Sins of the Father
Chapter Three

Angel looked up sharply from The Codex Of Powers he had been trying to decipher and sighed at the ringing phone. He had given Fred and Gunn the day off as a thank you for the hard work they put in over the holiday. He had also promised Fred he would go and talk to Wesley at some point. But at the moment, he was waiting for nightfall so he could go and find his son. He picked up the phone and put his book on the desk.

"Hello, Angel Investigations," he hesitated for a moment before proceeding with. "We help the -"

"Spare me," came Lilah Morgan's voice. "You couldn't help get yourself off."

Home for barely two days and he already had the blood-sucking lawyers on his back. Really felt like he was home now.

"What do you want?" he asked wearily.

"I have information about a mutual… acquaintance."

"Really? And what makes you think I give a damn?"

"This mutual acquaintance pulled you out of the ocean."

"Wesley," he answered, leaning back in his chair. He recalled the scent on Wesley when he had brought him back to the hotel. It had been the familiar feminine, dangerous scent of Lilah. And sex. Angel may be old, but he wasn't stupid and he put two and two together pretty accurately.

"Hole in one," she replied. "Anyway, I have information you just might be interested in."

"And what's that?" he asked. "'Cause I already know you two are sleeping together."

He could almost hear her freeze and gather herself before answering. He smirked and waited for her to go on.

"Please, like I think you'd care about that," she said, though he heard the hesitation in her voice. "No, my info's far more interesting… Especially for you."

"Look, Lilah, will you just get on with it. I've got better things to do than talk to you."

"What, like playing in the playground with your kid? A bit sunny for that, isn't it?"

"Get on with it," he growled.

She seemed to realise he wasn't messing around anymore and she decided she had annoyed him enough.

"Did Wesley tell you he had a kid?" she asked casually.

Angel was thrown. He was stunned and his grip went lax on the phone for a moment. He sat up a little straighter and had to conciously stop himself breathing.

"How do you know?" he demanded.

"Saw her. Well, her stuff and he admitted it. I'd say she's about six from the size of her clothes. He really didn't mention it? Gee, that must suck. He gets quality time with his kid while yours is out in the big wide world. You never knew Connor when he was six, did you?"

Angel felt rage boil inside him and slammed the phone down hard enough to make the contents of the desk jump. He stood up and grabbed his coat and the Codex before heading for the tunnels.

In her office, Lilah Morgan leaned back in her chair and smirked. And that's just for starters, Wes. You'll need my help pretty soon. And be prepared to beg.

Wesley searched his pockets for his keys, one eye on Lottie as she climbed the stairs to the apartment, one hand gripping a bar of chocolate.

Reaching his floor, he touched Lottie's back lightly and steered her in the correct direction. Successfully finding his keys, he looked up from searching his pockets and froze. Obediently, Lottie paused a few steps ahead of him. Wesley stared coldly at Angel. He was reclining against the wall beside Wes's door, one leg bent up and leaning on the wall, his head bent, a book hugged to his chest. Wes knew he was aware of their presence, but he made no move. Wes walked over to him and studied him. He wasn't scared, merely curious, though he reminded himself he had a stake nonetheless.

"Hello, Angel," he said.

Slowly, Angel straightened. His head rolled up, his foot dropped back to the floor and he straightened his back. His gaze flickered briefly to Wesley before resting on Lottie, who had finished her chocolate bar and was carefully putting the empty wrapper in her pocket. She looked up at Angel and smiled toothily. Wes looked at Angel and noted the change. His impassive face cracked slightly as she smiled, his eyes warming and his lips quirking a little.

"Hello," she said.

"Hello," he answered. "This your daughter, Wes?"

Wes took a step toward Lottie and nodded at Angel.

"Yes," there was no use denying it. "This is Charlotte. I suppose you want to come in," he eyed the book in Angel's hands. "I daresay you need my help."

Angel met his old friend's eyes and realised this wasn't going to be easy. His eyes lacked the almost naïve innocence they once had. There was no smile that greeted him, only a stony stare.

When Angel didn't answer, Wesley opened his door, followed Lottie inside and left the door open. Angel hovered outside the door and peered into the dim hall.

"Wes, you've gotta invite me in," he said.

"I already have," Wes answered. "Over a year ago."

"Oh," Angel stepped inside and was a little surprised that Wesley hadn't withdrawn the invitation. "Look, Wesley, I wanted to tell you I'm sorry."

"Why? What did you do?" Lottie asked, looking up from where she was tugging her shoes from her feet.

"Er, I…"

"We argued, Lottie," Wes told her, leaning against the wall and watching Angel whose gaze had returned to Lottie.

"Yeah, we argued," Angel nodded. "So I just want to say sorry… for what I did… at the hospital… I was angry and wrong and I shouldn't have done it. And I wanted to say thanks … for finding me and the," his voice dropped a little, "the blood."

"I had little choice," Wes shrugged. "This town needs you so leaving you sleeping with the fish wasn't really an option. Is that all you wanted?"

"Well, I er…" Angel hesitated. Something about this Wesley threw him off balance. The steady stare, impassive, professional voice held no familiarity. "Fred found this book… We thought it might -"

"Have something in it to help you find Cordy?" Wes asked.

"Yeah."

"Is that the one that isn't in Kansas anymore?" Lottie asked.

"Yes," Wes answered. "Well, Angel, if that's The Codex Of Powers you've got there, you've got everything you need to find Cordy."

Hope welled suddenly in Angel and he grinned widely.

"It is!" he handed the book to Wes who looked at it with a small smile playing over his lips. "Could you… maybe… use your books and… y'know… sort of…"

"Translate it?"

"Um, yeah?"

Wes raised an eyebrow at him and nodded slowly. His problem was with Angel, not with Cordy. But she didn't exactly visit, though, did she? Lottie stood from where she had been watching the exchange on the floor.

"Are you going to translate it now?" she asked.

"I guess I am," Wes answered.

"Can I help?"

"Well, I -"

"You should let your Dad get on with it, but you could give me something to eat," Angel offered.

Wes gave him a sharp look and his fingers clenched slightly on the book.

"Food to eat," Angel amended. "Because that's what people eat - food."

Lottie wandered into the kitchen and used a chair and clamber up to the cupboards. Wes hesitated and watched Angel follow her into the kitchen. Instead of seating himself at his desk, he sank into the couch and cast nervous glances at Angel and Lottie who were engaged in earnest conversation over the table, with a packet of biscuits between them.

"I'm going to school tomorrow."

"Really?" Angel swallowed hard and toyed with the remainder of the biscuit in his hand. "Where?"

"The one at the end of the next block."

"Oh. Nervous?"

"No. I like school. Mum said I could go to a good college."

"Your mother? So… Where is she?"

"She went to Florida with Lenny 'cause they're getting married. I have to stay here. But I don't mind 'cause Dad's got lots of books. Do you like to read?"

He was surprised at her easy acceptance and wondered if living with Wes was a step up for her from what she was used to. He shrugged a little at her question.

"Sometimes."

"Are you a detective too?"

"Sort of. I help people."

"With Dad?"

"We… used to work together."

"Why don't you work to together anymore? Is it because you argued?"

"Yeah."

"Oh…. Who's Cordy?"

"A friend of mine and your Dad's."

"He has a picture of her on his desk. You're in it too. Were you all friends?"

"Yeah, we were."

"What if you can't find her?"

"We will find her," Wesley said, coming into the kitchen and handing the book back to Angel with a bundle of notes. "That's what I've got so far. It would seem we can contact her using the instructions in the book. I think you can also get her back as well, but I'd have to finish translating to be sure of that. There's a few notes there that, um, Fred might want to go over."

Wesley folded his arms and leaned back against the counter. Angel scanned the notes and grinned.

"You mean we could get her back?"

"It would seem so."

"But the rest… You haven't translated it all?"

"In case you haven't noticed, Angel, it's a rather large book and I'm not exactly fluent in the language."

"Oh, right. I wasn't criticising or anything… Do you want to come over to the hotel tomorrow and finish 'cause we've got a load of books…?"

"I've got to take Lottie to school."

"But you could come by after."

Wes dropped his eyes and took a deep breath before looking up to meet Angel's eyes.

"Fine."

"Great. And if you want, you could bring Lottie over afterwards. I'll bet Fred would love to meet her."

"Can I, Dad?"

"We'll see."

Angel stood up and eased past Wesley back into the hall. He waited by the door and Wes followed him.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Angel said.

"Yes."

"Good luck at school, Lottie."

"Thanks," she grinned again and returned to the kitchen to eat the last biscuit.

"I'll go now then and you'll come over to the hotel tomorrow," Angel paused and wondered where his nerves came from. He started to open the door when Wes's voice stopped him.

"I didn't know about her, you know."

"What?" Angel turned back and for the first time in a while, he thought that maybe Wesley would talk to him.

"Lottie. I didn't know about her until the day before yesterday."

"Wes, what's that got to do with anything?"

"I just wanted you to know that when I - when Connor was a baby, I wasn't aware I had a daughter."

Angel opened his mouth to question this line of conversation again when he suddenly realised what Wes was trying to say. He was asking Angel not to blame Lottie for Wesley's abduction of Connor. He was warning Angel not to seek a similar revenge on his daughter.

Then he realised why Lilah had called him. She wanted the fact that Wesley had a daughter to drive Angel into a rage and perhaps push him over the edge. Whether it was for Wolfram and Hart that she wanted this or because she wanted to get back at Wes, he wasn't sure. He remembered his anger at her after she called. He couldn't believe that she would use Connor and what happened to him to turn him against an innocent child. But then again, this was Lilah.

"But you know now," Angel said softly. "And that's good… She's a nice kid, Wes. I like her, so I really wouldn't mind her coming to the Hyperion. I meant what I said before. As far as I'm concerned, we're good. So if you ever need any help with -"

"I don't need any help," Wesley snapped, their tentative connection broken. "I'll see you tomorrow, Angel. Goodbye."

With that, Wes turned sharply on his heel and stalked into the living room, leaving Angel to sigh and leave quietly.

"Hey, Angel! Where you been?" Fred called from the counter where she and Gunn canoodled.

"I went to see Wesley," he replied.

"Oh?" Fred attempted casual and failed miserably. "What happened?"

"Yeah, man," Gunn said. "How's English?"

"He's… different."

Fred sank back against the counter. "You really don't care anymore, do you?" God, maybe she had been right. Maybe he really didn't care anymore. Maybe he hated them. Maybe he would never want to return to the gang. Maybe - He saved Angel. Why would he do that if he didn't care? He's just defensive, that's all.

"Different good?" Gunn asked.

"I don't know. He seemed pretty… distant."

"Oh, you noticed that too?"

"Charles," Fred said reproachfully. "He was probably just nervous."

Gunn didn't reply, but he didn't think Wes had been nervous. This new, tough-guy Wes didn't get nervous. He didn't get anything; he didn't seem to feel anything anymore. But of course, he didn't say that to Fred. Ever since Angel's return, she had been hopeful of reconciliation. It was true, but it was only partly because Fred wanted everyone back together like Gunn thought. The other reason was guilt over what she had said at the hospital.

"He looked at the book," Angel indicated the Codex, ".hat will help us get Cordy back. He's coming round tomorrow to finish translating."

"Really?" Fred could barely contain her excitement and grinned at Gunn who felt a slightly stirring of relief. If they could get Cordy, Wes and Lorne back, things would be fine again. He had to admit he missed them.

"Yeah. And if it takes a while, you might have to pick his daughter up from school."

"Oh, ok."

Angel nodded and left them, crossing the lobby and climbing the stairs to the exit. He was going out to find his son. If Wes could have some kind of relationship with his daughter when he had never known her, he was going to get his son back.

Fred grinned happily at Gunn who's hand tightened on her hip as he kissed her. She pulled away frowning.

"Wait, did Angel say Wes's daughter?"