Part 5: Needs
It was late when Cordelia arrived back at the hotel. She had walked around for a while, not knowing where to go or what to do. In a way, she was looking, waiting for guidance, for a clue of what had happened. She found nothing. Despite the late hour and the amount of walking she had done, she did not feel tired. As she continued through the streets, she was no less determined to find Angel, but she felt hopeless and almost desperate.
Although it was past midnight when Cordelia returned, Fred and Gunn were still at the hotel, sorting through the files and books that were spread over the office. Cordelia regretted the fact that she had left the two of them with all the work, while she had accomplished nothing. She reasoned that she would not have been able to work in the office without knowing, without trying to do something.
Fred put down the book she was frowning at when Cordelia walked in. "Any luck?" she asked hopefully.
Cordelia simply shook her head. "We'll work it out, we always do." She smiled faintly, deciding to hide her insecurities. Despite their faith in her, the others did not look convinced.
"What did you find out? You were gone a long time. Those lawyers know anything?" Gunn wanted to know.
"No... I though they did, but it didn't work out. I was following up some leads..." She trailed off, not wanting to tell them about Wesley. "You guys should get some rest, I'll clear up here."
"Cordy, you should get some sleep too..." Fred was not as talkative as usual.
"I've got a few things to do, then I will, promise." She attempted to smile, comforting herself aswell as the others.
"I think I'll stay here tonight." Gunn decided. "Don't want anything to happen."
"Protect the womenfolk..." she trailed off, the tears pricking her eyes threatening to fall. Calmly, she took a deep breath. "I appreciate it, Gunn. What did you find about the client?"
"We were doing some research, looking at the facts," Fred gestured to the books lying on the desk. "But we really don't have much to go on, and we're not exactly good at this type of thing."
"I'm sure we'll figure it out. Get some rest and try again in the morning. We can hit the streets and see if we find anything."
"Maybe you'll have a vision?" Gunn wondered.
"I don't exactly control them..." As she said this, a through struck her. She did not even know whether she got the visions any more, or how she could use her powers. Nothing had been told to her and she was unsure of how to explore them. So far she had used them without truly being in control, it had just happened instinctively.
Cordelia continued to think about this as Fred and Gunn made their ways upstairs and she sat alone in the lobby. As thoughts and possibilities crowded her mind, she made the obvious decision that her priority would be to somehow induce a vision of where Angel was. The client was important, but did not seem to be in life-threatening danger and the others were working on it.
After deciding to surround herself with Angel's things, she made her way up the stairs to his room. She had expected to be comforted by familiar items, but the place felt empty without him there. Listening to the silence, she waited for him to appear behind her, in the stealthly manner which was his custom and had surprised her so many times in the past. She waited, but he did not come. When she turned around she saw only a familiar leather duster flung accross a chair. A tear slid down her cheek as her had filled with pictures of Angel in the same leather coat. As she stood without moving, her vivid memories were almost like visions, she could see as clearly as if she was actually there.
She could see Angel laughing, grinning in his goofy way. She saw him hugging her after he had rescued her, happy that she was safe. When the images started to fade, she began to understand their message. It was her turn to do the saving, she had to rescue him now. "I will come for you, Angel." She whispered.
As she sank into the depths of the chair, she pulled Angel's coat around her, surrounding herself in him. A new determination had taken over her. "You need me and I will find you, wherever you are. I need you more than ever right now." Her tears continued to fall, as she remembered the strange creatures and their words. When she found him, she would not be able to stay, to declare her feelings for him. She would have to be strong, it would be the hardest thing she had ever done. "I love you." She sobbed to the empty room, safe in the knowledge that he would not hear.
She felt suddenly drained, exhaustion was finally catching up with her. She relaxed into the chair as her flow of emotions and thoughts finally stopped and was replaced with dreams.
***
"I love you." The words were spoken softly, but meaningfully.
Angel knew he was dreaming, but hope still flared up inside him. He kept his eyes closed, not wanting to open them and see nothing but darkness, the face of Cordelia banished to the memory of a dream.
His closed eyes did not open to see the protective glow of the light surrounding the box, keeping him safe until she could come.
***
Wesley sat alone on a bench in the park opposite his apartment building. Sleep did not come easy to him any more and he appreciated the lack of people around at the late hour. The park reminded him of his earlier plan to run away with the baby, making him think that he could still run. Even as he thought this, he knew that he would not do it. He would not pick up and leave as he had in Sunnydale, finding a new place and a new home. He did not want to spend his whole life on the run, fighting the good fight but waiting to mess up.
"How did you find me?" He asked suddenly.
Steven was slightly startled as he made his way around the bench from behind. He did not speak.
"It doesn't matter really, I knew that you would. But I can't help you, I've done enough damage already."
Steven only stared at him. He had not known how the man was going to react, but he had not thought that he would have been expecting him.
"Don't say that," he scowled. Wesley winced at the familiar flash of anger in the child's eyes. "You helped me to be with my rightful father."
"I took you away from your real father, I betrayed all of my friends." Wesley sensed that he was opening up to the boy, who seemed to understand what he felt. Wesley had no idea how the boy was back, but he thought that he must have been through hell, quite literally. Steven's young body betrayed the age shown in his eyes.
"The vampire was not your friend, he could never be. He has done too many bad things. Look at what he did to my father."
"He did not kill Holtz."
"I realise that now, that's not what I meant. His crimes go way back."
"I know what you meant, but Angel is good now. He helps the helpless. He's on a mission to redemption." Wesley stood up, facing Steven.
"Why are you defending him? After all he has done... have you never doubted that he'll succeed in his 'mission'?" Steven was visibly angry.
Wesley thought back to Angel's 'beige' period, when he had fired them all. He had never forgotten that it was always a possibility, that the foundations were not secure. "We all make mistakes," he said, weakly.
"We shouldn't have to. Angelus will never have to again."
"Sometimes when you think you are doing the right thing, you really aren't."
"You did do the right thing. It turned out okay." Steven gestured to himself.
"Things are far from 'okay'. I guess you'll be needing a safe place to stay?"
Steven was shocked, he had not been expecting that. Silently, he followed the older man inside, something made him want to trust him. Steven found it strange that trust came easy to him, but he knew that Wesley would help him. At the same time, Wesley groaned inwardly. He did not want to be in this position, caring for Angel's child. He knew that Angel would kill him if he found out. He wondered if he would have still taken the boy in if he had not known that Angel was safely contained. He recognised that this was his last chance to do something right, to have a positive impact on the whole mess. Even so, he was at a loss of what to do, the last thing he wanted to be was a father to the boy.
It was late when Cordelia arrived back at the hotel. She had walked around for a while, not knowing where to go or what to do. In a way, she was looking, waiting for guidance, for a clue of what had happened. She found nothing. Despite the late hour and the amount of walking she had done, she did not feel tired. As she continued through the streets, she was no less determined to find Angel, but she felt hopeless and almost desperate.
Although it was past midnight when Cordelia returned, Fred and Gunn were still at the hotel, sorting through the files and books that were spread over the office. Cordelia regretted the fact that she had left the two of them with all the work, while she had accomplished nothing. She reasoned that she would not have been able to work in the office without knowing, without trying to do something.
Fred put down the book she was frowning at when Cordelia walked in. "Any luck?" she asked hopefully.
Cordelia simply shook her head. "We'll work it out, we always do." She smiled faintly, deciding to hide her insecurities. Despite their faith in her, the others did not look convinced.
"What did you find out? You were gone a long time. Those lawyers know anything?" Gunn wanted to know.
"No... I though they did, but it didn't work out. I was following up some leads..." She trailed off, not wanting to tell them about Wesley. "You guys should get some rest, I'll clear up here."
"Cordy, you should get some sleep too..." Fred was not as talkative as usual.
"I've got a few things to do, then I will, promise." She attempted to smile, comforting herself aswell as the others.
"I think I'll stay here tonight." Gunn decided. "Don't want anything to happen."
"Protect the womenfolk..." she trailed off, the tears pricking her eyes threatening to fall. Calmly, she took a deep breath. "I appreciate it, Gunn. What did you find about the client?"
"We were doing some research, looking at the facts," Fred gestured to the books lying on the desk. "But we really don't have much to go on, and we're not exactly good at this type of thing."
"I'm sure we'll figure it out. Get some rest and try again in the morning. We can hit the streets and see if we find anything."
"Maybe you'll have a vision?" Gunn wondered.
"I don't exactly control them..." As she said this, a through struck her. She did not even know whether she got the visions any more, or how she could use her powers. Nothing had been told to her and she was unsure of how to explore them. So far she had used them without truly being in control, it had just happened instinctively.
Cordelia continued to think about this as Fred and Gunn made their ways upstairs and she sat alone in the lobby. As thoughts and possibilities crowded her mind, she made the obvious decision that her priority would be to somehow induce a vision of where Angel was. The client was important, but did not seem to be in life-threatening danger and the others were working on it.
After deciding to surround herself with Angel's things, she made her way up the stairs to his room. She had expected to be comforted by familiar items, but the place felt empty without him there. Listening to the silence, she waited for him to appear behind her, in the stealthly manner which was his custom and had surprised her so many times in the past. She waited, but he did not come. When she turned around she saw only a familiar leather duster flung accross a chair. A tear slid down her cheek as her had filled with pictures of Angel in the same leather coat. As she stood without moving, her vivid memories were almost like visions, she could see as clearly as if she was actually there.
She could see Angel laughing, grinning in his goofy way. She saw him hugging her after he had rescued her, happy that she was safe. When the images started to fade, she began to understand their message. It was her turn to do the saving, she had to rescue him now. "I will come for you, Angel." She whispered.
As she sank into the depths of the chair, she pulled Angel's coat around her, surrounding herself in him. A new determination had taken over her. "You need me and I will find you, wherever you are. I need you more than ever right now." Her tears continued to fall, as she remembered the strange creatures and their words. When she found him, she would not be able to stay, to declare her feelings for him. She would have to be strong, it would be the hardest thing she had ever done. "I love you." She sobbed to the empty room, safe in the knowledge that he would not hear.
She felt suddenly drained, exhaustion was finally catching up with her. She relaxed into the chair as her flow of emotions and thoughts finally stopped and was replaced with dreams.
***
"I love you." The words were spoken softly, but meaningfully.
Angel knew he was dreaming, but hope still flared up inside him. He kept his eyes closed, not wanting to open them and see nothing but darkness, the face of Cordelia banished to the memory of a dream.
His closed eyes did not open to see the protective glow of the light surrounding the box, keeping him safe until she could come.
***
Wesley sat alone on a bench in the park opposite his apartment building. Sleep did not come easy to him any more and he appreciated the lack of people around at the late hour. The park reminded him of his earlier plan to run away with the baby, making him think that he could still run. Even as he thought this, he knew that he would not do it. He would not pick up and leave as he had in Sunnydale, finding a new place and a new home. He did not want to spend his whole life on the run, fighting the good fight but waiting to mess up.
"How did you find me?" He asked suddenly.
Steven was slightly startled as he made his way around the bench from behind. He did not speak.
"It doesn't matter really, I knew that you would. But I can't help you, I've done enough damage already."
Steven only stared at him. He had not known how the man was going to react, but he had not thought that he would have been expecting him.
"Don't say that," he scowled. Wesley winced at the familiar flash of anger in the child's eyes. "You helped me to be with my rightful father."
"I took you away from your real father, I betrayed all of my friends." Wesley sensed that he was opening up to the boy, who seemed to understand what he felt. Wesley had no idea how the boy was back, but he thought that he must have been through hell, quite literally. Steven's young body betrayed the age shown in his eyes.
"The vampire was not your friend, he could never be. He has done too many bad things. Look at what he did to my father."
"He did not kill Holtz."
"I realise that now, that's not what I meant. His crimes go way back."
"I know what you meant, but Angel is good now. He helps the helpless. He's on a mission to redemption." Wesley stood up, facing Steven.
"Why are you defending him? After all he has done... have you never doubted that he'll succeed in his 'mission'?" Steven was visibly angry.
Wesley thought back to Angel's 'beige' period, when he had fired them all. He had never forgotten that it was always a possibility, that the foundations were not secure. "We all make mistakes," he said, weakly.
"We shouldn't have to. Angelus will never have to again."
"Sometimes when you think you are doing the right thing, you really aren't."
"You did do the right thing. It turned out okay." Steven gestured to himself.
"Things are far from 'okay'. I guess you'll be needing a safe place to stay?"
Steven was shocked, he had not been expecting that. Silently, he followed the older man inside, something made him want to trust him. Steven found it strange that trust came easy to him, but he knew that Wesley would help him. At the same time, Wesley groaned inwardly. He did not want to be in this position, caring for Angel's child. He knew that Angel would kill him if he found out. He wondered if he would have still taken the boy in if he had not known that Angel was safely contained. He recognised that this was his last chance to do something right, to have a positive impact on the whole mess. Even so, he was at a loss of what to do, the last thing he wanted to be was a father to the boy.