1 Title: The Walking Wounded
2 Author: Spike 'n Cordy
Summary: When Angel's soul becomes permanent but he neglects to tell the group and they hear it from Spike. How will they react?
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Authors notes: Enjoy and please review.
Timeline: Set after Reunion and Crush
Chapter Ten - That Old Gang of Mine
Wesley banged on the steel door to the, seemingly abandoned, warehouse three times in quick repetition. A tiny window slid open to reveal a pair of dark eyes, "What 'cha want?"
"We're here to see Gunn," Wesley spoke to the young man, "Tell him Wesley's here with a surprise."
The window closed, a few minutes later the door opened and Gunn stepped out, "Hey English, what brings you by, man?"
Wesley pointed behind Gunn, he turned, "Cordelia!" He engulfed her in a bear hug and swung her around, "Your back."
Cordelia broke away with a smile, "I'm just here visiting. It's good to see you, Gunn. You look well."
"I be well. Come into the crib you." he noticed Spike, "He still good?"
"Spike can't hurt anyone in there, but he technically isn't good."
"Should I leave him out here?" Gunn looked suspiciously at him.
"I won't bite, promise," Spike said in the most unconvincing voice.
Cordelia smacked him upside the head, "If he starts humping peoples legs we can kick him out."
"Hey, I'm not a dog, pet."
She turned to Wesley and Gunn, "When someone says 'Spike' you assume they're talking about a."
"Dog," they both answered.
"Well, you're the bitch."
Cordelia laughed.
"Let's get inside, no biting," Gunn held open the door.
~~~~
Twenty-Four Hours Later
Spike was driving erratically on their way from Gunn's to the hotel. "Bloody hell. It's called a gas pedal. Use it!" He yelled at the car in front of them.
Cordelia reached over and patted his shoulder. She looked back at Wesley from her place in the passenger seat, "He gets like this when he's tired. Poor baby needs some sleep."
"Sod off!" He growled at Cordelia's use of her baby talk voice. "This car's going so damn slow, I think we could walk faster."
Cordelia just smiled back at Wesley, who was chuckling.
They had just spent the entire day catching up with Gunn, who had expanded his crew into two groups, research and fighters. "Better to know what you're fighting then to go in blind, right English?"
Cordelia beamed at how Gunn had used his time with them to make his group more efficient. He seemed happy and not eager to go back to the hotel.
"Do you like it at the hotel, Wes?"
He sighed, "It's not the same without you and Gunn there, but it's bearable."
"Oh." She paused, "I was kind of hoping you would want to come with us, you know, see the world. Or at least more of the States."
"Oh Cord.I would.I mean that would be satisfactory," Wesley tried to hide his enthusiasm.
"Good, 'cause it's no fun insulting Cordelia any more. She knows all my good lines. I could use a new punching bag."
"He's just joking. All 'impotent one' can do is give off one liners that only he thinks are funny."
"Rodney thought they were funny."
"Rodney wanted to get in your pants."
"NO. No way was Rod light in his loafers. He was strong, the only worthy opponent in freak dimension."
"He wanted to impress you. After you guys spared he always limped back to his room to cry. He had the big puppy love."
Spike looked disgusted, "Eww. He did always find a reason to touch my." at their curious gaze he changed his story, "my arms. They are well muscled."
"Sure sweetheart, whatever you say," Cordelia and Wesley laughed at his discomfort. After a short silence Cordelia turned to Wesley, "So you will come. This will be awesome. How are you going to tell Angel?"
"I don't know."
"I have a suggestion," Spike smirked. "Walk right up to him, belt him one then say you quit."
"I'm not going to attack him."
"Maybe just say that your time with him has been valuable but you think it's time that you did your own thing," Cordelia recommended. Then added, "With us."
"Or I could tell him the truth. That the last year there has been a living hell with his and Buffy's constant fighting, making up, fighting, making up. My God I'm surprised I haven't started sacrificing children to a demon that would try to kill them. Of course in between their fights and making up they'd find time to kill it because that's what they do. And don't get me started on Willow and Xander. All I want to do is get away from those two heartthrobs long enough to wash my brain out with all their kissing and groping."
"I don't think he's happy at his current place of employment," Spike joked as Wesley continued to describe that it was worse then the time Faith tortured him for hours on end.
Cordelia frowned, "No, he's not." She stopped Wesley in the middle of his declaration, "I'm so sorry I left you alone to deal with that."
"It's not your fault Cordelia, I thought it was the right thing to do at the time and I was wrong. If you had come back with me we might have both been trapped. You came back, that's all that matters."
They smiled at each other and Spike slammed on the brakes. "Home sweet home."
~~~~
Wesley, Spike and Cordelia strolled into the hotel laughing at some rude comment Spike had made.
All Cordelia wanted to do was shower and go to sleep.
"Where were you?" Angel's voice came out of the darkness.
"Geeze Angel you scared me," Cordelia's hand went to her heart. "We went to see Gunn, remember?"
"You went almost twenty-four hours ago."
Cordelia sat down across from Angel on the couches, "Four years combined to catch up on. That takes a while."
"Yeah, so what are you doing tonight?"
"Sleeping," she stated.
Wesley spoke, "Would it be okay if they stayed here? I would offer my place but it's not large enough."
"Of course they can stay," Angel smiled at the idea of having Cordelia close to him again.
"Thanks Angel. We'll just be here for a couple days, then we're moving on. Good night." She hugged Wesley and whispered in his ear, "Talk to him."
Cordelia and Spike went upstairs to find livable rooms in which to sleep. Leaving a very nervous Wesley and confused Angel alone.
Angel noticed Wesley's strange behavior, "What's up Wes?"
"Angel we need to talk," he started.
Angel nodded and waited. Twenty seconds passed before he prodded Wes into talking, "What do we need to talk about?"
"Well.I.I would like to talk about my employment."
"Oh I get it. Cordelia shows up and you want a raise. I'm sorry Wesley but we can't afford to-"
"I don't want a raise, Angel, I want to quit," he almost sighed with relief when he said it. At Angel's dumb look, he repeated himself, "I quit."
Angel shook himself out of his daze, "What? Why?"
Wes sat beside him on the couch, "I haven't been happy here for quite a while now. I think it's time I moved on, tried new things."
"I.I don't know what to say, I mean, I'm sorry. I just didn't expect this."
"How could you not Angel, I've been miserable and made no secret about it. I've stormed out of here in a rage at least five times this month alone."
Angel smiled, "I just thought you were trying to be dramatic."
"No, Angel, I wasn't."
"Why did you stay if you felt this way?"
"Because I still considered you family Angel. We were brothers before you went dark and Buffy came back. I was sort of hoping that you would snap out of it. We fought side by side then I was pushed to the sidelines. I want to get back out there. Fight the good fight, not read the good book."
"What are you going to do?"
"Cordelia and Spike asked me to come with them."
"I'm.I don't know what to say. I'm sorry that working here made you miserable. I would change it if I could, but I don't know how."
"That's okay Angel. I wouldn't stay any way. I need to get out of LA for a while any way. So here's my chance."
Angel pulled Wes in for a hug, "You'll have to come and visit."
"Of course I will."
2 Author: Spike 'n Cordy
Summary: When Angel's soul becomes permanent but he neglects to tell the group and they hear it from Spike. How will they react?
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Authors notes: Enjoy and please review.
Timeline: Set after Reunion and Crush
Chapter Ten - That Old Gang of Mine
Wesley banged on the steel door to the, seemingly abandoned, warehouse three times in quick repetition. A tiny window slid open to reveal a pair of dark eyes, "What 'cha want?"
"We're here to see Gunn," Wesley spoke to the young man, "Tell him Wesley's here with a surprise."
The window closed, a few minutes later the door opened and Gunn stepped out, "Hey English, what brings you by, man?"
Wesley pointed behind Gunn, he turned, "Cordelia!" He engulfed her in a bear hug and swung her around, "Your back."
Cordelia broke away with a smile, "I'm just here visiting. It's good to see you, Gunn. You look well."
"I be well. Come into the crib you." he noticed Spike, "He still good?"
"Spike can't hurt anyone in there, but he technically isn't good."
"Should I leave him out here?" Gunn looked suspiciously at him.
"I won't bite, promise," Spike said in the most unconvincing voice.
Cordelia smacked him upside the head, "If he starts humping peoples legs we can kick him out."
"Hey, I'm not a dog, pet."
She turned to Wesley and Gunn, "When someone says 'Spike' you assume they're talking about a."
"Dog," they both answered.
"Well, you're the bitch."
Cordelia laughed.
"Let's get inside, no biting," Gunn held open the door.
~~~~
Twenty-Four Hours Later
Spike was driving erratically on their way from Gunn's to the hotel. "Bloody hell. It's called a gas pedal. Use it!" He yelled at the car in front of them.
Cordelia reached over and patted his shoulder. She looked back at Wesley from her place in the passenger seat, "He gets like this when he's tired. Poor baby needs some sleep."
"Sod off!" He growled at Cordelia's use of her baby talk voice. "This car's going so damn slow, I think we could walk faster."
Cordelia just smiled back at Wesley, who was chuckling.
They had just spent the entire day catching up with Gunn, who had expanded his crew into two groups, research and fighters. "Better to know what you're fighting then to go in blind, right English?"
Cordelia beamed at how Gunn had used his time with them to make his group more efficient. He seemed happy and not eager to go back to the hotel.
"Do you like it at the hotel, Wes?"
He sighed, "It's not the same without you and Gunn there, but it's bearable."
"Oh." She paused, "I was kind of hoping you would want to come with us, you know, see the world. Or at least more of the States."
"Oh Cord.I would.I mean that would be satisfactory," Wesley tried to hide his enthusiasm.
"Good, 'cause it's no fun insulting Cordelia any more. She knows all my good lines. I could use a new punching bag."
"He's just joking. All 'impotent one' can do is give off one liners that only he thinks are funny."
"Rodney thought they were funny."
"Rodney wanted to get in your pants."
"NO. No way was Rod light in his loafers. He was strong, the only worthy opponent in freak dimension."
"He wanted to impress you. After you guys spared he always limped back to his room to cry. He had the big puppy love."
Spike looked disgusted, "Eww. He did always find a reason to touch my." at their curious gaze he changed his story, "my arms. They are well muscled."
"Sure sweetheart, whatever you say," Cordelia and Wesley laughed at his discomfort. After a short silence Cordelia turned to Wesley, "So you will come. This will be awesome. How are you going to tell Angel?"
"I don't know."
"I have a suggestion," Spike smirked. "Walk right up to him, belt him one then say you quit."
"I'm not going to attack him."
"Maybe just say that your time with him has been valuable but you think it's time that you did your own thing," Cordelia recommended. Then added, "With us."
"Or I could tell him the truth. That the last year there has been a living hell with his and Buffy's constant fighting, making up, fighting, making up. My God I'm surprised I haven't started sacrificing children to a demon that would try to kill them. Of course in between their fights and making up they'd find time to kill it because that's what they do. And don't get me started on Willow and Xander. All I want to do is get away from those two heartthrobs long enough to wash my brain out with all their kissing and groping."
"I don't think he's happy at his current place of employment," Spike joked as Wesley continued to describe that it was worse then the time Faith tortured him for hours on end.
Cordelia frowned, "No, he's not." She stopped Wesley in the middle of his declaration, "I'm so sorry I left you alone to deal with that."
"It's not your fault Cordelia, I thought it was the right thing to do at the time and I was wrong. If you had come back with me we might have both been trapped. You came back, that's all that matters."
They smiled at each other and Spike slammed on the brakes. "Home sweet home."
~~~~
Wesley, Spike and Cordelia strolled into the hotel laughing at some rude comment Spike had made.
All Cordelia wanted to do was shower and go to sleep.
"Where were you?" Angel's voice came out of the darkness.
"Geeze Angel you scared me," Cordelia's hand went to her heart. "We went to see Gunn, remember?"
"You went almost twenty-four hours ago."
Cordelia sat down across from Angel on the couches, "Four years combined to catch up on. That takes a while."
"Yeah, so what are you doing tonight?"
"Sleeping," she stated.
Wesley spoke, "Would it be okay if they stayed here? I would offer my place but it's not large enough."
"Of course they can stay," Angel smiled at the idea of having Cordelia close to him again.
"Thanks Angel. We'll just be here for a couple days, then we're moving on. Good night." She hugged Wesley and whispered in his ear, "Talk to him."
Cordelia and Spike went upstairs to find livable rooms in which to sleep. Leaving a very nervous Wesley and confused Angel alone.
Angel noticed Wesley's strange behavior, "What's up Wes?"
"Angel we need to talk," he started.
Angel nodded and waited. Twenty seconds passed before he prodded Wes into talking, "What do we need to talk about?"
"Well.I.I would like to talk about my employment."
"Oh I get it. Cordelia shows up and you want a raise. I'm sorry Wesley but we can't afford to-"
"I don't want a raise, Angel, I want to quit," he almost sighed with relief when he said it. At Angel's dumb look, he repeated himself, "I quit."
Angel shook himself out of his daze, "What? Why?"
Wes sat beside him on the couch, "I haven't been happy here for quite a while now. I think it's time I moved on, tried new things."
"I.I don't know what to say, I mean, I'm sorry. I just didn't expect this."
"How could you not Angel, I've been miserable and made no secret about it. I've stormed out of here in a rage at least five times this month alone."
Angel smiled, "I just thought you were trying to be dramatic."
"No, Angel, I wasn't."
"Why did you stay if you felt this way?"
"Because I still considered you family Angel. We were brothers before you went dark and Buffy came back. I was sort of hoping that you would snap out of it. We fought side by side then I was pushed to the sidelines. I want to get back out there. Fight the good fight, not read the good book."
"What are you going to do?"
"Cordelia and Spike asked me to come with them."
"I'm.I don't know what to say. I'm sorry that working here made you miserable. I would change it if I could, but I don't know how."
"That's okay Angel. I wouldn't stay any way. I need to get out of LA for a while any way. So here's my chance."
Angel pulled Wes in for a hug, "You'll have to come and visit."
"Of course I will."
