Chapter 14
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AN: Thank you to everyone who has read, review, added to alerts, left kodos, commented, or any combination of the above it means the world to me. The next chapter will be out Saturday.
Italics= Spike and Angel conversation through their bound.
Over the next month the members of Angel's investigations manage to get into a routine with Connor. Angel makes sure that at all times either he or Spike, the two strongest fighters, are with him.
It is just after dark and Angel is up stairs having a shower while Conner is downstairs with Spike, Cordelia, Wesley, Gunn and Fred. Lorne is out visiting with a client.
"See what Uncle Spike Is drinking? That is pigs' blood, yes it is. You'll see Daddy drinking it two but you shouldn't drink it. No you shouldn't. No you shouldn't." Cordelia tells Conner who she is holding.
"Is Uncle Spike the right term to use?" Gunn asks curious "I mean within your Vampire family dynamics and all?" Gunn asks Spike.
"No." Spike says with a laugh "But It's less complicated and more normal than the real answers." Spike tell him.
"Oh yeah? Let's hear then." Gunn tells him interested.
"Well I'm in a relationship with his Dad but in Vampire family he is my creator my Sire which would make Junior and I brothers, but because Dru also sired me then I could be considered his nephew or his grandson if we were using the relationship I share with Darla as a guide." Spike tells him.
"Dude that's messed up." Gunn tells him.
"You're just figuring that out?" Cordelia asks surprised as she figured that out a long time ago.
"Actually the most messed up part would be that technically with using vampire family relationships Sire's Junior's brother as well as his father." Spike tells him.
"Okay all for never telling him that?" Gunn suggests and Fred, Wesley and Cordelia all put up their hands.
"Oh god. Can you imagine the questions he's going to have growing up around all of us?" Cordelia says concerned.
"It is going to make things interesting." Spike tells her as Conner starts to fuss and cry.
"Hey, what's wrong little guy?" Cordelia asks rocking him back a forth.
"He's hungry." Spike says walking over and putting a bottle in the microwave.
"Here." Spike says handing Cordelia the bottle once it's ready. Once Cordelia double checks the temperature she puts it to Connor's mouth and he happily takes it.
"How did you know that?" Cordelia asks surprised.
"When he's hungry his cry is more high-pitched and there is a gargling sound. When he needs changing his cry is more drawn out and when he just wants to be held close his cry is flat." Spike explains.
"Wow. A plus for Vamp hearing." Cordelia tells him.
"Oh and when he wants to see Vamp face it's a cry that is dull. Sounds a lot like his wanting to be held close cry but you can hear the difference, well Angel and I can anyway." Spike tells everyone.
"He has a cry for when he wants to see vamp face?" Gunn asks surprised and Spike nods.
"Can I use your computer? I've got to email back Bit." Spike asks Cordelia.
"Sure." Cordelia tells him.
"How's she doing anyway?" Cordelia asks interested.
"Good." Spike tells her "She says she misses me and she's still pissed at the Slayer for what she did before I left but she seems like she is doing good." Spike tells her.
"That's good." Cordelia tells him.
"Yeah it is." Spike tells her as Angel walks downstairs "There's Daddy." Cordelia says walking over to Angel and handing Connor over.
"We need to start working on getting more clients. We need the money." Angel informs everyone.
"Angel money's all well and good but we've got a mission to do. Work sent to us by the powers, we can't forget that." Cordelia remains Angel.
"I know but Conner needs things. For us to be able to buy everything he needs we need money and to get more money we need clients." Angel tells her.
"What about the family money? With Darla and the Master gone you would be in charge of it." Spike reminds Angel. "Unless Penn somehow got control of it, but he's never really been interested in money so I doubt he would have." He adds realising that it is a possibility.
"William Penn's dead." Angel informs Spike surprised that he didn't already know.
"He is?" Spike asks surprised.
"You didn't know?" Cordelia asks surprised as she thought that either Angel would have told him or he would have felt it when he died like he did with Darla.
"No. How? When?" Spike asks Angel.
"It was two years ago. Not long after you were here last time actually." Angel reveals. "A police office I was working with staked through me and into him." Angel explains.
"Big Brothers gone as well." Spike says shocked "You me and Dru are all that left of the old family." Spike says shocked and a hint of sadness in his tone.
"You alright?" Angel asks concerned.
"Yeah Sire. I'm alright. I always thought, hoped I guess that somehow Dru had managed to track him down. You remember how well they used to get on? Don't like to think of what she is doing out there alone." Spike explains.
"Yeah, me either." Angel admits and the pair drift back into silence.
"So what's this about family money?" Cordelia asks wanting to get back on the topic and off of the topics that are making the two vampires' even more depressed than Angel at least usually is.
"It's money that we have acquired over the years." Spike explains "You're the oldest. Even if Penn was still alive you should be in charge of it." Spike tells Angel.
"After I got my soul back Darla changed all the information on the accounts. I don't know any of them." Angel explains "Also I'm not sure how I would feel about using money that belonged to people that had been killed." Angel says frowning.
"Not all of it." Spike reminds him "Both yours and my fortunes are a part of that and those alone are quite a lot of money."
"You have a fortune and we are just hearing about this now?" Cordelia asks frowning.
"Like I said I don't know how to access it." Angel tells her.
"I think I do." Spike says running upstairs.
"Does he ever explain anything?" Gunn asks.
"Not normally." Angel tells her. "Has he had something to eat?" Angel asks as he rocks Conner.
"Yeah. Just before you came down." Cordelia tells him.
"Got it! I knew I had it somewhere." Spike says returning downstairs, ten minutes later, holding a large envelope tied closed with rope.
"Had what somewhere?" Angel asks.
"After you left before Darla left for the Master for good she gave me a whole bunch of information on the family finances. I think because a lot of it was mine. I didn't care about it. It wasn't like Dru and I really used a lot of money. I didn't really think about it because I've always made do even in Sunnydale, but you've got a kid now and you're going to need money." Spike says sitting down on the couch and opening the envelope.
"What does it say?" Cordelia asks walking over to Spike.
"Give me a minute." Spike tells her. "Fred, do a search for Harrington's Global Bank. See if they have an outlet in Los Angeles." Spike requests.
"What have you found?" Angel asks.
"My fortune." Spike tells him "It's in bank account with some of the money we collected. I can access it if I go into a bank branch. There is the list of the others related to this one but they don't have the information needed to access them." Spike tells him.
"Darla didn't touch your fortune? Are you sure?" Angel asks surprised as he remembers how rich Spike was as a human.
"Doesn't look like it, but this information is from a hundred years ago. Things could have changed." Spike explains.
"Found it." Fred tells everyone to turn to look at him "Harrington's Global Bank has an office in Downtown LA." She informs everyone. "Odd opening hours." She comments frowning.
"Demon bank." Angel guesses.
"Would be my guess." Spike tells him "Can't see Darla or the Master using any other kind."
"Um, there may be a problem." Fred tells him reading the page.
"Knew that would be too easy." Spike comments "How big of one?"
"Wolfram and Hart are their biggest clients." Fred reveals.
"So a big one then." Gunn says frowning.
"Fred what time do they close?" Spike asks.
"Midnight. Like I said they have odd hours."
"Can I borrow your car?" Spike asks Angel.
"You're still going down their even when you know the connection to Wolfram and Hart." Angel says surprised.
"Of course. You and Junior need money and this is a lot of money that legally belongs to me. I'm not going to let some law firm no matter how evil keep it from me." Spike tells him.
"You can't go alone." Angel argues.
"And you can't come with me. One of us has to stay with Junior. You're rule remember." Spike reminds Angel.
"You're annoying." Angel says looking frustrated.
"No, I'm right." Spike tells him taking several steps closer to him "Which you don't like."
"You're taking someone with you." Angel informs Spike.
"No I'm not. If I did then they would be at risk and I won't allow that not when there is a Wolfram and Hart connection." Spike informs Angel.
"You know what Spike, do what you want. You always do anyway." Angel says walking up stairs with Conner "The car's yours."
"You just don't like it when something isn't how you want it." Spike says walking over to the reception desk "Keys?" he asks and Fred hands them to him.
"And here are the directions to the bank." She says handing the piece of paper over to him.
"Thanks." Spike says before exiting the hotel.
"Um what was that?" Gunn asks.
"Looks like we've got ourselves some sexually frustrated Vampires." Cordelia jokes.
"Thank you for the mental image I really truly did not need." Wesley says from his desk looking disturbed.
"Hang on maybe she's right." Fred tells everyone causing them all to turn and look at her surprised.
"I got to agree with Wes. Can we please not talk about this." Gunn requests.
"No but think about it." Fred says.
"I would rather not." Wesley informs her.
"For the last month Connor has been all Angel or Spike focus on. They always make sure that at least one of them is with him. They haven't had any time alone." Fred explains ignoring the disgusted looks of both Wesley and Gunn.
"Frustrated after a month. Those two should try being me." Cordelia mutters to herself.
"Okay I'm just going to say this once, it's their problem. There is nothing we can do. Can we please stop talking about it before I break into Cordy's and Spike's hidden alcohol stash." Gunn requests.
"Don't even think about it mister." Cordelia tells him angrily. "Maybe there is something we can do." She suggests.
"What were you thinking?" Fred asks.
"If we offer to take Connor out somewhere tomorrow. Then they can have some alone time." Cordelia tells her.
"Have you been paying attention in the last month?" Gunn asks her "That's not going to happen. They are too worried about his safety."
"We can try can't we?" Cordelia tell him.
"It's your funeral."
"Stupid Angel with his Nancy hair. I'm a centuries old vampire I don't need him to protect me." Spike says to himself angrily as he drives to the bank.
"Just because the Slayer beat me up doesn't mean I need him to do everything for me." Spike says to himself as he pulls into a car park. Once he gets out the car he makes sure to put the roof up and lock it as he will never hear the end of it if he gets Angel's car stolen.
When Spike enters the bank he realises that his and Angel's earlier speculation that it is a demon bank is correct. There are several recognizable Demons doing their business. His sense tell him more than one Vampire and surprisingly a few humans.
Spike approaches a teller and hands the woman, who he can tell is actually human, the first piece of paper in the documentation that Darla gave him "I need the details of all of these accounts." Spike tells her.
"Of course Sir. First I need to verify your identity." The teller tells him.
"How do you bloody do that? I don't have id." Spike informs her.
"You don't need it. Identity verification is done with a drop of blood." Placing what looks like a finger print scanner in front of Spike.
"Of course it is." Spike says using one of his finger nails to cut one of his fingers and squeezing a drop of blood onto the scanner.
"Thank you." The teller says before typing something onto the computer "Ah okay Mr Spike. I'm not authorised for an account this large so if you would please wait a moment I will get someone who is." The teller says before disappearing.
"Mr Spike this is a pleasure." A man who has returned with the teller says.
Spike senses that the man is a human so he is confused why he would consider meeting him a pleasure "Right, I just need to know what are my finances like? Do I still have my fortune from when I was human?" he asks the man.
"Yes you do. It has developed a sizable amount of interest over the last century and you also have several other accounts as well." The man tells him.
"I do?" Spike says surprised.
"Yes. Following the deaths of the Vampires known as Darla and The Master several of the Aurelius bank accounts were added to yours." The Teller says surprised.
"That's not right they should have gone to Angel." Spike tells him.
"Yes you are correct that would have usually been the procedure but Miss Darla changed that approximately ninety years ago. Out of the four Aurelius accounts that were added to yours two should have gone to Mr Angel and the other two are rightfully yours." The teller tells Spike.
"What does all this mean? How much Money do I have?" Spike asks the Teller.
"Here you will find a detailed breakdown of all of your finances." The man says handing Spike a piece of paper.
As Spike looks down at the piece of paper he is completely shocked at what he sees "Okay here is what I want to happen….." He begins to say looking up at the Man.
Meanwhile back at the Hyperion despite Gunn's warning Cordelia has headed up to Spike and Angel's room to talk to the older Vampire.
"Can I come in?" Cordelia asks Angel after knocking on the door.
"Sure. He's gotten bigger don't you think?" Angel asks looking down at Connor who is lying next to Angel on his and Spike's bed.
"Yeah he has." Cordelia asks smiling down at him. "So Fred and I were talking and it's meant to be a really nice day tomorrow so we were wondering if we could take him down to the beach? Give him some time in the sunshine. Let him smell that sea air. Then maybe go to that big park they have down there. Maybe drag Gunn and Wesley along with us." She suggests.
"I'm not…" Angel begins to say but Cordelia cuts him off.
"Angel I get that you're worried about his safety I really, really do but you can't shut him away from the world forever. Holtz is dead and Linwood and Wolfram and Hart seem to be taking your threat seriously. He's been safe for the last month but you need to relax a bit. For now at least he doesn't have anyone coming after him and we should take advantage of that." Cordelia tells him.
"What about whoever brought Holtz here in the first place? They are still out there." Angle reminds her. "And the book Wesley's translating? What if it says something bad?" Angel asks.
"Then we'll deal with it." Cordelia tells him "But we're just talking for a few hours and it's not like he won't be protect he'll have me and Fred and I'm sure it won't take much convincing to have Wesley and Gunn come along as well. Even Lorne if that's what you want." Cordelia tells him.
"Let me think about it." Angel tells her.
"Angel you need this as well. We've all noticed how cranky you've been lately." Cordelia tells him.
"Spike's back. He wants us all downstairs." Angel says to Cordelia as he picks up Connor.
"I don't think I'm ever going to get used to that." Cordelia mutters to herself as she follows Angel out of the room.
"What happened at the bank?" Angel asks Spike as he walks down the stairs where he finds Gunn, Fred, Wesley, Lorne, who has just returned, sitting on the couches and Spike standing.
"First the amount of interest that can accumulate in over a hundred years is insane." Spike tells Angel.
"You got access to your fortune." Angel guesses.
"Yeah, but not only that. After the deaths of Darla and The Master I got four of the Aurelius accounts." Spike tells Angel.
"You did?" Angel says surprised.
"Two of them were meant to be yours but you pissed Darla off a hell of a lot when you got a soul so she changed that, but I changed it back." Spike says handing Angel several documents and a credit card.
"Spike this money belonged to innocent people that were killed. I can't take it." Angel says attempting to hand Spike back the cards.
"I knew you were going to say that which is why before I did anything else I had the bank, which we were right is demonic, track down any descendants that the money rightfully belonged to. Once they did I said to return the money that was taken to them." Spike explains.
"You did?" Angel asks surprised.
"Why? You wouldn't care if it was stealing." Wesley asks looking shocked at the Vampire's action.
"But he would." Spike says pointing to Angel "I knew Sire wouldn't accept the money if it belonged to anyone else." Spike explains to Wesley.
"Only a small fraction of the money had descends to go to. Most of the money had no rightful recipients. Most of the money in those accounts belongs to Vampires that were minions of Aurelius and has since been killed, and some is from people that were killed hundreds of years ago but have no descended. You need the money Sire, but if you still won't accept it then I will give you and Junior my fortune which is legally mine." Spike explains to Angel. Everyone, especially Wesley, is shocked that a soulless Vampire is being so selfish by offering Angel something that is rightfully his just because it is more moral.
"All the money that could be has been returned?" Angel asks wanting to make sure.
"It has." Spike tells him. "I have the proof if you'll want to see it." Spike says handing Angel over several pieces of paper.
"Then, I guess I will keep it." Angel tells him after looking at the documents, though he still sounds slightly hesitant.
"Good." Spike tells him.
"You said there were four Aurelius' accounts. What did you do with the other two?" Angel asks interested.
"Turned one into the official Bank Account of Angel Investigations. Anything you lot need to do with the job can be paid for out of that account. It's the one which all your salaries will now be payed out of." Spike says handing Wesley documents and five cards.
Once more Spike has managed to shock everyone by doing something so generous "And the last one?" Angel asks assuming that he kept it for himself.
"An anonymous trust for Dawn Summers. Part of which will go to her on her eighteenth birthday, the rest of on her twenty fifth." Spike explains.
"Buffy's not going to like that." Angel reminds Spike.
"She'll never know where the money came from, neither will Nibblet." Spike tells Angel. "It's better that way."
"Why didn't you keep one of the accounts for yourself?" Angel asks interested.
"I have my fortune that's all I need." Spike explains. "I've got a few hours before sunrise I'm going to go see if I can find some Vampires to kill." Spike says before walking over to Angel and Conner "See you later Junior. Don't keep your Dad up with your crying again." He says before leaving.
"Did he get a soul when we weren't paying attention?" Gunn asks surprised.
"No, he's still the same old Spike." Wesley comments also surprised by the vampire's actions.
"No he's not." Angel tells everyone "The old Spike he would never do that. He's changed." Angel tells everyone.
"Why though? Why would he change? Is it the chip?" Gunn asks interested.
"No it's love." Lorne tells everyone.
"What do you mean?" Wesley asks.
"I felt it when I first met Spike three years ago. He loves. He is the only soulless vampire I have even known of that loves with his whole heart. The chip allowed him to really see things instead of lashing out without thinking. The chip is what stopped him from killing but it was love he felt that changed him. He changed in the beginning because of the love he felt for Buffy, Dawn and his friends in Sunnydale but he has stayed changed because of what he feels for all of us, you and the Little Guy especially." Lorne explains to Angel.
"Love can change a vampire; I never thought that was possible." Gunn comments surprised.
"Not any Vampire, just William." Angel says as he looks down at his son knowing that everything Lorne said is true.
"Holly crap." Cordelia suddenly says.
"What?" Everyone asks concerned.
"Look how much money is going to go into our bank accounts ever month." She tells the others showing them the piece of paper that Spike gave Wesley.
"Wow." Gunn say shocked looking at the piece of paper.
"That's a whole lot of money." Fred says surprised.
"Wesley, has that book of yours said anything about Connor?" Angel asks ending the conversation on money.
"I'm still working on it." Wesley informs Angel "There are a few vague references that could be relevant to Connor but it's not entirely clear." Wesley tells him.
"Oh okay. You'll tell me as soon as it does mention him." Angel says to Wesley.
"Of course." Wesley answers.
"You know I think your right Cordy." Angel tells her.
"Of course I am. I'm Cordelia."
"He could use some sun, but not too much of course. I don't want him to get a sunburn." Angel says.
"Does that mean you'll let us take him?" Cordelia asks looking exited.
"If you all go and the second there seems like the slightest possibility of trouble you bring him back." Angel says to her.
"We can do that." Cordelia tells him.
"Can do what? What are we doing?" Gunn asks confused.
"Taking Connor to the playground by the beach tomorrow." Fred tells him "Remember Cordelia and I were taking about asking Angel earlier." She reminds him.
"Oh right, yeah." Gunn says.
"Well as much fun as that sounds, I have already got a couple of clients lined up so I'm afraid I won't be able to come." Lorne comments disappointed that he won't be joining them.
"Are you seeing them here or at their homes?" Fred asks curious as if he is seeing them at the Hotel then that complicates the goal that her and Cordelia had of giving Spike and Angel some alone time.
"Home visits tomorrow. I don't have any clients here for a few days." Lorne explains.
"So what time do you want us to come pick him up?" Cordelia asks Angel interested.
"I was thinking ten that gives us all time to get some sleep." Angel tells her.
"Sounds good." Cordelia says "But in that case I'm going to head home and get some sleep so I'll be ready for a day with the little one." Cordelia says with a smile.
"Cordelia." Angel says stopping her before she can leave.
"Yeah?"
"Bring a camera; I want a lot of photos." He tells her.
"Will do." Cordelia promises before leaving.
"I better go get him to bed. See you all in a few hours." Angel says heading upstairs.
As Spike leaves the hotel he hears Gunn ask the others whether he got a soul when they weren't looking and he hears Wesley's response. As he walks he can't help but wonder if they will ever accept him fully or if he is destined to always feel like he did when he was in Sunnydale an outsider, no longer a monster unable to be a man.
As he walks longer his thoughts turn to Penn. He may not have been around a lot when the Whirlwind were together but he was family, he was his big brother. Penn took time to teach him a few things when he was a fledgling and he got on amazingly well with Dru. Spike can't believe that he Angel and Dru are the only ones of the family left. He has been walking and thinking of Penn for a while before he senses finally tell him that there is another vampire nearby. Follow the trail he finds two vampires attacking a young girl feeling like that is just what he needs a good fight Spike rushes into the alley.
Spike managers to pull the first Vampire off of the girl and gets in a few good blows before throwing the Vampire against a nearby broken wooden post, killing him.
With the second Vampire Spike decides to have a bit of actual fight with before dusting. Once he dusted the first the other attacked, just like Spike suspected. They dance around the each other for several minutes trading blow the other Vampire not realising that if Spike wanted it he would have already be dusted for now. Getting bored with the fight Spike starts to actually fight and within a minute the other Vampire is dust. Spike looks around for the Girl but he doesn't see her so he assumes that he must have run off during the fight.
Spike would like nothing more to go and find another fight but he realises that it is almost time for the sun to rise so he heads back to the hotel. Once he's there he heads straight up to his and Angel's room. Being as quite as possible, so not wake Connor, Spike gets change and climbs in bed next to Angel.
"I was worried that you weren't going to get back in time." Angel tells him.
"You should know better than that Sire. I always do." Spike responds.
"Except when you actually want to try and see the sun rise." Angel reminds him.
"That happened once when I was a Fledgling. Are you ever going to let me forget that?" Spike asks Angel interested.
"It happened a lot more than once." Angel tells him "Did you get in a decent fight?" Angel asks Spike interested before he has a chance to respond to his previous statement.
"No. The vampire's in this city really aren't the greatest." Spike reveals.
"I'm so sorry that they don't meet your high standards." Angel says pulling Spike into his arms.
"Some do." Spike says.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Penn. You we're in Sunnydale when he was killed so I assumed you felt it." Angel tells his Childe.
"There isn't a direct blood line between us only a familiar one, so I would have only felt his death if I was in the same city." Spike points out.
"I forgot." Angel admits knowing that he should have "Are you alright?"
"It was a shock. Like I said I always thought he and Dru were somewhere together but I'm alright." Spike says and for a few minutes the bond is silent.
"Cordelia, Wesley, Gunn, and Fred are going to take Connor to the playground near the beach tomorrow." Angel reveals after the bond has been silent for a little while.
"Really?" Spike asks surprised "What did it take for you to agree to that?" Spike asks interested.
"Just the promise that they will all go and if there is the slightest possibility of trouble then they will bring him back." Angel explains.
"Good. I think it will do him some good to spend some time out of this hotel. Get some sunshine. You don't want the poor kid to be as pale as us do you?" Spike asks.
"No I don't. I just worry." Angel tells him.
"I know you do, you're his Dad it's what you're supposed to do." Spike tells him "But it's not like he will be unprotected those four would do whatever it takes to protect him." Spike reminds him.
"I know." Angel tells him "I can still worry though can't I?" Angel asks.
"Course, like I said you're his Dad. It's what you do." Spike responds and once again the bound is silent.
"Lorne isn't going to be here tomorrow either." Angel informs Spike.
"Really?" Spike asks "So we'll have the whole place to ourselves." Spike realises.
"Yep, a lot of things we could do." Angel tells him.
"Oh there is." Spike responds "But if we want to do any of them then I suggest sleep." Spike says looking up at Angel with a grin.
"Sounds like a good idea." Angel says and once more the bond is silent
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