Okay I finally got this part cranked out.  It's close to 7000 words so it about doubled the story length. 

In regards to what some of you guys commented about.  I figured I'd add my two cents since you guys were kind enough to review:

RobClark:  Who says Xander gets to be the Power's butt monkey?  Quite the opposite.  You're going to find out the Powers (Read: Cordelia) need him more than he needs them.

AngelaM:  Yeah it's Tara but of course with anything there's a catch. 

Obsidian:  Ascend?  Let's not get too carried away...then again if it happened to Cordelia...Oh as for her I get this strange feeling the PTB (to say nothing of Xander) would not be happy if/when they found out.  Of course that isn't going to stop her from pushing the envelope even further. 

White Werewolf:  I'm probably going to send an email to you about that soon.

Bare in mind to everybody this won't be a 'Super Xander' story.  Yes it's a power per-se but he doesn't want it, doesn't like it and is too afraid to tell anyone about it since he needs their help and doesn't want to be labeled insane.

On that note as the fic goes on, I wonder what Anya would do if she remembers what she did?

Thanks to all you guys for the reviews and they're always appreciated. 

As for this chapter I had to cut the part about how Sahjhan escaped out of this section or else it would've been huge.  Sorry about that.  It'll be its own standalone for chapter 4, it's already about 3/4 done.  I might have it done by late next week.(I go for my certification test in Oracle on Monday so I'll be swamped this weekend).

----

Ch 3 - It takes a thief...

----

Thieves respect property; they merely wish the property to become their property that they may more perfectly respect it.
-- C.K. Chesterton  (The Man Who Was Thursday, 1908)

NOOO!!!! -- Me at 1:35 a.m. on Saturday after my HD gave out losing everything except this story and my copy of 'Who Are You'.  ;)

----

Wes stared at his two visitors for a short while after Lilah had left. 

Xander tried to break the ice.  "It's been...years since I last saw you.  You look good."

Wesley looked very different to them.  The glasses and meticulously clean suit were replaced by a more rugged, dirtier exterior as shown by the blue jeans and white t-shirt he had on. 

"Yes.  It has.  What are you doing here?" 
"It's a long story.  Can we come in?" 

"Actually no."  They would also soon find out the I-don't-give-a-damn attitude instead of the almost fanatical devotion to rules and tradition Wes had from Sunnydale. 

"A little hostile are we?"  Xander pointed out.

"You would be too. You must understand this is a surprise seeing the both of you here.  I never expected to either of you again.  Why are you here?"  He calmly but firmly asked again.  Then he decided to answer his own question.  "No wait.  You don't know where I live so someone must told the both of you.  Gunn and Fred?"

Xander nodded.

"So obviously you came to Los Angeles for something.  Not to make a courtesy call."

"Right.  See what happened is..."

"You came looking for Angel."  He interrupted Xander with his own idea of why they were visiting.  "And when you realized both he and Cordelia were missing you just decided to settle for me.  Am I right?"

"Uh no!  We jumping to conclusions a little to fast, Wes?"

"Not really.  Why should I care what you want?  Give me one good reason."

"Does the name Sahjhan ring a bell?"  They were both getting annoyed with Wesley's attitude as the former Watcher could tell by the change in tone of Xander's voice.

I noticed Wes flinch for a second when I mentioned that name.  Though he seemed to recover quickly enough.   "He kidnapped Buffy and Dawn.  Told me if I didn't bring Angel to Sunnydale he'd kill them."

"Impossible."  Wes blurted out without even thinking.  "His essence is trapped in a reticulin urn."

Oz finally joined the conversation replying "Yeah so we've heard.  But it's him we're sure of it."

"How do you know that?  It could've been any one of Sahjhan's race.  You're acting on circumstantial evidence."

This wasn't going anything like Xander had hoped. 

"You must understand what I'm thinking right now.  Two men who did nothing but snicker and say how much of an idiot I was in Sunnydale.  And now you two expect me to help you?  Don't waste my time."

He went to slam the door in their face but Xander put his hand up to stop it.  "Wes come on!  We didn't come all the way here just to have you take potshots at us!  You want me to say it?"

"No.  Do you really think I'm going to just drop everything on a whim?  Even this is Sahjhan how do you plan on stopping him?  Have you even thought about it?"

Oz threw up his hands.  "This is pointless.  C'mon Xander let's get out of here."

They turned to walk away but Xander stopped Oz and walked right up to Wesley getting right into his face.

"You know what?  You're right you were an idiot.  You were a bumbling, clueless idiot who did absolutely nothing of value when you were in Sunnydale.  But you were an idiot who cared.  Which is a lot more than I can say for the guy in front of me now."

Ladies and gentlemen I'd like to thank the academy.

He turned and walked away joining his friend.

"You know I had a theory..." Wesley yelled at them.

Both of the young men stopped but didn't turn around.

"...I had a theory that Sahjhan only changed the one prophecy he used to trick me.  If who you're talking about really is Sahjhan then those scrolls are the key to finding out what his intentions are."

"Didn't Fred say you translated most of it already?"

"Only the prophecies dealing with Connor.  Wolfram & Hart, a law firm stole them before I could finish translating the entire collection."

Wesley walked toward them.  "Are you serious about wanting to stop Sahjhan?"

Both men looked ready to shoot him.

"Do you really need us to answer that?"  Oz stated the obvious.

"Then you'll need those scrolls.  You remember that woman who walked out of here when you arrived?"

Xander nodded.

"Her name is Lilah Morgan.  The scrolls are somewhere in her office at that law firm."
"And you know this how?" 

He smiled.  "Well Xander she talks in her sleep.  You want to prove to me you're serious about this?  Bring me those scrolls.  Don't come back without them." 

More efforts to convince Wes to forget the scrolls resulted in a door being slammed in our faces.  We took the hint and left. 

----

After that *wonderful * conversation with Wes, Oz and myself hightailed it back to the Hyperion.  We needed to compare notes with Fred and Gunn about what their former colleague wanted. 

"Okay so where did they go?"  Xander said as he cluelessly looked around the empty lobby.

"Beats me."  Oz said.

Of course it would help if the people we were looking for were actually there.  It's like they didn't want to be with me.  Me!  Who wouldn't want to be around me?  Thankfully they finally did show up a couple minutes later. I did notice they were covered in dirt like they were in a cave.

"Where were you guys?"  Oz asked.

Gunn told them as they walked down the stairs in the entrance.  "Checkin out where we left Sahjhan's urn.  You guys were right he's loose.  The urn's in a dozen pieces.  So did Wes give you the cold shoulder?" 

"Well kind of."  Xander admitted.  "You know those scrolls Fred mentioned?"

"Yeah?"

"Wesley said if we got those scrolls he'd help us."

"Um...hate to break it to you Xander but we don't know what happened to the scrolls."  Fred failed to add that part in the story previously so she was filling it in.

Xander told them.  "Apparently Wes did.  He said they were in a safe in someplace called Wolfram and Hart."

"You're kidding?"  Fred looked very afraid Xander was going to say no.

"Sorry.  That's what he told us.  So we need to get them."

"Xander you really think you can just waltz in there and take them?"

"Well we have to do something."  Was the reply she got from him. 

"You're crazy." The girl exclaimed.  "Charles tell them they're crazy."

"Well Fred if you think about it..."  Her boyfriend started.

"CHARLES!"

"You heard the lady yer nuts!"

"No we're not!"  Oz shot back.  Xander looked somewhat surprised at his outburst.  "Look we don't have any other option so we're are going to that law firm.  We could really use your help."

This entire time Connor hadn't said anything.  But Oz's comment gave him an idea. 

He didn't care about these two.  From everything he saw they weren't warriors like him.  They just seemed like clueless idiots.

However, every day that went by he saw Gunn and Fred getting closer and closer to finding where he buried Angel in the ocean.  Sooner or later they would find him.  Now these two from Sunnydale gave him the perfect opportunity to set their focus somewhere else and not on his father.

"Well I think we should help them."   Connor announced to the entire room.

Gunn's head shot back.  "Say what?"

"Well...I mean they need our help like Oz said.  And after all this guy Xander was a friend of my fathers."

"I was?"  Xander looked very confused but regained his composure quickly enough to jump at this opening.  "I mean of course I was!  Yeah my and Dead...you're dad go way back!  The stories I could tell you about him!"

Connor made a mock smile and pretended to be genuine.  "That would be great.  So that settles it.  We're helping them."

Gunn admitted.  "If Sahjhan did get a get out jail free card he's gonna come after us sooner or later.  Maybe we should help."

Fred still wasn't convinced this wasn't anything more than a deathtrap.  "No!  This is insane!  You're all going to get killed."

----

Wesley was sitting in a chair in his living room.  He didn't move as the phone rang and his machine picked up. He just kept reading from one of his old books. 

He heard Xander's voice on the other end.

"I know you're there Wesley.  Listen the other's at the Agency found Sahjhan's urn shattered.  He's loose in Sunnydale.  So yes we need your help.  Since you left Oz and myself no other choice we're on our way to this law firm now."  He could hear Fred voicing her disapproval in the background.  "This better not be some wild goose chase you're sending us on."

Wes turned to the page on his book.  On the corner of the page was a drawing of a member of Sahjhan's race.

----

Xander hung up the phone behind the lobby desk.  "Well either Wes isn't there or he just didn't pick up.  I'm guessing the latter."

He walked back to the couch where Fred was sitting.  "Okay Fred.  What's so bad about this place?"

"You don't know do you?"
"Not really.  So enlighten me.  What's so bad about Wolfram and Hart?"  He asked again.

"They've been trying to corrupt Angel for over three years.  This isn't just some law firm you see on infomercials.  They deal in the supernatural."

"So I'm guessing this doesn't sound as easy as I'm making it out to be?"
"They've tried to kill us all several times.  If it were so easy to stop them do really think Angel would've had so much trouble against them?"

"She does have a point Xander."  Gunn added.  "It's not like we can just waltz in there.  Lilah will have our heads."

"Lilah?"  Oz asked.

"Yeah Lilah Morgan.  She's the one whose head of all this at the firm."

Xander and Oz looked at each other.  We had both come to the same conclusion.  Lilah in effect was the Big Bad of L.A. and Wes was in all odds banging her.  Strangely enough it didn't seem like Gunn and Fred knew. 

This reeked of a trap.  There were two scenarios playing out in my mind.

Either Sahjhan sent both of us to L.A. into the waiting hands of Angel's worst enemies in some twisted attempt to get even with Deadboy.  The Problem with this was Wesley and Lilah seemed genuinely surprised we were there…or that they were faking it.

Or the other scenario, the one I was hoping for but seemed a very distant possibility, is that just maybe neither Wes or Lilah knew about what was happening in Sunnydale and thus were just as clueless as we were about Sahjhan's plan.

Either way I couldn't go back to Sunnydale empty handed.  I was too afraid of the consequences of that. 

So I was trapped.  We had to go through with this whether we liked it or not.

I had realized that Sahjhan had manipulated me to do this and I fell for it for it hook, line and sinker.  Though I was beginning to wonder if he knew about Angel missing.  It turns out even Sahjhan's plan may have hit a snag.

"Fred."  Xander sat down next to her on the couch.  "Buffy is one of our oldest friends and Dawn is just a kid.  Please, help us find a way to get the scrolls."

----

Fred did say yes.  She reminded me alot of Willow.  Maybe that's why I seemed to like her on instinct.  Gunn seemed pretty cool too.  I knew why Angel trusted these people. 

As for his son…well you'll see.

It had taken awhile to get all the stuff we might've needed for sneaking into this law firm.  I didn't understand why it looked they were getting an arsenal together for this.  Then Angel's crew filled in the rest of the blanks about W and H. 

I almost wished they didn't.  I was expecting a few security guards not an army.

One thing we all agreed on.  We needed to scope this place before trying anything. 

A gray van pulled up to across the street from the offices of Wolfram & Hart.  Inside were five people ready to take on the impossible.

"So this is it?"  Xander looked out the window.  "This place doesn't look too bad."

"You know what they say about appearances."  Gunn replied.

"Right.  Well I'll be right back."

"Whoa where you going?"  The black man yelled as Xander opened the back door and walked toward the building.

Gunn was about to go after him but Fred stopped him.  "Wait!  If they see one of us they'll know something's wrong."

"He is crazy.  Oz he ain't going inside, is he?"

The silence from the driver didn't help Gunn's blood pressure.

----

He was actually in the alley of the building.  There was another guy in there trying to get a lighter working.

"Hey man you got a light?" 

Xander started fumbling around his pockets for a light.  "Uh...yeah somewhere.  Say you work here?"

"Yeah I empty the trash for the jerks upstairs."

"That's what I figured." 

A left hook impacted the guy's face and he fell to the ground unconscious.

----

Xander opened the door to Oz's van holding a pair of coveralls.  "I have an idea."

----

"So Xander how's the new wardrobe?" 

"I'm a janitor.  I'm sure my parents are so proud I made it this far in life."  He deadpanned.

A few minutes after he cold-cocked the janitor, Xander was trying to fit into his uniform that was a few sizes too small.

He finally managed to zip up the front exhaling to let his gut out as he did.

Fred handed him a small earpiece.  "Put this in your ear.  It'll let me talk with you and point you in the right direction toward Lilah's office."

"You sure?"

"Don't worry it's so small they'll never see it."

"What about security?"

She looked back at her laptop as she talked.  "I hacked into the cameras.  The guards'll see a looped video on their monitors so nobody'll see you but us.  Just act like you belong there.  You should be fine."

Xander pulled out the security pass he took off the janitor.  Pulling a photo from himself out of his wallet he attached it to the pass.  It wouldn't pass a close inspection but it was better than nothing. 

"You ready for this?"

Like it mattered.  I don't know who was crazier.  Me for agreeing to do this or Wesley for getting me killed. 

"Yeah I'm ready.  Fred tell me again why I was elected to play commando?"

"Because you're the only person who hasn't been around Angel in L.A. the last three years."  She replied.

"Um what about Oz?"

"Gem of Amara ring a bell?"  Oz pointed out.

He thought about that for a second then muttered.  "You right bastard..." 

"You don't seem too convinced this is going to work.  So why'd you insist on doing it?"

"Well Fred it's not like we had a choice.  As for not thinking it'll work..."  Xander snorted a laugh.  "...well that's the beauty of being a pessimist.  You're either always right or pleasantly surprised."

Gunn gave him some advice.  "Dude just act like you belong.  They'll notice if you seem out of place.  Angel did the same thing a few years back."

Xander pointed at the nametag.  "Was he a janitor?"

"Ah actually he dressed up as a lawyer"

"Right."  Why didn't I think of that?

The van pulled about a block away from Wolfram & Hart and parked about a block farther down the road.  Xander got out and walked the short distance into the building. 

He was visibly sweating at this point and extremely nervous about this entire plan.  Just before he got to the building he wiped off his forehead and took a deep breath. 

"Well here goes nothing."  He muttered.

Xander casually strolled through the main entrance and swiped his security pass to get in.  After a second a feint beep was heard and the guard nodded indicating he could pass. 

"You're in."

Xander nearly jumped at the voice before realizing it was Fred communicating through his earpiece.  A few people stared at him for that so he just put his head down and kept walking remembering what Gunn told him. 

"Okay Xander.  You're gonna want to go the third floor.  That's where Lilah's office is located.  Just get up there and I'll tell you where to go."

That was the easy part.  Hit a button on an elevator and go inside it. 

The elevator car was empty except for him and an attractive young female paralegal that walked in just before the door closed.

Xander smiled.  "Hey."

The girl turned her head the other way pretending to ignore him.  He could hear Fred snickering in his ear.

The girl got off on the second floor.  She almost didn't wait for the doors to open as she dashed out.

Xander looked toward the ground shaking his head a few times. 
My ego wasn't great to begin with after Sahjhan and that little episode didn't help.

When the elevator reached the third floor, Gavin Park just happened to be walking by the elevator.  As the door slid open he noticed Xander and pointed.

"You."

Xander looked around to see if he was talking to anybody else.  When he saw nobody else he pointed at himself with a confused look.  "Me?"

"Yes you.  Do you know who I am?"

Didn't you play an Agent on 24?  Wait you were the first officer on Babylon 5 Crusade!  I loved that series! 

"I'm Gavin Park. I'm a lawyer here."

Yeah of course that was my second guess...

"Come with me."

Gavin brought Xander to his office.  There was empty liquor bottles and papers all over the place.

"I had some guests here last night.  I want you to clean everything up in here since I have a very important client coming in half an hour.  I've already taken the liberty of getting you a cleaning cart."

Gavin's tone of voice made it clear he felt Xander was completely beneath him as he motioned toward the cart.  "Am I making myself clear?"

"Uh...yes sir?"

"Good."

The lawyer walked out.  Xander scowled then looked around the plush office.  An idea popped into his head and the scowl was replaced by a evil grin.

----

Xander walked out of Gavin's office a few minutes later. 

"What were you doing in there?"

He smiled, looked at the camera and mouthed 'Don't ask.' to it.

"Fine.  Lilah's office is down the hall.  Make a right and it should be the third door.  You're gonna have to find the scrolls yourself when you get in there.  There's no cameras installed in that office."

He followed Fred's directions and found himself in front of a door with the nameplate 'Lilah Morgan'.  He turned the doorknob only to find out it was locked.

Thankfully I still had the janitor's key ring, which was left convieniently in his pocket

He pulled out the key ring and tried a key in the lock.  It didn't fit.

He flipped to the next key.  This one didn't work either.  "No." 

Or the third.

"No."

Or the fourth.

"No."

Well you get the idea.  That kept going on for a while and I had lost count how many keys I had tried using.  Finally one of the in the middle worked.  I was just happy nobody was walking around the hall at that point.  Especially when I yelled:

"YES!"

I had to admit Lilah's office was really nice.  Everything in there screamed expensive.  So much for the idea crime doesn't pay, right?

"I could live in this place."  He said aloud.  "If I made it this far the scrolls can't be that tough to find."

That was quite possibly the stupidest thing I said during this entire ordeal. Then again how was I suppose to know?

Xander quickly went through anything in the office that might resemble the Nyazain Scrolls Wesley needed.  He went through each of the filing cabinets practically emptying them onto the floor.  When he didn't find them there he went through the bookcases next and then the shelves after that. 

He really wasn't worried about appearances and just kept throwing things everywhere.  He was however getting more and more nervous as time went on.

"It's not here.  Where the hell is it?!?"

He went through Lilah's desk taking a brief second to admire what he probably couldn't buy on a year's salary at his job.  He went through every compartment and still couldn't find what he needed.

By now Xander was getting pretty upset as evident when he kicked the side of Lilah's desk in frustration.  He leaned against it as he rubbed his eyes.  "I'm not gonna to find them."

----

This wasn't acceptable.

He was so close but he wouldn't be able to find the scrolls. 

He would fail. 

Everything they were working for would be ruined.

She had to do something to stop it.

----

As Xander wallowed in his coming defeat a wave of vertigo went through his head.  He grabbed the top of his head and shut his eyes in pain.  "Oh crap!"

Xander saw himself pulling away the painting behind Lilah's desk.  Behind it was a safe.  He quickly entered the combination for it and pulled out the Nyazian scrolls after opening the door.

----

Xander shook his head and opened his eyes. 

"No way.  This is crazy."

He slowly walked to the painting and sure enough it pulled away to reveal a safe. 

"There is no way..."  Xander spun the tumbler on the safe door.

"...that this is going to work."   He started dialing the combination.  16....

"No way in hell."

25...

"I mean this is crazy.  I must've had one hell of an acid trip to think I could open this damn thing."

34...

"This just doesn't happen to me I mean weird crap like this happens to Buffy or Wills but not me."

He finished the combination and turned the handle fully expecting it not to budge.  Instead he heard a loud click and the safe swung open.  The young man just blankly looked ahead at the now open safe.

Usually when somebody overcomes impossible odds they make some great quote. One small step for man...I regret I only one life to give for my country...that type of thing.  Of course this is me we're talking about.

"No fuckin way…"

I figured at this point I had just entered the Twilight Zone.  Appropriate that the show usually had a bad ending like what was about to happen to me in about a day or so.  Cue the spooky music any time now.

He threw the scrolls into a backpack he was carrying under the coveralls and got out of there.

----

The others were waiting in Oz's van.  It had been over twenty minutes since Xander entered Wolfram & Hart and he had been in Lilah's office for over ten.  As expected all of their nerves were on edge.  Everyone except Connor who didn't fully realize the dangerous situation they were in.

"Is he out yet?"  Gunn asked his girlfriend.

"Charles he's still in Lilah's office.  Same as when you asked thirty seconds ago…wait a sec.  I've got Xander on the cameras!  He's walking out with something I think he found them!"

"Hey guys!"  Oz yelled from the front. 

Gunn leaned over the front seat.  "What's up?"

Oz pointed toward the building.  Lilah Morgan was walking down the street and heading into the building.

"Oh shit."  The black man groaned.

Oz added.  "My thoughts exactly.  If she goes in there and sees Xander or her office broken into we are so screwed." 

"I got an idea."  Gunn told him as he headed toward the back door of the van.  "Oz keep the engine going.  Connor you're with me."

----

Xander heard Fred's nervous voice in his earpiece.  "Xander!  Lilah is on her way inside.  Get out of there right now!"

"Why can't anything in my life go smoothly?"  He said to no one in particular as he opened the door to the third-story stairwell.

----

Just as Lilah entered the lobby of Wolfram & Hart she felt somebody grab her shoulder.  She was pulled around and found herself facing Charles Gunn.

"Where is he Lilah?"  He demanded.

"Where's who?"  She asked annoyingly.

"You know what I mean!  Where's Angel!"

Connor joined in the act.  "Yeah where's my father?" 

The irony wasn't lost on young Connor.

"What you can't find Brood Boy so you're down to threatening other people.  Sorry boys look somewhere else I don't know where he is."

Gunn got right in Lilah's face.  "I'm not leavin till I find out where you put him." 

"Oh really?"  After that she yelled.  "SECURITY!"

Four guards surround Gunn and Connor.  Gunn needed to buy Xander enough time to get out of the law firm.  So far he was doing okay but it wasn't enough. 

So Gunn punched the closest guard.  The other three rushed at them with both of the guys fighting anything that came near them.

Connor stomped one in the knee and as his leg gave out he was on the connecting end of a right cross.

The other guard by Gunn landed several punches on his opponents' face but Gunn managed to give a low blow to the guard and he dropped to the ground in pain.

"Yeah that all you rent-a-schmucks got?"  Gunn kept up the act and was goading the last guard.  That guard pulled out his baton and kept his distance waiting for backup.

----

Xander saw the fight going on as he walked out of the stairwell.

I made a mental note of thanking Gunn later.  I knew I liked that guy!

With his head down, Xander started slowly walking around the fight out the door.  As he was making his way out close to a dozen security guards surrounded both Connor and Gunn.  The two started attacking anything within arms reach in a wild melee.  Unfortunately Connor got a little too carried away and punched the closest person next to him. 

Which just happened to be Xander walking past them. 

He took the punch and fell face first into the floor next to Lilah. 

After that security guards swarmed the two men.  It took no less than eight guards, four on each guy, to subdue them.

"Get them out of here!"  Lilah yelled.  They carried both of them out and threw them onto the pavement outside.

Lilah looked up and rubbed her neck.  She looked down at the janitor Connor decked.  "You alright?"

The janitor got up and came face to face with the same woman he saw when he arrived at Wesley's apartment.

"You."

"Oh crap." 

Xander grabbed the bag on the floor with the scrolls then made a mad dash for the door when he realized Lilah recognized him.  All the while gut checking the lone guard in his way.

"Stop him!  Lock the door!"  She yelled.

The guards hit the button for the button lock but Xander managed to get through just before it did.  As he ran down the street the guards got the door back open and chased him into the street.

The back door to Oz's van flew open and Gunn was there with his hand outstretched.  He pulled Xander in as soon as he was close and the van took off leaving the guards far behind.

----

"You got them?"  Fred wondered as they pulled away.

"Think so.  These the right scrolls?"  Xander tossed the backpack to Fred as he rubbed his jaw.
She looked inside to verify it.  "Yeah these are it!  How'd you find them?"

What was I supposed to say?  I found a locked safe and guessed the tumbler combination on the first try after I had a vision seeing what the combination was that resulted from making a wish in front of a drunk vengeance demon?

Hell I wouldn't believe that line of tripe either.

"They were laying around in her office."  He lied.

"So everything's good?"

"Just one thing."  As soon as he finished talking he punched Connor in the jaw.  Hard. 

Connor took the punch then dove at Xander.  Both of them had to be separated by Gunn.

"What was that for!?!" 

"You don't attack somebody on your side you idiot!"

"Hey you wanted it to be believable, right?"

"That doesn't mean going skit-so on me!"

They were so loud people outside could hear the two arguing.  Oz sighed and tried to get to Wesley's as soon as possible.

I was really starting to dislike Connor at this point.  This kid was being arrogant and selfish and gave me this really annoying feeling in my stomach. 

Yup this kid was definitely Deadboy's son.

----

Gavin walked back into his office sometime later with his client. The words 'SCREW YOU' in big, black letters were spray painted onto the expensive far wall of his office.

Gavin's face went bright red.  Xander would've been proud of his work.

----

Meanwhile, Lilah was in the security's camera room trying to figure out why Xander had broken into her office. 

"Ma'am the cameras were looped.  Somebody hacked into them.  We're bringing the actual video footage up now."

She watched the next ten minutes of footage as Xander snuck into her office up to the point where they bumped into each other.

"Stop the tape."  The video was stopped on a clear view of the boy's face.  "I want a cropped printout of his face.  We have to find out who he is."

"Yes ma'am."  The guard replied. 

She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Linwood's extension.  "Sir we have a situation."

----

There was a loud banging on Wesley's apartment door.  When the door was fully open Xander forcefully shoved a backpack with the Nyazian scrolls into his chest.

"Satisfied?"  The harsh tone of his voice and the angry look by both himself and Oz made it clear they weren't happy about their previous errand for the former watcher.

Wesley unzipped it and peeked inside.  "Yes...well these seem to be in order."  He reached to the side of the door and pulled out a large duffel bag. 

Oz arched an eyebrow.  "Looks like you've been ready to go for awhile."

"We would need those scrolls you recovered.  I couldn't walk into Wolfram and Hart without being detained.  I needed somebody who they wouldn't know or recognize.  Since both of you weren't from L.A. you had the best chance of getting the scrolls."

"So you used us?"  Oz stated.
"No.  This is the one lead we need to finding out what Sahjhan has planned."
"We?"
"I'm coming with you to Sunnydale."  Wesley's statement didn't leave any room for doubt.

"What happened to don't waste my time?"  Xander demanded. 

It was a reasonable question.  "With everything's that happened lately I haven't been in the most trusting mood.  But believe me.  I'll help you stop Sahjhan."

"Okay.  Then understand this."  Xander tried to stay calm but couldn't hide the anger in his voice.  "Fred, Gunn and Connor offered to go with to help find Buffy and Dawn and we said yes.  You don't like it?  Tough."

Yeah I could've lost my best chance at getting to the bottom of this mystery.  But you know what?  I didn't really care at this point. I did know if Wes shrugged me off after jumping through his hoops Connor wouldn't have been the only one I knocked out.

Wesley just nodded at Xander.  "Fair enough.  Just let me take care of something.  I'll meet you at the hotel in half an hour."

The former Watcher went back into his apartment closing the door behind him.  He opened his closet door revealing a shackled and gagged Justine.  He undid the gag to make sure she could talk.  "Just thought I'd let you know I'm leaving town for a few days."

Justine got nervous.  "You can't just leave me here I'll starve!"

"Good point."  He calmly went over to the refrigerator and pulled a slice of cold pizza out then brought it over and dropped it on the floor in front of her.

"That's all?"

"Make it last."  Wes coldly told her.  He closed the door to the soundproof room drowning out the screams and obscenities directed toward him.

----

Lilah's office was a disaster area.  Everything was thrown all over the place.  She was in the entrance to the office with two armed guards to make sure there were no surprises.

"Sweep the room for bugs.  He might've left something in here."

"Yes Ma'am."  One of the guards pulled a large device out a bag and began going over the walls and furniture.

"This place is a mess."  Lilah fumed.  "Kid could've at least cleaned up after himself."

She walked over to her desk and began cleaning up the papers scattered all over it.  Some of the things on here were of some value to her so she decided to lock them up.  She pulled back the painting behind her desk.  That's when she noticed it.

The safe wasn't closed.  Its door was slightly open. 

Now she was worried.  There were very important documents in that safe.

Lilah quickly pulled the door open and took an inventory of everything in there.  She could only find one thing missing.

The Nyazian Scrolls.

The Useless Nyazian Scrolls.

Scrolls that Sahjhan had specifically altered to trick Wesley into kidnapping Connor.  They had no real value to them.

"Everything else in here is worth millions."  She didn't trust putting them in the vault downstairs after Angel and Lindsey had broken into it two years ago.  "But yet he steals the one thing in my safe that's worthless?  This doesn't make any sense."

Lilah turned around and picked up the photo of Xander she left on her desk.  "Who are you?  I know you know Wesley but there's no chance he'll tell me your name."

The guard sweeping the room got her attention.  "Ma'am this room's clean.  There's no bugs in here."

"Good.  If you find anything else let me know."

"He walked in here and took the most worthless thing I had.  Didn't even leave a listening device or take anything else."  She tried to figure out how to identify her intruder as the security guards walked out.  Then it came to her. 

The Records Department.

"Oh god not there..."

----

Wesley showed at the Hyperion Hotel about thirty minutes later just as he told Xander and Oz.  He found the two of them in the lobby along with the other three members of Angel Investigations. 

Gunn was the first person to get up.  "So Xander says you're coming with us.  Why the sudden change of heart?  You wanted nothing to do with us all summer."

"I have my reasons."  Wesley's answer was short and to the point.
"Bullshit."  Was the reply he got from Gunn.  "You just want to get Sahjhan."

Gunn's statement rang very close to the truth.  They all knew that. 

Wes didn't deny it.  "A healthy dose of revenge can be a good thing.  I need you and Fred to help me take care of something here.  Xander, how long ago did Sahjhan appear to you?"

"About 9 o'clock.  That gives us about sixteen hours before craterface thinks I'm bringing back Angel."

"Go.  Take Connor with you.  We'll leave here as soon as possible.  It shouldn't take long."

"What if he shows up wondering where Angel is?" 

"Just introduce him to Connor.  Trust us on this one."

That wasn't exactly the most reassuring thing to hear.  What was this kid supposed to do talk Sahjhan to death?  Frankly I didn't care.  My main goal was still finding a way to save my two friends.

"Right...I wrote down my number and how to get to my apartment.  We'll meet you there."

----

Wolfram & Hart kept a massive and in-depth amount of records involving Angel.  It contained everything from his life in Ireland before becoming a vampire, to Sunnydale and everything in between and afterwards.

Lilah had spent hours sifting through the records trying to find out the identity of Daniel Holtz.  Only to find out the clerk in the department was part-demon and contained everything in the room in her head.

As she walked into the Records Department she came up to the clerk and handed her the printout.  "I need to know who this is.  He may be connected to Angel."

"Well there may be something in the records about this.  Let me get you the directory."  The clerk started.

"This can't wait and I know you have all the records in your head!" Lilah took a deep breath trying to stay calm.  "Look I don't like you and you don't like me so just tell me what I want to know and we can go back to pretending we don't exist to each other."

"Fine."  The clerk looked at the photo and her eyes began to flutter.   "Harris, Alexander Lavalle.  22 years of age.  Born and resides in Sunnydale, California."

"Sunnydale?  What the hell's he doing in L.A.?"  She paced around the room taking that in. 

Somebody from Sunnydale.  That meant he probably did have something to do with the Slayer and thus Angel.  Lilah was right. There was more to this than she thought.

"Tell me more."

"March 17, 1996:  Alexander Harris befriends Buffy Summers on her first day at school in Sunnydale.  The two become close friends."

"May 21, 1996: Successfully revives the Slayer after she was left for dead by Master Vampire Heinrich Joseph Nest."

"September 7, 1996..."

"That's all well and good but what does that have to do with this?"  Lilah interrupted.  "Just tell me how this Alexander Harris is related to Angel."

"Constantly referred to Angel as 'Deadboy'.  Was in competition with Angel over the affections of Buffy Summers.  Was the most distrustful of Angel during his three year association with the Slayer in Sunnydale."  The clerk's eyes returned to normal and she looked at Lilah.  "Is that all?"

Lilah didn't respond to her condescending tone.  She simply walked away deep in thought.

----

"I can't believe they're making me go up with you two.  Why can't I go up with the others?"  Connor whined as soon as they got outside.

"I don't know."  Xander snapped.  "Just get in the back!"

The key to stopping Sahjhan was in the hands of a whining, sniveling, son-of-a Deadboy?  Looking back I should've had Oz knock me out with a hammer.  It would've made my head hurt less than having to listen to this brat on the ride home.

So I came to L.A. looking for Angel and instead recruited his gang to my cause.  Not exactly what I was hoping for but not bad either.  Though I wasn't any closer to finding Buffy and Dawn their help put us in a much better position to find them. 

It was too bad Cordy went missing because those visions of hers are quite possibly the closest thing to what was plowing through my head.  And believe me the term 'plowing' is an understatement.  It felt like somebody using a jackhammer from my construction site on my head that last time. You have to remember I had no idea Anya was behind this. 

The entire ride up I was taking Wesley's advice and focusing on how to locate Sahjhan.  And the strangest part was that I actually did have a good idea on how to do that. 

----

"This just doesn't make sense.  Why would he steal a useless scroll?"

Lilah was in Linwood's office relaying all of the information she had discovered about Alexander Harris.

"I don't know sir.  All we know is he has a connection to Angel Investigations."  She explained.

"And you're sure that's all he took?"

"From what we can tell I believe so."

"Well I suppose the scrolls are of no value.  But still he stole from me.  Not only that he was trespassing in our most secure areas and vandalized poor Gavin's office."

"Guess the kid's not all bad."  Lilah quietly said to herself.

"Well I can't allow something like this to go unanswered.  Add to the fact he had help from Angel's group is unacceptable.  Lilah dispatch a tactical team to the Hyperion.  I want that boy's head on a platter and after this episode I believe Angel's associates have outlived their usefulness."

----

TBC