Seas Between Us (Broad Have Roared)

Author: enigmaticblue <enigmaticblue@yahoo.com>

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: Do I have to say it? They aren't mine. If they were, I'd be nicer than Joss.

Archive: Anywhere that already has my stuff. Anywhere else just ask.

Summary: Set in an alternate Angel S5, wherein Andrew tells Buffy that Spike's alive after Damage and she does something about it, upsetting the power structure while she's at it.

A/N: This story takes place after Bring Out Your Dead, and may make a little more sense if you read that one first. The thing to notice is that Lindsey does not enter into this story. I didn't want to deal with the boy since I'm mostly ignoring canon. Just so you aren't terribly surprised.

 

Chapter 7: Hunger

 

"...You're the hunger/on my bones/all the nights/I sleep alone/Sweet intoxication/when your words/wash over me./Whether or not/your lips move/you speak to me./Like an ocean/ without waves/you're the movement/that I crave./And in that motion/I long to drown/and be lost not to be found./You're my water/you're my wine/you're my whiskey/from time to time." ~Over the Rhine, "Drunkard's Prayer"

 

Wesley couldn't contain his delight when he saw Cordelia standing by the window of her hospital room. The bed that had held her for so many months was empty, and she was fully clothed.

Angel had met Wesley outside the room, informing him that Cordelia didn't want to stay inside Wolfram and Hart for one more moment, and that she had asked for him. Then, with a disgruntled look Wesley didn't quite understand, given that one of his best friends had miraculously recovered from a mystical coma, the vampire swept off down the hall.

Well, Wesley was beginning to see where Spike got his drama-prince tendencies. It seemed as though it ran in the family.

Fred had retreated diplomatically, claiming that she needed some files from the lab, leaving Wesley to meet Cordelia on his own. Fred remembered how close Wesley and Cordelia had been, and she sensed that the shortness of Angel's phone call did not bode well.

"Cordelia?"

She turned, and her face lit up. "Wes!"

Wesley was a little surprised when she flung her arms around him, but he didn't mind all that much. They had been close before—

The memory once again slipped away, but the ex-Watcher was too caught up in the moment to notice. "You're looking wonderful," he commented.

"So are you," she replied, stepping back to admire him. Wesley looked better than he had in months, she thought. With all memories of his betrayal wiped from his mind, the shadow in his eyes wasn't quite so deep.

It was, however, still there, which told Cordelia that it wasn't just the debacle with Connor and Holtz that had marked him. She wondered what had happened while she'd been gone to make him both more and less like the Wesley she'd known.

Wesley, for his part, searched her face, looking for the girl he'd once fancied and for the woman whom he'd loved. He smiled as he realized that this was the real Cordy. "Angel said you wanted to get out of here."

"I really do," Cordelia replied. She hesitated, knowing that Angel would be furious at what she was about to do, but it was necessary. Out of everyone, Cordy believed that Wesley would understand. "Can we talk?"

Wesley hesitated. He didn't want to shut her down, but he and Fred had been having a wonderful evening. He didn't much want that to end either. "Would you mind if Fred came along? She was with me when Angel called."

Cordelia caught the change in tone that told her everything she needed to know about the current state of Wes and Fred's relationship. "It's about darn time," she said, teasingly.

"I suppose it is," Wesley replied. "Would you prefer staying with me or Fred? I'm afraid neither of us has much space."

She hesitated, unsure which option would be the best. "Would you mind if I stayed with you?"

Wesley looked surprised, and then gratified. "No, of course not. Thankfully, it seems that Spike has vacated my couch."

Cordy's eyebrows went up. "Spike?"

"Yes, he's staying with Buffy," Wesley replied, belatedly realizing that Cordelia had no idea why Spike would be there. "It's a long story."

"I can imagine," Cordelia muttered. "There's a lot of that going around."

Wesley put a solicitous hand under her elbow. "Are you alright?"

"Just tired," she replied quietly. "And I really, really want to get out of here. This place is giving me bad vibes."

"Let's get you out of here, then," Wesley said. "We can talk at my apartment."

~~~~~

When Spike woke, it was to the sound of running water. He sat up slowly, rubbing his hands over his face and looking around. His jeans and t-shirt were laying over a chair, clean and dry. Buffy must have left to retrieve their clothing before she got into the shower.

He couldn't help the slight feeling of apprehension at waking up only to find her gone. Not that Spike thought she was going to change her mind, but it felt all too reminiscent of a hundred other times when she'd done the same thing.

Buffy came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. "You're awake."

"Yeah, just," Spike agreed, climbing out of bed to pull on his clothing.

"I hope you don't mind," she said, beginning to comb out her hair. "I woke up hungry and thought I'd get our clothes while I was out."

Spike watched her as he pulled on his boots. This was new. There was a completely different vibe here, and he wasn't sure what to do about it. "No, 's fine. Thanks for washin' my stuff."

"Well, I don't mind if you're not wearing anything, but we've got stuff to do today." Buffy turned to give him a quick grin. "I'm going shopping."

Spike eyed her suspiciously. He didn't trust that gleam in her eyes. "Not with me, you're not."

"No, Fred and I are going together," Buffy replied. "I can pick up a few things for you while I'm at it."

Spike felt a trickle of fear. "I can get my own things," he protested.

She scoffed. "How long have you been back?" she asked. "You still haven't gotten anything else, and you can't keep wearing the same clothes all the time."

"Yeah, but—" Spike sighed, recognizing a losing battle when faced with one. "I don't s'pose it would do any good to tell you to stick to black, would it?"

Buffy smiled at him sweetly. "Nope. Not one bit of good."

"Fine," Spike said wearily. "But solids only, luv. I mean it. Won't have you treatin' me like your Ken doll."

Buffy cupped his chin in her hand. "Sweetie, trust me. You look good in anything—or nothing," she quickly added with a twinkle in her eye. "But you look much better in color."

Spike didn't see any way out, and he didn't particularly want to go shopping. "I guess I don't have any choice in the matter."

"No, you really don't," the Slayer responded. Seeing his glum look, she kissed him thoroughly. "I promise not to get anything you would hate."

He wasn't sure if he trusted her or not. "Right. I guess I'll look Wesley up an' let him know what happened last night."

"Just the demon part, I hope," Buffy replied, a trace of acid in her tone.

Spike smirked. "Just the demon part," he assured her. "Never was one to kiss and tell, Buffy."

"No, you really weren't." Her eyes were soft. She touched his cheek once more in a tender gesure, then went back to getting ready, oblivious to Spike's hungry gaze.

His tone wheedling, Spike said, "We wouldn't have to leave just yet, pet."

"If I get back in that bed, we won't get out of it today."

"Is that so bad?"

"Only when you consider that we've got about a hundred things to do," Buffy said. "There's shopping to do, and figuring out where we're going to be staying, and possibly more demon fighting. Knowing Wesley, I'm sure he'll come up with something for us."

She glanced back over her shoulder, and noticing his disgruntled expression, smiled. "Of course, I plan on taking complete advantage of you tonight."

A slow grin broke out over Spike's features. He liked the sound of that.

~~~~~

Very little had actually been said. Both Wesley and Fred had been exhausted, and Cordelia had suggested that what she had to say could wait for a day or two.

Wesley had ended up dropping Fred off at her apartment. "Are you going in tomorrow?"

Fred nodded. "I'm supposed to meet Buffy there and give her the tour. What about you?"

"I'm not sure," he replied. "I suppose that will depend on what Cordelia wants to do, and what she has to say to me. If I'm not there by the time Spike arrives, will you send him to my place?"

"Sure." If Fred hadn't been in the back seat of the car, she would have risked kissing him. Instead, she merely smiled and darted out.

The ride to his place was silent; neither of them spoke until Wesley ushered Cordelia inside. "I'm afraid I haven't had much time to clean recently."

"It looks fine, Wes," she assured him.

He smiled self-consciously. "Well, I'll let you have the bed, and I can take the couch."

"I'm not that tired," she replied. "I'll just watch TV or something."

Wesley peered at her in concern. "Cordelia, are you certain you're quite alright?"

To his surprise, she hugged him again. "I'm sorry."

"Whatever for?" Wesley asked, puzzled.

Cordy shook her head. "I'll explain tomorrow," she promised.

"If you're sure." Wesley hesitated. As exhausted as he was, he wasn't quite sure he wanted to allow Cordelia out of his sight. It seemed to good to be true having her back, whole and safe. Still, he wasn't sure he could keep his eyes open for much longer. "Good night then."

"Night, Wes."

Cordelia watched him go, thinking that it was only fair to let him have one more night free of the nightmares her story was sure to bring.

It was partially due to Cordelia's guilty conscience that Wesley awoke to find that she had already gone out to get coffee and donuts. "I got jellies."

Wesley smiled. "Thank you, but it was hardly necessary."

"I thought it might be." She watched as he took the cup of coffee she held out to him. "You're probably going to need some sustenance for what I've got to tell you."

The ex-Watcher felt the first stirrings of fear. "What are you talking about?"

"I know why Angel agreed to take over Wolfram and Hart."

That was enough to get his attention. "Fred and I had wondered."

"Did you sign a contract?" Cordy asked quickly. She wanted to know just how deeply committed they were.

Wesley shook his head. "No, actually, neither Fred nor I signed anything. I'm not certain about Angel or Gunn."

"Angel signed a contract, but I don't know about Gunn," Cordelia replied.

With a sinking feeling, Wesley took a seat on the couch. "How bad is it, Cordelia?"

She tried for a smile, and couldn't quite make it. "You're really not going to like it."

Wesley set his coffee down and reached for her hands. Cordelia was reminded of why she and Gunn had chosen him to be their leader in the first place. "Whatever it is, we'll figure it out, Cordy. I'm just glad to have you back."

Cordelia just hoped he felt that way after he heard what she had to tell him.

~~~~~

Fred smiled brightly when she saw Spike and Buffy wandering into the lab. "Hey, guys! I'm glad you could make it."

"Just makin' sure the Slayer found you alright, ducks," Spike said easily. "You seen Wesley today?"

She shook her head. "He said to tell you if he wasn't here when you arrived to meet him at his apartment." Realizing that neither knew about Cordelia coming out of her coma, she said, "Cordy woke up last night. They were going to talk this morning."

"Cheerleader woke up?" Spike asked, looking at her sharply. "You said that wasn't likely."

Fred shrugged. "It wasn't, but then again, I would have said it was pretty unlikely that you'd come back from the dead."

Spike raised his eyebrows and then shrugged, acknowledging her point. "Guess I'll go find the Watcher then. You ladies have a nice time today." He was about to leave, but Buffy grabbed him, wanting her goodbye kiss. Spike was still unused to the public displays of affection, but he didn't mind a bit.

"Love you," Buffy murmured against his lips.

Spike couldn't help the rather silly grin that formed on his face. "Same goes, luv."

He walked out, the swagger in his steps obvious. Buffy couldn't help but watch him as he left, thanking her lucky stars that his coat was still too badly damaged to wear. There were lots more visuals for her to see when he didn't have that duster on.

"What happened to his coat?" Fred asked. "I don't think I've ever seen him without it."

Buffy smiled smugly. "Demon goo."

Fred nodded wisely. "So, do you want the tour first, or do you want to go shopping?"

Buffy looked around, unable to disguise her unease. "Actually, do you mind if we get out of here? This place gives me the wiggins."

Fred shrugged. "Sure. I'm hungry anyway."

"Lunch first, and then shopping," Buffy decided. She hesitated. "Cordelia waking up—that's a good thing, right?"

Fred looked uncertain. "I don't know, Buffy. I hope so. I really hope so."

 

Chapter 8: Revelations

 

"...Listening/you're always listening/I don't know what to say/Why don't you turn and run at break-neck speed/just to get away./And when you catch your breath/pray I said every word I meant...Broken down/we're all so broken down/bandages on our wings/I know I don't have to tell you/only broken hearts can sing./I'm hoping for a sign./Pray that I'm anything but fine." ~Over the Rhine, "Professional Daydreamer"

 

Gunn strode into Angel's office, looking confused when he found no one there except for the vampire. "Where's everybody else?"

"Fred's out with Buffy," Angel replied, hesitating before he added, "and Wesley is with Cordelia."

Gunn frowned. "Did something change with Cordy?"

"You could say that," Angel murmured. He turned to face his friend. "Cordelia woke up yesterday."

Eyes growing wide, he demanded, "Why didn't somebody call me?"

"Cordy wanted to talk to Wes," Angel said. "And she didn't want to stay here any longer."

Gunn smelled trouble. "You explained to her that we aren't evil, right?"

"I explained," Angel said wryly. "I just don't think Cordelia was buying it. If you want to go see her, she's at Wes' place today."

He wanted to see her, but there were files and contracts piled high on his desk. "I'll have to give Wes a call later," Gunn said. "What about you?"

Angel shook his head, not wanting to explain that seeing Cordelia was too painful at the moment. She never had pulled her punches, and the vampire wasn't sure he could handle her brand of honesty at the moment. Angel was still hanging onto the idea that he had done the right thing with everything in him. The thought that Cordy might be right, that he might have made a mistake, turned his stomach.

"What have you got for me?" Angel asked, neatly changing the subject.

Gunn stared at him, realizing with sudden clarity how much things had changed. When had they become so scattered, so caught up in inconsequentials? A year ago, Angel would have been at Cordelia's side, refusing to leave. Wolfram & Hart was changing them, and it might not be for the better.

Of course, if Gunn acknowledged that much, he would also have to concede that he'd somehow sold out. He wasn't quite ready to go there yet.

"Just a few things," he replied, squelching the twinge of anxiety. "There are a couple of meetings you probably ought to be aware of, too."

~~~~~

Wesley ran a hand over his face, rising from the couch. He'd sat quietly through most of Cordelia's story, but now he was feeling restless. It was unthinkable, and yet it explained so much. Now that he knew someone had altered his memories, he could recognize the holes for what they were.

It also explained certain things that Angel had said, the inexplicable distance between them that had dissipated gradually over the last month or two.

It made all too much sense, even though he wished it didn't.

"I betrayed him."

"You were doing what you thought best, Wesley," Cordelia replied gently. "And I'm not sure you had a choice."

He turned to look at her. "I don't understand."

She winced at his flat tone. "I'm not sure if any of us had a choice in this," Cordelia replied. "The thing that hijacked my body had been planning on world domination for a really long time."

Wesley wasn't buying it. "I don't think I can dismiss my actions quite so easily. The fact remains that I had a choice, and I decided to kidnap Angel's son."

"To save him!" Cordelia'd had plenty of time to think about this. She was certain of Wesley's motives, and that they had been pure. She was equally certain that she didn't need him moping about something he didn't actually remember and couldn't change. "You didn't do it out of malice, Wes."

"Nevertheless, it seems that I have betrayed a friend, and that he has in turn wiped those memories." He shook his head. "It's more than a little disconcerting."

"We have to get him out of there," Cordelia insisted. "That place isn't good for any of you."

"And what about Angel's son?" Wesley asked. "If Angel has indeed signed a contract, we do not know what breaking it would do to him."

Cordelia sighed. "I don't know, Wes. I just know that I get very bad vibes from that place. There isn't anything good there."

"I agree." Wesley might have gone on, but there was a perfunctory knock on the door before Spike ambled in.

"Fred said you wanted me to meet you here," Spike said in greeting. "H'lo, Cordelia."

"Spike." She raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?"

He smirked. "Fighting the good fight. What else?"

"Spike has a soul now, Cordelia," Wesley explained.

Cordy didn't look convinced. "Like Angel?"

Spike nearly growled at her. "Bloody well not like Angel," he shot back. "Do you see me sittin' in some fancy office with a soddin' secretary? No, 'm out riskin' my neck to—"

Wesley decided it might be prudent to interrupt Spike's rant. "You did manage to kill the Fraickes, then?"

"Ruined my coat," Spike said, sprawling down on the couch. He looked like he was about to start pouting.

Wesley had wondered, since he'd never seen the vampire without it. "And Buffy?"

"Out shopping with Fred," the vampire replied. "Said she'd meet up with us later if you had anything good to kill. Oh, and we're supposed to see about getting me some place to stay on a more permanent basis."

Cordelia's eyebrows went up. She caught the subtext even without Wesley's explanation. "You and Buffy are a couple now?"

"What of it?" Spike asked defiantly.

Cordy pursed her lips, realizing that they were probably perfect for each other. "Nothing." She turned to Wesley. "What about the Hyperion?"

"It's still in Angel's possession, as far as I know," the ex-Watcher replied. "In fact, I had suggested that Spike use it as a base of operations."

"You were thinking about leaving the law firm?" Cordy asked, unable to disguise the relief in her voice. If Wesley was willing to leave, it would be one less person she'd have to convince.

Wesley sighed. "I was, although I hadn't planned on making any moves in that direction so soon. What you've told me changes all of that, however. I don't like the fact that Angel has altered all our memories without our knowledge or consent. What he did for Connor—that I understand, but he needn't have..."

When Wesley trailed off, Spike looked between Wesley and Cordelia with some interest. "What's the Great Poof done now?"

"It's a long story," Wesley replied. "One we can explain while we go over to the Hyperion."

~~~~~

Buffy was discovering that she really enjoyed spending time with Fred. They had giggled their way through lunch, sharing stories about the men in their lives. The Slayer was well aware that Spike probably wouldn't be too happy at some of the stories she'd shared, nor would Wesley.

But, really, she had to have something to repay Fred for some of the really embarrassing stories about Angel.

After lunch, they had gone shopping, and their conversation had turned serious. "So Spike almost got sucked into hell?" Buffy asked quietly.

"It was close." Fred's eyes were distant. "Once Pavayne was taken care of he was safe, but—Spike gave up his chance at being corporeal to save my life."

"That sounds like Spike," Buffy said with a shaky smile. "He said you guys still don't know what happened to turn him solid again."

Fred shook her head. "It probably has something to do with the law firm. Maybe they decided that they didn't really want him. After all, they gave the amulet to Angel."

"Why is Angel at Wolfram and Hart?" Buffy asked. "From what you've told me, he wouldn't have any reason for taking their offer, and he wasn't going to right up until the last minute."

Fred shrugged. "That's what Wesley and I were trying to figure out last night. Their offers to the rest of us were very up front. No one knows what Angel wanted."

Buffy sighed. "Well, I suppose I should do some digging then. Giles was really concerned when he heard that Angel was working for them, or with them, or whatever."

"Wesley and I are talking about leaving." The words were quiet, and Buffy almost missed the other woman's admission. The Slayer had the sense that it took a lot for Fred to even consider leaving Angel's side. From Fred's stories, Buffy got some sense of what the vampire had done for her.

Buffy wasn't quite sure what to say, but she wanted to be supportive. "Maybe it's for the best," she encouraged. "If it's not a good place..."

"I don't know if it is or not," she replied, her Texas drawl growing thicker under the weight of her emotions. "We thought we could do some good there."

"Maybe you did," Buffy replied. "And maybe now it's time to leave." She frowned at the shirt she was holding. "Do you think Spike would wear this?"

Fred cast a critical eye on the navy blue pullover. "Probably," she finally decided.

"Good." Buffy smiled. "I figure it's probably better to introduce color into his wardrobe gradually."

The other woman nodded. "He does like red."

Buffy's eyes brightened. "Red! That's a good idea." She glanced over at Fred, putting a sympathetic hand on her arm. "Look, I don't mean to be nosy or anything, but—if you're thinking about putting the moves on Wesley, don't wait. You never know how much time you're going to have."

Fred thought that was pretty good advice, especially coming from a woman who had already died twice.

~~~~~

Spike couldn't say he was surprised that at what Angel had done, but wiping his friends' memories was a bit low, even for him. "So what are you gonna do about it?" he asked Wesley.

"I don't know," the other man confessed. "I could confront him, but what good would that do?"

"Seems to me you need to find out the details of his contract," Spike suggested. "Might want to talk to Charlie-boy about that."

Cordelia frowned. It was a good suggestion, and coming from Spike, that surprised her. Wesley had explained about Gunn's upgrades, so that would make him the logical resource. "Can Gunn be trusted?"

Wesley grimaced at the question. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "I would say yes, but he seems to enjoy working for Wolfram and Hart quite a bit."

"He likes being special," Spike contradicted him softly. "Workin' there—he's got a set of skills you need an' nobody else has. Offer him the chance to use those in a better way, an' I think he'll come around."

"How do you know all of that?" Cordy demanded, a little disturbed at Spike's insight.

Spike lifted an eyebrow. "I spent months as a ghost, Cheerleader," he replied in a hard tone. "Couldn't do much but watch an' learn. Learned a lot more than most give me credit for."

"I'm sure neither of us have any doubt that you're a quick study, Spike," Wesley said, quick to play peacemaker. He knew Cordelia was on edge, upset about Angel's deception, and she had a tendency to be sharp when that happened. Spike had a tendency to bite back.

Wesley bit back a smile. He had a feeling that they would be more than an even match for each other.

Spike let out a low whistle as he followed Wesley and Cordelia inside the hotel. "This isn't too bad. Bit pompous, but that shouldn't surprise me with Angel."

"It was a good place to be," Cordy said softly, walking over to the front desk and running her hand along the counter. The memories were coming at her fast and furious, and she had to blink back tears. Everything had changed so much and so quickly—it felt wrong.

"Cordelia." Wesley's voice was gentle. "We'll get this sorted."

She shook her head, unwilling to talk about it. Cordy supposed it was just bad luck on her part. Fall in love with a guy and he either dies or turns evil. Or you get your body hijacked, and you turn evil. She'd never had great luck with men.

"Angel's a git, pet," Spike said quietly. "But he's not a complete idiot. If we can get through to him, figure out a way to fix this thing with his kid, he'll come around. He'd be a fool not to."

Spike's eyes were kind. When had Spike become so nice? Cordelia wondered absently. And Wesley—he was really nice too.

Spike and Wesley caught her as she collapsed. "What just happened?" Spike asked.

"I don't know," Wesley replied quickly, striving to keep the panic at bay as he felt for a pulse. Finding it strong and steady under his fingertips, he gave a sigh of relief. "I really don't know."

"Better call Fred," Spike suggested. "She'll at least know what we're goin' to do about this. You think we ought to get her to a hospital?"

Wesley shook his head. "Too many questions. It would be better just to set her up in a room upstairs. You and Buffy might as well move over here, too. If Cordelia's not well, I'd rather not leave her here alone."

Spike nodded. "Say the word, mate. You know I'll help."

Wesley smiled briefly, watching as the vampire easily caught Cordelia up in his arms. "I know, Spike. Thank you."

Wesley took a deep breath and then dialed Fred's number. Things were getting rather complicated.

 

Chapter 9: Shifting Sand

 

"...I don't mean to laugh out loud/I'm trying to come clean/Trying to shed my doubt/ Maybe I should just keep/My big mouth shut./More often than not/When it comes to you/ You want whatever's not in front of you/Deep down I know this includes me too...Trouble is I'm so exhausted/The plot, you see, I think I've lost it/I need the grace to find what can't be found." ~Over the Rhine, "Long Lost Brother"

 

Buffy followed Fred into the lobby of the Hyperion. She was weighed down with shopping bags, since it seemed that she and Spike would be staying there, rather than at her hotel. The Slayer, almost in spite of herself, was worried for Cordelia. While they hadn't always gotten along, Buffy had never truly wished her harm.

Okay, that wasn't completely true. There had been several times in high school where Buffy could have quite happily wished her dead.

Things had changed, however. They had changed. Buffy was ready to do whatever she could to help out.

"How is she?" Fred asked Spike breathlessly. The vampire was lounging on the round chair in the center of the lobby, reading a book he'd found.

"Fine," he replied. "She hadn't eaten since breakfast, an' even then it wasn't much. Wes thinks she was just a bit lightheaded from all the activity and such."

Fred breathed out a sigh of relief. "Maybe we should get takeout."

"Already taken care of," Spike replied. "The Watcher called for it a little while ago. Should be here any minute now." He gave the shopping bags a dubious look. "Find anything?"

Buffy smiled at him, the look on her face mischievous. "Just a few things."

Spike's look turned sour. "Buffy—"

"I promised I wouldn't get anything you wouldn't like," she reminded him.

Fred nodded, offering her support. "It's fine, Spike. I think it'll look good on you."

He sighed. "Yeah, alright." Looking over at Fred, he said, "Wesley said to send you upstairs when you arrived. Said you'd know what room he'd put her in."

She nodded and headed up the stairs, leaving Spike and Buffy alone in the lobby. Buffy didn't need any encouragement. She was immediately astride his lap, kissing him. Spike's hands went to her waist, holding her steady as he deepened the kiss.

When Buffy finally broke it off to breathe, she smiled at him. "That was nice."

"Missed you," he murmured.

She smiled, putting a hand on his face, noting that he didn't slick his hair back quite so much. "I missed you too. What did I miss, besides Cordelia fainting?"

Spike frowned slightly. "Sounds a little more serious than we thought, pet. Turns out Angel did a mindwipe on the whole bunch to prevent them from rememberin' his kid."

Buffy's eyebrows went straight up. "Angel has a kid? When did this happen?"

"While back," Spike replied. "It's a much longer, much more complicated story than I can tell you, but it's interesting."

"Do you think Angel's gone evil after all?"

Spike shook his head. "Don't know. Everythin' he's done so far can be chalked up to good intentions, which is somethin' Angelus never had."

Buffy grimaced. "You know what they say about good intentions."

"I think that's what we're all afraid of." Spike sighed. "Wes and Fred have to go back over to the office after we eat. You want to stay here with the Cheerleader or should I?"

"I don't want to go back there," Buffy replied quickly. "I don't know what it is, Spike, but that place—"

"'s not a good place," he agreed. "Right then. I'll go back an' see what I can dig up on that end. Who knows? Maybe somebody will listen to me for a change."

Buffy grinned. "Yeah, when hell freezes over."

~~~~~

"How are you feeling?" Fred asked solicitously, Wesley hovering in the doorway.

Cordy sighed. "I feel like a complete wuss, passing out like that on you guys."

"Don't worry about it," Wesley said quickly. "We pushed you too hard."

"No, you didn't," Cordelia said. "I pushed myself."

"Well, we'll get you something to eat and then you'll feel better." Fred gave the other woman a smile and a hug. "It's really good to have you back."

Cordelia returned the embrace gratefully. "It's good to be back."

"We have to go," Wesley said apologetically from the doorway. "After we eat, of course, but Fred and I should get back to the office."

Cordy tried for a smile. "Of course."

"Someone will stay here, though," Fred quickly promised. "Spike or Buffy."

She tried not to wince. There had been a day when she had been the glue that held the group together, and now what was she? Cordelia wondered if she even belonged here anymore, because it sure didn't feel like it. "I'll be fine," she said. "Even if no one can stay."

"We're not leaving you by yourself," Wesley said firmly. "Just in case this is something more serious, we want to be sure you're alright."

"Do you want to eat downstairs?" Fred asked. "We could bring something up to you if—"

"No," Cordelia said, suddenly unable to take another minute in her room. "No, I think I'll come downstairs."

~~~~~

Buffy and Cordelia stared at one another, neither speaking. With Spike and Fred present, there had been no want of conversation. The Slayer had been amazed to find that Spike got along quite well with both Wesley and Fred; she was the one who didn't belong.

Except that Buffy got the feeling that Cordelia didn't quite fit anymore.

"How's the vision thing?" Buffy finally asked.

Cordelia shrugged. "It's okay. I'm part demon now."

"Yeah, I'd heard."

There was another long pause.

"My body got hijacked last year and I tried to end the world." With that off her chest, Cordelia felt a little better. She and Buffy had never been friends, but there was a lot of history between the two of them.

Buffy nodded. "That sucks. I was in heaven, until my friends ripped me out, and then last year I had to watch my boyfriend die."

"Spike?"

"Yeah."

"When did that happen?"

They were in full girl-talk mode now. It wasn't something they had previously indulged in, but there wasn't really anyone else who could understand their lives. "A while ago," Buffy admitted.

Cordelia's look turned sly. "How is it?"

Buffy grinned. "It's amazing! What about you?" At Cordelia's expression, her eyes widened. "No! Angel?"

Cordelia shook her head. "Not anymore. At least, I don't know. I mean, before..." She trailed off, unsure of how to explain the changes that a year had wrought. Changes that had seemed to put them on opposite sides of the battle lines.

The Slayer reached out and squeezed Cordelia's hand. The fact that she had a steady boyfriend, plus being totally over Angel, allowed her to offer what comfort she could.

High school was a very long time ago.

"I get that."

Cordelia flashed her a grateful smile, then started lookng around the lobby. "We had some really good times here, you know?"

"You still could," Buffy said. "It might be different, but that doesn't mean it won't be good."

Their eyes met, and a shared look of understanding passed between the two of them. Cordelia smiled. "Do you want a tour of the place? I think I remember where everything is."

"That would be good," Buffy replied. "Especially since it sounds like Spike and I are going to be staying here for a while."

Cordelia's eyebrows went up. "You seriously aren't going back to Rome?"

The Slayer shrugged. "I'm not the only Slayer in the world now," she replied. "I can go wherever I want."

"That must be really nice," Cordy said.

"It really, really is," Buffy replied. "So, the hotel?"

~~~~~

Wesley got grabbed as soon as he walked into the building. Harmony, looking very important, said that Angel wanted to see him as soon as he got in. "I have to go," Wesley said. "Spike—"

"I'll meet up with you later," Spike replied. "'m not sure I want to have another battle to the death with Peaches."

Wesley frowned. "Why—"

"He's goin' to smell Buffy all over me," Spike said wryly. "An' then he's goin' to want to kill me. I can take him, but I'd rather not. Buffy has plans for later."

The ex-Watcher shook his head. "Alright, Spike. Will I see you later?"

"Here or at the hotel," Spike said. He watched, amused, as Fred and Wesley shared a look that managed to be both full of promise and anxiety.

"I'll see you later, Wes," Fred said, suddenly shy, as she headed off towards the lab, Spike on her heels. Now that he and Wesley weren't going to be able to corner Gunn for a while, he really didn't have much to do. While he probably could have gone back to the hotel—and Buffy—it didn't make sense to do so yet.

Besides, Spike still couldn't quite believe this was all real.

"Have you snogged him yet?"

Fred whirled to meet Spike's mischievous grin. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said primly.

He rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me Percy hadn't kissed you senseless yet. Do I need to have a talk with him?"

"No!" Fred said, blushing bright red. "It's none of your business, Spike."

"'course it's my business," he replied, loving to get her wound up. They were both so focused on their current conversation that neither noticed the large sarcophagus sitting in the middle of the lab. Nor did they pay much attention to Knox, who was seemingly busy scribbling notes. "You're my friend, Wesley's a friend, you like each other..."

"I don't like Wesley," Fred replied, inadvertantly putting the emphasis on "like."

"You're in love with him, then."

"I'm not—" Fred broke off and then glared at him. "How do you do that?"

"Told the Cheerleader," Spike said easily. "'ve been hauntin' these halls for months, pet. Not hard to see things that way, especially when no one expects you to think about things."

Fred smiled at him. "You don't do anything but think about things, Spike."

"That's not precisely true," Spike corrected her, looking pleased nonetheless. "I've gotten into plenty of trouble for not thinkin'."

She shrugged. "That doesn't mean you don't think." Fred noticed the new arrival for the first time. "When did this come in?" she asked Knox.

The lab tech shrugged. "I'm not sure. It was here when I got here this morning."

Fred frowned. "Did it come with any kind of paperwork?"

"On the desk over there," Knox replied casually.

Fred glanced at the paperwork cursorily. "That's strange," she murmured, noticing that some of the important documentation was missing. "I'll have to look at this later," she said, putting the sheaf of papers back on the desk, glancing back over at the sarcophagus. "I'll have to do a proper inspection later with full gear."

Fred spoke the words, and she meant them, but she couldn't resist moving closer to the large stone coffin. She'd always been the curious sort.

Several things happened at once. Spike, who had been inspecting a piece of equipment he didn't recognize, heard Knox's heartbeat jump just as Fred reached out to touch the jewel-like stone embedded in the top of the object. Later, the vampire couldn't have said why he acted as he did, but he was in between Fred and the sarcophagus in a flash, shielding her body with his own.

There was a sound of rushing air, and Knox's cry of disappointment. "What have you done?"

Spike kept Fred behind him. "What are you on about?"

"You've ruined it," Knox cried. "It wasn't supposed to happen this way. This has been planned for millennia, and you ruined it!"

Spike snarled. "I've been known to bollocks things up, but if you don't tell me what's goin' on, 'm goin' to—"

The expression on Knox's face was one of anguish. "You ruined it," he moaned. "Everything was set."

"Knox, what are you talking about?" Fred asked, coming out from behind Spike.

The young man shook his head. "You were supposed to be the perfect vessel. Everything was aligned, and now—" He dodged as Spike leapt for him.

It was chaos for a moment as Spike grappled with Knox, who pulled a wicked looking knife out of somewhere. The vampire gasped as the knife slipped between his ribs, and then Knox was gone, dashing out of the lab, holding tightly to the blade that was still dripping blood.

Fred was immediately at his side. "Spike?"

"I'll be fine," he managed. "Hurts like a bitch, though."

She watched as the blood seeped from between his fingers, giving him a sympathetic look. "This really hasn't been your week, has it?"

Spike managed a faint chuckle. "S'pose not."

"Let's get you cleaned up," Fred said. "Then we should probably find Wesley and the others and try to figure out what it was that Knox was planning to do."

"Whatever it was, wasn't anythin' good," Spike said, watching as Fred eased his t-shirt up, his brow furrowed in concern. "An' it was meant for you, pet."

Their eyes met, and then Fred smiled bravely. "We're always in danger, Spike. Besides, whatever it was, I'm sure we would have beat it."

Spike wasn't quite so optimistic. He had a bad feeling about that sarcophagus.

 

Chapter 10: Under the Surface

 

"I'm afraid I've lost the piece of me/I need the most you see/This puzzle is really all about the need/To be somebody...But you came so close and I assumed/You were looking/For the piece of yourslf that's lost/It is the hiding place inside everybody/And though we love to numb the pain/We come to learn that it's in vain/Pain is our mother/She makes us recognize each other..." ~Over the Rhine, "Nobody Number One"

"Where have you been?" Angel asked irritably.

Wesley simply raised an eyebrow. After hearing what Cordelia had to say, he was feeling much less charitable towards Angel. "I've been helping Cordelia settle in at the Hyperion," he replied evenly.

Angel's frown deepened. "How is she?"

"Cordelia's fine," Wesley replied, making a quick decision not to tell Angel about her collapse earlier. "What did you need, Angel?"

The vampire was slightly taken aback by Wesley's short response. "You haven't been here all day, Wes," Angel replied. "Don't forget, we have a job to do here."

"What job?" Wesley asked, allowing his irritation to show. "Reading innumerable reports that I can do nothing about? Or are you talking about overseeing a department that seems to run quite well on its own? Or maybe you're talking about me doing all the things you'd rather not burden yourself with."

Angel glowered. "What the hell are you talking about, Wes? Look, you signed on to work here. I didn't force you into anything."

"No, you didn't, but you didn't tell us the whole truth either," Wesley hissed in reply, lowering his voice. "You made the decision to work at Wolfram and Hart knowing that we would follow you willingly. You made the decision without ever telling us what you were receiving in return."

Angel went very still. "She told you."

"She did. I, for one, was rather surprised." Wesley's voice held a bitter note. "You could have told us."

"That's not the way it worked out," Angel spit out. "It was my business, not yours."

Wesley glared at him. "We're in this together, Angel."

"Are we?" Angel asked angrily. "You seem to be about to bail on me, Wes."

Wesley drew himself up. "I would have stayed with you until the very end," he shot back. "I would have followed you into hell itself. Actually, it's possible that I did follow you into hell. You were the one who felt it necessary to alter my memories."

"Connor—"

"Needed help, yes," Wesley said impatiently. "Cordelia told me. What I'm not sure you understand is what you've done. You are now inextricably linked to Wolfram and Hart, and you may have put your soul in jeopardy. Did you think about that, Angel?"

"It was worth it!" Angel exclaimed. "Connor is my son!"

"Not any longer," Wesley replied coldly. "Of course, if he discovers that he is nearly invulnerable, you may find him on your doorstep."

The anger on Angel's face nearly caused Wesley to back up a step. The ex-Watcher hadn't been this afraid of the vampire since he'd first started working for Angel Investigations. "Get out."

"Are you firing me?" Wesley asked.

Angel opened his mouth to answer when Fred and a still-bloody Spike entered the office. "What are you doing here, Spike?" Angel barked.

"Getting carved up," Spike shot back. "What are you doin' here, Peaches?"

"Don't, Spike," Fred warned him. Turning to Angel, she said, "Spike saved my life, Angel."

Wesley frowned. "What happened?"

"That prat, Knox, had plans for Fred," Spike said. "Not quite sure what they were, but it wasn't good."

Angel shook his head. "What are you talking about, Spike?"

Spike raised his shirt, showing off Fred's first aid job. "He got upset when I kept her from touchin' this stone coffin, and then he pulled a knife on me. I'm thinkin' that's a pretty good sign the git wasn't up to anything good."

"I'd say you were correct," Wesley agreed. "Do we know anything about Knox or this—coffin?"

Fred shook her head. "I haven't gotten the chance to investigate yet," she replied. "I think Lorne did a reading on Knox, though."

"Wait a minute," Angel said, holding up a hand. "Aren't we jumping to conclusions here? I want to pull a knife on Spike on a daily basis. Just because—"

Fred glared at him. "We know what happened, Angel. Knox isn't what I—we thought he was. I think we should probably do some investigating."

"There are other things going on," Angel replied. "I think—"

"If someone tried to harm Fred, I think that ought to be our first priority," Wesley said, his eyes narrowing. The tension in the room went up several notches.

Angel finally seemed to remember that his friends should be his first responsibility. "Fine. Do what you need to do to take care of it."

Something close to regret flitted over Wesley's face. "Angel—"

"I'm not going to discuss this with you, Wes," Angel said. "It was my decision."

Wesley's hands flexed, and Spike wondered if the ex-Watcher was going to go after his grandsire. "Better see to our leads, mate," Spike said softly.

Wesley nodded tightly. "We aren't done with this, Angel."

Angel didn't reply, going back to his paperwork. He waited until the door closed behind them to put his head in his hands. This was getting out of control. He had no idea how to fix this mess, and now it seemed that just being at Wolfram and Hart was going to place his friends in danger.

Even though they had grown apart, Angel still felt responsible for their well-being. Of course, he was also certain of the rightness of his actions. He would stay at the law firm, because he had made a commitment, and he had put his immortal soul on the line.

It wasn't the first time that he had wondered if he had done the right thing.

~~~~~

The shipping and receiving information didn't give them many clues as to the artifact's purpose or origins. What they did discover was that it had been held up in Customs for quite a while until Gunn had signed a piece of paper.

Wesley had wanted to find Gunn and ask him about it immediately, but he wasn't in the office, and Spike and Fred had managed to convince him to wait until they knew more. "It might be completely innocent, Wesley," Fred said.

Wesley wasn't so sure. Neither was Spike for that matter, but the vampire was inclined to want as much information about the sarcophagus as possible. That way, they would know how badly to hurt Gunn when they did confront him.

They had barely scratched the surface, and Spike knew they were in for a long night of going through dusty old books. He was starting to think about heading back to the Hyperion since he didn't think he could be of much use.

A secretary, one of the many at Wolfram and Hart, knocked hesitantly on Wesley's door. "Sir?"

"What is it, Audra?" he asked, not bothering to hide the impatience in his tone.

She flinched. "There's a problem. One of the employees was just taken ill. It has something to do with the new arrival in the technology lab."

Wesley was out of his seat in a moment. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Audra said, shaking her head. "We just got the call. Since Miss Burkle was here, I thought you might want to know..."

"You did the right thing," Wesley replied, composing himself. He turned to Fred and Spike. "I think we ought to check this out."

Fred was looking guilty. "Wes, I didn't even think about leaving that thing in the lab. I should have warned people, or put a sign on it, or something."

"It's done now," Spike said, sounding grim. "An' it's not your fault, ducks. We had plenty on our minds."

Wesley hesitated. "Spike, I think you ought to head back to the hotel. Fred and I will meet you there a little later."

The vampire shook his head. "Wes—"

Wesley shook his head, cutting off Spike's protests. "You're still hurt," he pointed out. "There's no sense in placing yourself in more danger. Let Buffy and Cordelia know what's been going on here. We'll fill you in once we've found out what's happened."

Spike didn't look happy, but he nodded. "Right. See you later then."

~~~~~

There wasn't a lot to do once Cordy had given the Slayer a tour. The two women could only find so much to talk about, so many stories to share, before an uncomfortable silence fell. With no TV or anything else at the Hyperion, it seemed that they could look forward to a very boring afternoon and evening.

"Are you hungry?" Buffy asked after a while.

Cordelia shook her head. "Not really." She sighed. "I wonder where my computer got to. If we had internet, we could do—something."

Buffy sighed. "Do you want to get out of here for a while? We could go shopping."

Cordy hesitated, and then she shook her head. "That sounds nice, but what if somebody calls?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

Another silence fell, even more uncomfortable than the last. They might have sat like that forever, or at least until Buffy went to the basement to use some of the training equipment she'd seen down there, except that Cordelia suddenly straightened. "We've got a problem."

"What is it?" Buffy tried not to sound too hopeful. She really wanted out of there.

"Vision," Cordelia replied, holding a hand up for silence. "Big demon, horns, trying to sacrifice a girl for some reason."

Buffy tried to squelch her excitement, but with little success. This was more like it. "Do you know where?"

"Yeah," Cordelia replied. "I can drive us if you've got a car."

"I don't," Buffy replied, then she smiled. "Although, I think Spike rode back to the office with Wesley. His car should still be here."

Cordelia stood. "I'll drive."

"I can drive!" Buffy protested.

Cordy fixed the Slayer with a look. "Buffy, I remember how you drive. I was the one with the wheels in high school, remember?"

"A lot has changed since then," Buffy said petulantly. "I can drive."

"I'll drive," Cordy insisted. "A lot has changed, but I know I can drive. I don't know anything about your driving talents."

Still bickering, they headed out to take care of the demon.

~~~~~

Spike walked into the empty hotel with a feeling of concern. "Slayer?" he called. "Buffy? Cordelia? H'lo?"

He was still trying to remember whether or not Buffy had given him her cell phone number when the two women walked into the hotel, arguing good-naturedly over who had managed to kill the demon. Buffy had been impressed with Cordelia's slaying abilities, almost in spite of herself. Cordelia had come a long way since leaving Sunnydale.

"Where were you two?" he asked, sounding irritated.

They exchanged looks. "Out slaying," Buffy replied off-handedly. "What are you doing?"

"Waiting for you," Spike replied. "We had a situation at Wolfram and Hart."

Cordelia's eyes widened. "What happened?"

Spike quickly explained. "Fred and Wesley should be back here soon. Dunno what they were goin' to do about the person who got sick," he finished.

Cordelia appeared grim. "I told Angel that place was no good."

"We don't know why this happened," Buffy reminded the seer. "It might be something completely unrelated to being at Wolfram and Hart." She grimaced. "Although, it's unlikely, I'll grant you." The Slayer looked at Spike. "I want to see that knife wound, and then you need to get cleaned up. I can go check out of my hotel and then come back."

Spike winced. "The bastard completely ruined my shirt."

"Good thing I got you some new clothes then, isn't it?" Buffy asked smugly.

He sighed. "Just so you don't make me look like a complete git."

"Why would I do that?" Buffy teased him.

"Let's see it, Slayer." Spike followed her up the stairs to the room she'd marked as their own.

Cordelia couldn't help but feel envious, watching them go. She remembered when she and Angel had that sort of easy camaraderie. She missed him, missed the man she'd fallen in love with. The Angel she'd seen reminded her of the time he'd gone so dark, when he had allowed Darla and Drusilla to kill all those lawyers.

She was afraid for him.

~~~~~

Spike stared at the t-shirt that Buffy had thrown in the trash can as she inspected the laceration in his side. "This isn't looking too bad," she commented. "You could get cleaned up, and I'll bandage it for you after you get out of the shower."

"You want me to go back to the hotel with you?" he asked.

Buffy shook her head. "Someone should be here with Cordelia."

"Where were you two really?"

"She had a vision, and we left to take care of the demon." Buffy smiled. "She's actually not too bad with a sword. I was impressed."

Spike smiled in response, but the expression didn't quite reach his eyes. "That's good."

Buffy stared at him thoughtfully, and then she leaned in and kissed him, slowly, sweetly, deeply. "I love you," she murmured.

"What was that for?" Spike asked, sounding a little dazed.

She pressed her lips to his forehead. "You looked like you needed it." Buffy rummaged through the shopping bags for something for him to wear. "Now, go get cleaned up."

Spike let the hot water from the shower rush over him, not quite able to believe what was happening. A few days ago, he'd had nothing, nothing except for his soul really, and maybe Wesley's friendship. Today, it seemed that he had a purpose, a place to stay, and Buffy.

He kept waiting to wake up.

When he had gotten out of the shower and towelled off, Spike took a look at the clothing Buffy had purchased for him. It wasn't too bad, really. Better than he'd thought. Dark blue jeans, black t-shirt, red button-down that was reminiscent of a shirt he'd had years ago. He pulled the jeans on, but left his chest bare so Buffy could re-bandage the wound. It was healing nicely, but he'd need to put something on it for at least another day.

Buffy fussed over him when he came back out, her hands gentle. "This is a little weird," he murmured.

"I know," she replied, not meeting his eyes. "It feels like no time has passed, and like we've lived whole lifetimes."

Spike suddenly realized that the Slayer might be having just as difficult a time of things as he was. They both had their insecurities, and hers had probably been triggered by his long silence after being brought back. Putting a finger under her chin, tilting her head up so she met his eyes, Spike said, "I love you."

"I know." Buffy smiled. "I love you too."

They would let that be all that mattered.

 

Chapter 11: Dark Night

 

"So I just feel my way to you/I try to keep you close/I was never very good at getting/What I need the most/So it seems/Life is just a troubled sea/That we sail for free/Don't let me drown/If the rest of the world's going down/You've got to breathe your breath in me..." ~Over the Rhine, "Fairpoint Diary"

 

Neither Wesley nor Fred were entirely prepared for what they found in the Wolfram & Hart hospital wing. The young lab tech laying in bed was obviously in a lot of pain, and as soon as the doctor in charge saw them, he came hurrying up.

"Miss Burkle," he said, in a low voice. "We have a problem."

Fred pulled her eyes away from the young man. "What's wrong?"

"Mr. Andrews has been infected with something from the artifact in the science lab. We're not sure if we're going to be able to reverse the effects." Dr. Christoll shook his head. "In fact, what's happening is impossible."

"What is happening?" Wesley asked.

"For lack of a better way to put it, his organs are boiling, liquefying." He shook his head. "If we don't find a way to reverse this, and soon..."

Dr. Christoll left the thought unfinished, but it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what he meant. "I'll start work on figuring out what the sarcophagus is doing in my lab," Fred finally said. "Maybe once we figure out what's inside it—"

"No." Wesley was shaking his head. "It's too dangerous. If Knox—"

"The damage has been done, Wesley," Fred replied sharply. "I should have said something, put a note on it. If Si dies, it's my fault."

Wesley frowned, and then nodded. "Fine, but I want you in full gear when you examine that thing, Fred."

"Don't tell me how to do my job," she hissed in reply. "I'm—"

"Too important to me to want to lose you."

That shut her up. Fred fell silent, staring at him. "Wesley—"

The kiss he gave her was quick, but filled with promise. "I'll go consult my books," Wesley said. "With any luck we'll figure out what the bloody hell that thing means to us."

"I'll be careful," she promised. Fred was certain that her insides were melting. Wesley could be so sweet when he wanted to be, and that kiss...

He smiled and then left Fred to hurry to her lab to start her own tests.

~~~~~

Gunn found it strange to be back at the hotel. So many things had happened there, both good and bad. He wasn't the same person who had first walked through these doors.

"Gunn!"

Cordelia stood there, a bright smile blooming on her face. "What are you doing here?"

"Came to see you," he replied, easily falling back into the same speech rhythm he'd used. "Had to see the miracle woman."

She laughed and hugged him. "I'm glad you came. How did you find me? Did you see Wesley or Fred?"

Gunn shook his head. "No, not today. Angel said you were back, but when I called Wes, he wasn't home. I thought this was the next logical place to look."

Cordy smiled. "So now you're logic-boy, huh?"

"When I need to be," Gunn said.

"Was it logic that told you to sign the customs papers for that big stone coffin?"

Gunn froze. It had been a while since he'd been on the streets, but he could still sense danger. Spike's voice held the promise of violence. "I don't know what you're talking about," he replied, trying to decide how he wanted to handle this.

Spike grabbed his shoulder, spun him around, and slammed him against the desk. "I don't believe you."

"Spike, you're going to open up that knife wound," Buffy warned him from the sidelines. She had no intention of stepping between the two men. He had told her that Gunn was somehow behind the presence of that sarcophagus in Fred's lab, and that his getting stabbed had something to do with it.

Besides, Buffy trusted her vampire. If he was pissed off, he probably had reason.

Cordelia didn't have the same kind of faith. "Spike! What are you doing?"

"Let me fill you in," Spike replied through gritted teeth, still keeping a tight grip on the lawyer. "When I was with Fred earlier, there was a new addition to the lab that spit out some kind of stream of air. I don't know what it was s'posed to do to her, but Knox was so brassed off about me getting in the way that he stuck a knife through my ribs."

Gunn was beginning to get a sinking feeling in his gut. "That doesn't have anything to do with me."

"Doesn't it?" Spike asked. "Imagine our surprise when it turned out you signed the order to get that thing through customs. Now, you have exactly one minute to convince me you don't know what that bastard had planned for Fred. After that, I rip your throat out."

"I didn't know!" Gunn protested. "I signed the paper, but I didn't know what it was for."

Both Cordelia and Buffy were staring at him with expressions of disappointment and uncertainty. Cordelia was shaking her head. "I'm sure it was an innocent mistake," she said. "Gunn just signed a big stack of papers and that one got slipped in there with the rest."

The look on Gunn's face told them that Cordelia was rather far off the mark. "Cordy—"

"What did you do?" she asked in a quiet voice.

Gunn shook his head. "Cordy, you don't understand. It was slipping. I was losing it, and that was the only way I could make sure I kept what they gave me."

"What they gave you?" Cordy demanded. "A job?"

"No! This knowledge!" he said. "For the first time in my life, I wasn't just the muscle. I was—"

"Special," Spike finished for him. "You were a bloody hero, and you could do things no one else could do." Gunn was silent, not bothering to contradict the vampire. "You should get back to the office," he suggested, his voice cold. "While Fred wasn't harmed, one of the lab techs got caught up in this. Apparently, he got sick. Wes an' Fred are handling it."

Gunn wouldn't meet anyone's eyes. "I should get back then."

Cordelia watched him go, silent. "What happened?" she asked, her tone flat.

"They filled his brain up with all kinds of information he wouldn't have had otherwise," Spike explained quietly. "They gave him what he wanted."

"Gunn didn't want that!" Cordelia protested. "He never would have joined Wolfram and Hart! This is—"

"Crazy," Buffy said softly, having watched the tableau with no little sympathy for the participants. "You take a break from things, and suddenly everything is different."

Cordelia was still shaking her head. "I still don't understand."

"What's not to understand?" Spike asked. "The law firm figured out what everybody wanted, and then they gave it to them." He looked down at his hand. "Even me," he murmured.

"You don't think they turned you solid just so they could control you," Buffy objected. "Because if that's what they did, they don't know you at all."

Spike chuckled. "You've got the right of it, luv. There's no way I'd work for Peaches for any length of time. No, I figure they meant to get rid of me. Or maybe they just wanted me gone. I was a mistake they couldn't wait to cover up."

"Well, I would call that a good mistake," Buffy said firmly. "I don't care why you're here, I'm just glad you are. It looks like we're going to have to figure out what they're up to, though."

"I think we need to know what kind of a hold they have on Gunn," Cordelia said. "Wes and Fred said they didn't sign anything. We need to know the details of Gunn and Angel's contracts, and we need to find out how we're going to get them out of there."

"You're overlooking one small detail," Spike said gently.

Cordy frowned. "What's that?"

"You're assumin' they'll want to leave in the first place."

~~~~~

Fred's research didn't uncover anything, but Wesley found what he was looking for in his books. The news wasn't good, and Angel was suddenly involved, since it meant the possible emergence of a god of some type.

"Can we stop it?" Angel asked. His differences with Wesley had been put on hold for the time being, but the tension between them thickened the air.

Wesley hesitated before replying. "I'm not sure. The sarcophagus was to be held in what is called the 'Deeper Well,' but our information is sketchy. I can get you a location, but—"

"What good is a location going to do us?" Angel asked impatiently. "It was supposed to stay there, and it didn't. Do we know how it got here?"

"Yes, we do," Wesley said quietly. "Apparently, it was held up in customs until Gunn signed the papers to have it released. We aren't sure why yet, though. I tried to speak with him earlier today, but he's been out of the office."

"He went to see Cordy," Angel replied, looking up as Fred walked in. "Fred, what have you got for me?"

"Not much," she admitted, guilt written all over her expressive features. "None of our scans are penetrating the stone, which is really strange. What I can tell you is that Si's skin is hardening, and it's getting worse fast."

Angel frowned. "How long does he have?"

"A few hours, maybe a day at the most," Fred replied. "We're trying everything we can to isolate the parasite that's working on him, but we keep running up against dead ends."

Angel stood and began to pace. "What happens if we can't stop it?"

Wesley took a deep breath. "It's hard to say. Most likely, the man will disappear and the old one—Illyria was his name—will take his place."

"Will he be powerful?"

"Yes," Wesley replied. "He will have certain powers. Before you ask, yes, I do believe he would be dangerous, although I'm not sure how much so."

Angel was deep in thought, his chin resting on his chest. "And if he dies before the transformation is complete?"

Wes and Fred exchanged concerned looks. "Angel, the transformation is what's going to kill him," Fred said quietly.

"But what if he doesn't make it through the transformation?"

Wesley stood. "You can't be thinking—"

"I'm considering all our options, Wes," Angel cut him off, his tone even. "I'm not saying it's going to come to that."

"Angel, he's an innocent," Fred protested. "You're suggesting that we kill an innocent person."

Angel shook his head. "I'm not suggesting anything. I just want to make sure I have all the facts." He sat back down behind his desk. "You two should probably see what you can do about finding a different solution. The last thing we need is to have some kind of god running around."

Wesley followed Fred out the door, stopping her with a hand on her arm. "Call Spike," he urged. "Someone is going to need to make sure nothing happens to that young man."

Fred stared at him. "Wesley, this is Angel. Surely you don't believe that he would..." She trailed off. Angel had been strange lately, and she was no longer certain that she knew what their boss would do. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to see if I can reach Gunn," Wesley replied. "I want to know why he signed those papers."

"Don't hurt him." Fred's eyes were pleading. "I'm sure there's a good explanation."

"We'll see," Wesley replied grimly, and then he kissed her forehead, pulling her towards him, the tender gesture at odds with his tone. "He might have cost me your life, Fred. Right when—"

"He didn't." Her arms came around him. "Wes, it's going to be okay, I promise. I'm not going anywhere."

His arms tightened. "No, not if I have anything to say about it."

~~~~~

Gunn didn't know what hit him. One minute he was walking into his office, and the next he found himself face down on top of his desk. "What—"

"Why'd you do it, Charles?" Wesley's cold voice hit him hard. "You put all of us in danger, and for what?"

"You wouldn't understand," Gunn replied. "I didn't mean to hurt anyone."

"Do you know there's a young man dying in the medical wing right now?" Wesley said, shutting the door and drawing the blinds. "His organs are boiling, and his skin is hardening, preparing for some sort of god to take residence in his body. All because you signed a bloody sheet of paper. Why?"

"Because I was losing it!" Gunn shouted. "The knowledge, everything, was slipping. The guy told me he wouldn't make the upgrade permanent unless I signed a piece of paper. I didn't know what it was! I sign a hundred things every day!"

Wesley held up the piece of paper in question. "Do you know that the only reason Fred isn't in that bed right now is because Spike was there? He shielded her, otherwise she would be the one dying right now."

Gunn sank down onto his desk, staring at Wesley in horror. "Wes, man, I didn't—"

"You didn't ask!" Wesley burst out. "You didn't ask, Charles, and your refusal to question is most likely going to cost a young man his life."

Gunn looked away, refusing to meet Wesley's eyes. "I never wanted that."

"It doesn't matter what you wanted," Wesley shot back. "It's what's going to happen." He lowered his voice. "We should never have come here."

Gunn shook his head stubbornly. He wasn't ready to believe that, wasn't ready to believe that having all this knowledge could possibly be a bad thing. "Wesley, just because you're not happy here..."

"I'm not happy?" Wesley challenged. "Look me in the eye and tell me you're content here."

"We're doing some good," Gunn insisted. "I know we are. It's going to take some time to turn this place around, but—"

"It's not going to happen." Wesley shook his head. "Look, Gunn, you don't know what Cordelia told me, why Angel came here. It might change your mind."

"Maybe," Gunn allowed. "And then again, maybe not. I'll help you with this, Wes, it's the least I can do, but—"

Wesley shook his head. "There's nothing you can do," he said harshly. "You've done enough already."

Wesley turned and stalked out of the office. He was shaking with anger, and it had been everything he could do not to hurt Gunn any more than he had. Wesley couldn't help but feel that it was all ending. Everything they had been, everything they had worked for, was going up in flames.

He had to wonder if that hadn't been what Wolfram & Hart had been after the entire time.