Protected
Chapter Nineteen
Verdict
Mercy rushed into the hall to find a pale Connor and a fang-faced Angel. He was facing the wall, hiding it as he calmed himself down. Mercy tilted her head and moved in closer to listen to their conversation.
"I haven't wanted to kill anybody in a long time as Angel. But listening to Wesley's dad and hearing Mercy's speech, I wanted to kill Nicholas."
"Mercy knew you were about to change."
"Even the blood at the battle was hard to resist, but I was able to control myself. In there, the animal in me was going to come out."
"I know. I wanted to kill him, too. He's hurt Mercy so badly, mentally and physically. She's raised this protectiveness in me. I don't even know where it's coming from."
"Love. I felt it for Buffy and Cordelia. The protectiveness, that is."
"It's hard."
"You'll get used to it. Eventually you won't even stifle her with it."
Mercy chuckled from behind.
"First, I'm ducking in a closet with my arms over my head. Now I've got a vampire and super kid to save me."
Angel was finally able to shake his game face away at the sight of the girl.
"The judge?"
"Went off to his office to decide. We can only hope now." Connor came up behind her, enclosing her around the waist. Wesley and Fred finally came through the courtroom doors. Catherine was following them.
"Mummy!"
"Hallo, Darling. Are you feeling better?"
"I'm healing. Wesley takes good care of me. I have Connor now, too."
She motioned to her boyfriend, who gave the woman a slight grin.
"Wesley got Fred to take care of him. And Angel and Lorne protect the entire group."
"I haven't met this Lorne."
"No. Lorne's actually not able to travel a lot. He's green with a couple of small horns. I think customs might have stopped us."
Connor let out a low chuckle.
"Mummy, thank you for what you said up there. It's not that I don't want to stay with you."
"You needed to get away from your father. I understand that, Sweetheart. I mean, you'll still telephone me, right?"
"Of course! Wesley will, also!"
Wesley glanced guiltily at his mother.
"She's right. You think we've won, Mum?"
Wesley loosened his tie slightly. The room that had seemed so cold before seemed like he was in a sauna now. Catherine shrugged, unable to answer. The baliff came into the hallway.
"Judge Carson is back. He's ready to give you the verdict."
So one by one they filed into the courtroom to find out Mercy's fate.
They all stood as the judge entered. Mercy's eyes were wide and innocent as she stared at the judge. They took their seats when Carson did. They waited. He was silent for a moment before starting his speech.
"This family is odd, to say the least. A mother who wants her daughter away, a Father who says one thing, a daughter who says another, and a brother who hates his father but adores his sister. I have to choose who she should live her life with. I think she's already chosen, with good reason. Mr. Wyndam-Pryce would have us believe she ran for petty reasons; a little spar with her dad and she ran from discipline. Honestly, I don't believe that's the case. I believe her brother would raise her just as well as her father. Though they have given me no hard evidence, I rule that Mercy may move in with her brother, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce. He is given custody until her 18th birthday, in which she can live as she pleases."
Mercy broke into a huge grin. She jumped up and before she knew it, Connor was spinning her around the room. She started to giggle, feeling for once like a normal teenage girl. You could say that Connor was thinking the same thing, that he was being a normal teenage boy. Angel clasped Wesley's hand, forgetting all of their past angers.
"Let's go home." Fred said quietly, her Texan twang standing out amidst all of the British accents.
"Home. Yes, that sounds smashing." Mercy hugged her mother.
"We'll call when we get home, Mummy."
"Please do. Have a safe trip."
Tears dropped out of the corners of Catherine's eyes.
"Shhh...don't cry. Please. I'll even visit. Or better yet, you can visit Wesley and I! In Los Angeles!"
"I will. I promise."
"Good bye, Mummy."
"Good bye."
The Los Angeles clan nodded into the foyer and Angel checked the sun level.
"Give it another hour and we can hit the airport."
So they took their seats in the lobby, waiting for sunset patiently.
Chapter Nineteen
Verdict
Mercy rushed into the hall to find a pale Connor and a fang-faced Angel. He was facing the wall, hiding it as he calmed himself down. Mercy tilted her head and moved in closer to listen to their conversation.
"I haven't wanted to kill anybody in a long time as Angel. But listening to Wesley's dad and hearing Mercy's speech, I wanted to kill Nicholas."
"Mercy knew you were about to change."
"Even the blood at the battle was hard to resist, but I was able to control myself. In there, the animal in me was going to come out."
"I know. I wanted to kill him, too. He's hurt Mercy so badly, mentally and physically. She's raised this protectiveness in me. I don't even know where it's coming from."
"Love. I felt it for Buffy and Cordelia. The protectiveness, that is."
"It's hard."
"You'll get used to it. Eventually you won't even stifle her with it."
Mercy chuckled from behind.
"First, I'm ducking in a closet with my arms over my head. Now I've got a vampire and super kid to save me."
Angel was finally able to shake his game face away at the sight of the girl.
"The judge?"
"Went off to his office to decide. We can only hope now." Connor came up behind her, enclosing her around the waist. Wesley and Fred finally came through the courtroom doors. Catherine was following them.
"Mummy!"
"Hallo, Darling. Are you feeling better?"
"I'm healing. Wesley takes good care of me. I have Connor now, too."
She motioned to her boyfriend, who gave the woman a slight grin.
"Wesley got Fred to take care of him. And Angel and Lorne protect the entire group."
"I haven't met this Lorne."
"No. Lorne's actually not able to travel a lot. He's green with a couple of small horns. I think customs might have stopped us."
Connor let out a low chuckle.
"Mummy, thank you for what you said up there. It's not that I don't want to stay with you."
"You needed to get away from your father. I understand that, Sweetheart. I mean, you'll still telephone me, right?"
"Of course! Wesley will, also!"
Wesley glanced guiltily at his mother.
"She's right. You think we've won, Mum?"
Wesley loosened his tie slightly. The room that had seemed so cold before seemed like he was in a sauna now. Catherine shrugged, unable to answer. The baliff came into the hallway.
"Judge Carson is back. He's ready to give you the verdict."
So one by one they filed into the courtroom to find out Mercy's fate.
They all stood as the judge entered. Mercy's eyes were wide and innocent as she stared at the judge. They took their seats when Carson did. They waited. He was silent for a moment before starting his speech.
"This family is odd, to say the least. A mother who wants her daughter away, a Father who says one thing, a daughter who says another, and a brother who hates his father but adores his sister. I have to choose who she should live her life with. I think she's already chosen, with good reason. Mr. Wyndam-Pryce would have us believe she ran for petty reasons; a little spar with her dad and she ran from discipline. Honestly, I don't believe that's the case. I believe her brother would raise her just as well as her father. Though they have given me no hard evidence, I rule that Mercy may move in with her brother, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce. He is given custody until her 18th birthday, in which she can live as she pleases."
Mercy broke into a huge grin. She jumped up and before she knew it, Connor was spinning her around the room. She started to giggle, feeling for once like a normal teenage girl. You could say that Connor was thinking the same thing, that he was being a normal teenage boy. Angel clasped Wesley's hand, forgetting all of their past angers.
"Let's go home." Fred said quietly, her Texan twang standing out amidst all of the British accents.
"Home. Yes, that sounds smashing." Mercy hugged her mother.
"We'll call when we get home, Mummy."
"Please do. Have a safe trip."
Tears dropped out of the corners of Catherine's eyes.
"Shhh...don't cry. Please. I'll even visit. Or better yet, you can visit Wesley and I! In Los Angeles!"
"I will. I promise."
"Good bye, Mummy."
"Good bye."
The Los Angeles clan nodded into the foyer and Angel checked the sun level.
"Give it another hour and we can hit the airport."
So they took their seats in the lobby, waiting for sunset patiently.