of God, he may have been pious at one time, but he lost that distinction when he chose revenge, when he chose to steal the childhood from an innocent babe, when he risked human’s lives for his plan, when he ordered Justine to kill me. Those actions that he described of Angel, were those of a demon without a soul, Holtz’s actions were those of a human with a soul. Which is worse?
“Angel killed him, those are the actions that I’m care about.”
“I seriously doubt that, the truth, Connor, think about it.” Wesley left the room.
***
Wesley unlocked his door. The first thing he saw as he entered was Lilah picking up her purse. “Leaving and I just got here.”
“Where have you been?”
“I didn’t realize there was a time clock on this job.”
“There is when my life is contingent on your cooperation.” She said.
“Hazards of a highly paid career.”
“Where were you?”
“Talking to Connor, don’t believe check with the readers.”
Lilah shook her head. “Any head way.”
Wesley shrugged. “He’s very loyal to Holtz.”
“What about Angel?”
“Still doesn’t trust him.”
“What about you?”
“Still doesn’t trust me, but I think he’s listening at least.”
“Fine.” She said moving past him.
“You are leaving?”
“Hazards of a highly paid career.”
“Something else happen.”
“It’s Angel. They’re concerned he’s not reacting at all like expected.”
“Expected?”
“His seer’s dead. One would expect him to be choking me again.”
“So, you came here. What hoping he went for me first, giving time for you to get away.”
“It was a thought.” Lilah smiled slightly, and then frowned. “He hasn’t made a move towards Wolfram & Hart, it’s been over 7 hours. Cordelia had to have told him before she died. He has to have figured out that her death was at our hands. He knows and he’s not after us, that’s not normal.”
“And what does Wolfram & Hart think is normal for Angel.”
“Wesley, every time, he’s come after us, going straight to Lindsey- when he was gone, to me to get answers.”
Wesley moved to sit down. “That’s just it, Lilah, he doesn’t need answers this time. Cordy’s dead. Angel doesn’t need to come after you or anybody, he knows who killed her.”
“Then why….”
“Lilah,” Wesley said softly as if talking to a small child, “those other times when Wolfram & Hart put Cordelia in danger, she was alive, almost dead, but still alive, he had a purpose, to get to you, Lindsey, whoever, as quick as possible, too get the answers he needed to save her. You are still alive because he got those answers. This time, he doesn’t need answers, he doesn’t care why you killed her or even how, he just cares that you killed her.”
“Then he should be…”
“Lilah, you’re not listening. Angel doesn’t need answers. He doesn’t have to move quickly. He can take his time. Cordelia’s dead. He has time to plan now.”
“Plan?”
“Plan.” Wesley nodded. “Plan, to make your death, the death of everyone and anybody in Wolfram & Hart he can get to, as painful as satisfying as he can. He doesn’t need you alive anymore, Lilah, you can’t help him. Cordy’s already dead. Honestly, you should have asked, there was a chance that you could’ve stayed alive if Cordy was. That’s what Angel really wants, without that, we’re all fair game.”
“You think he would really kill me.”
Wesley looked surprised. “You don’t. Lilah, he hasn’t kept you alive because of some hidden liking on his part or even because of his soul, not really. He’s left you alive because he hasn’t had to kill you yet. Every time, Wolfram & Hart has put Cordelia in danger, he’s truly wanted to kill you, but he hasn’t because you’ve had the knowledge to save her and once she was saved, his urgent need for your death had been diverted by his need to be at her side as she recovered.
He’d rather sit at Cordy’s bedside watching her sleep and be well than kill you. But, that’s gone, so he’ll be sitting at an empty bed, knowing she’s gone, and knowing you killed her and he’ll be thinking and planning the best way to kill you.
Think about it,Lilah, Wolfram & Hart took away his chance to save Darla and look what happened, a wine cellar full of dead lawyers and that was Darla and unplanned, he was just really pissed. This is Cordy and I imagine he’s beyond just really pissed, and now he has time to make it really spectacular, there is some of Angelus in Angel. He’ll make it good.”
Lilah stepped back. “He’ll come after you too. He knows you’re with us.”
“I imagine I’ll be painted with the same brush.”
“You’re taking it calmly.”
“I’ve been living at the whim of Angel for some time now. The only reason he stopped trying to kill me before was that Connor was back. Now, Connor’s gone to him and so is Cordy. I won’t be surprised to see him at my door some night.”
“Do the uninvite spell.”
“Why? Then I’ll be a prisoner in my own home. He’ll get me, just like he’ll get you. Lilah, you’ve been playing with the devil for some time now, did you really think that you could win.”
“We’ve got Connor.”
“He doesn’t know that.”
“Maybe it’s time we told him. Can you get in touch with him?”
“Without him killing me?”
“Can you.”
“Probably.”
“Let me make a phone call.”
***
“Do it.” Lilah slammed her cell phone shut.
“He’ll want me to be alone.”
“Fine, but you’re being bugged.”
“No, then I’m staying here.”
“We need to know what’s going on.”
“I’ll tell you when and if I get back. But, I’m not making a dangerous situation more dangerous by having a bug implanted; he’d kill me on the spot. Telling him Wolfram & Hart has Connor just may do it anyway.”
“I thought you were okay with dying.”
“Okay is a lot different from facilitating the happening.”
“Fine.”
Part 24
“How’s Cordy?” Wesley stood up as soon as the vampire entered the church.
“Alive and planning once the device was removed.”
“Planning?” Wesley laughed softy. Wesley breathed deeply feeling more light- hearted than he had in a very long time. “So she’s fine.” Wesley asked just to make sure.
“Yes. Is that why you called or is it something else, is it Connor?”
“I’m here at Wolfram & Hart’s bequest. They wish you to know that they have Connor.”
“They do?”
“Yes, it seem that they are nervous, you’ve failed to act as expected, they thought you would react violently to Cordelia’s death at their hands. Your inactivity over the last several hours has confused them.”
“I’ll get to them soon enough.”
“Yes,” Wesley cocked his head. “They just thought it would be sooner until I reminded them that with Cordelia dead and you didn’t need them for any way to save her that you would kill all of them when you were ready. They hope that your knowledge that they have Connor will stall whatever plan of revenge you are contemplating. I may’ve mentioned something about wine cellars and lawyer killings and mass destruction, I don’t quite remember.”
Angel stared at the smile on Wesley’s face. Angel’s past action of letting the lawyer’s die at the hands of Darla and Drusilla had been the final step in the schism between Angel and his human friends over a year ago.
Angel nodded refusing to be deterred by his past actions. He nodded accepting Wesley’s words at face value. “I like your warnings to them better than Cordy’s plan.”
“Do I want to hear it?”
“Since it’s what’s going to happen and you’re part of it, yes.”
“Okay, we’re going with Cordy’s plan. I’m almost afraid to ask.”
“It is actually very simple in purpose, it’s application maybe a bit difficult.”
“I’m sitting down, just tell me.”
Angel sat next to Wesley. “We’re to find Justine, get the truth of how Holtz really died, bring Connor home, tell him that truth and you’re to stop working for Wolfram & Hart as soon as that happens. She said that as much as she hated it you couldn’t quit until Connor was home.”
Wesley turned to study the vampire. “Angel, you do realize that she’s just contradicted almost everything that you’ve planned, been planning.”
“She said that I could ‘whoop’ the little girl’s ass on the top floor and any lawyers we may come across while were getting Connor home.”
“Whoop? She realizes that they have tortured her right? That you want them dead? That me being in the middle could help bring them down.”
“Yes, she says it’s not worth it. “
“And you agree.”
“I agree that our family is more important at this moment than revenge. I agree that no matter how much I want to kill them all, I won’t go against Cordy on this.”
“Her plan means what for me, exactly?”
“You’re coming home. Wesley, I…I don’t know when or if I can forgive you, but I do know what Cordy knows, Angel Investigations has always been stronger together than separated, and you are a part of it. So…Cordy says everything comes in time.”
Wesley blinked. “Good God, you haven’t slept with her have you.”
“What? No.”
“But you love her, like really love her.”
“I know that.”
“Does she know that?”
“Yes.”
“And.”
“And what?” Angel got up from the pew. “We both know the risk.”
“Just checking, you did have sex with Darla, one could speculate that you weren’t quite as cognizant of the risk as you once were.”
“Darla wasn’t Cordy, never was.”
“Just checking.” Wesley got up. “Does this plan have any specifics?”
“You know where Connor is. Gunn, Fred and Cordelia will help you.”
“Not you.”
“My presence may make things more difficult with Connor. Anyway, I’ll be busy going to the top floor.”
Wesley started to nod then stopped as he realized all what Angel said. “Angel, that little girl is something that I’ve not been able to identify. She may not be able to be killed.”
“It may be.”
“Angel, I know Cordy didn’t plan that.”
“She said I could whoop her.”
“That’s not what she meant and you know it.”
“You don’t know that you weren’t there when she said it and don’t mention it to her.”
“Angel.”
“Wesley.”
Wesley took a deep breath. “When.”
“I’ll let you know when we find Justine.”
Wesley nodded. “Well, I’m sufficiently scared and you’re stalled so I guess it’s time for me to go back to my temporary masters.”