Sins of the Father
Chapter Eight

Wes was worried. He was probably the only one that noticed. Fred and Gunn were too wrapped up in each other, Lorne was too busy re-establishing his clientele and Wes wasn't sure if Connor was aware of the danger signs.

It had been a week since he rejoined Angel Investigations and each day, his doubts about returning grew quieter. Lottie seemed to enjoy spending her afternoons at the hotel with Fred helping her with Math. But there was something niggling at him.

That something was Angel and Cordelia.

He didn't begrudge them happiness, well, ok, he did. Mainly because Angel wasn't exactly Mr. Popular when he was happy. He was wary to offer any advice, unsure of how it would be taken, but surely, they knew the dangers.

He couldn't believe he was the only one who noticed the sexual tension that escalated in the week since Cordy's return. No one seemed to have a problem with their canoodling and making out, everyone else seemed to think it was great. Wes was surprised that Lorne at least hadn't noticed and made a mental note to ask Lorne whether he thought he was imagining it.

But he had a right to be worried. If anything should happen between Angel and Cordy and Angelus returned… Well, they didn't exactly have a Slayer on hand, did they?

He glanced up from the book he was reading in the lull between cases and caught sight of Cordy hugging Angel and planting a kiss on his cheek. He pushed his doubts to one side. Cordy had been there when Angelus returned in Sunnydale, she above all people would make sure their relationship did not cost Angel his soul. Angel too, would not jeopardise his friends or anyone else's safety.

Or so Wes hoped, but he himself understood how easy it was to give into passion and leave reason to other people.

"Hello, Lilah. Congratulations."

Lilah glared at Gavin Park, wishing for the thousandth time since she met him that she could strangle him.

"I don't have time for you," Lilah snapped. "So stop with the annoying little games and tell me what the hell that's supposed to mean."

"I was merely congratulating a colleague on the fact that this department has at last got some good news about Angel."

"Huh?" she hadn't meant to say that, but the fact that they had good news on Angel, well, that was kind of new.

"Cordelia Chase has returned and it seems that they have embarked on a relationship. It's only a matter of time before they… well. Then, Angelus will be back and we'll be able to get him on our side."

"You think it's that easy?" Lilah asked, patronisingly. "If you did your reading, you'd know that Angel slept with Darla and nothing happened, it's on file, Gavin. And if Angelus did return, he is unpredictable and not a team player at best. It won't be easy getting him on our side."

"You sound like you're not even willing to try."

"Oh, I'll do more than try. I'll reel him in like a fish, but I'm just saying, it'll be hard work."

"Good thing that you're used to hard work then, Lilah," Gavin noted. "What with all the work you've had to put in to make up for your previous mistakes."

"If I've made any mistakes, Gavin, no one will care once I've got Angelus. And, by the way, if Chase and Angel get it on and he becomes Angelus, you won't be part of the operation. I think you'll have a lot of paperwork to do."

She smirked at him and carried on down the hall. At last, they were going to have Angelus. And she would take the credit. Unlike Lindsey and some others, she didn't force the issue; she let things happen naturally. Although the news was all good, she couldn't help wondering what would happen to Wesley once Angel gave into his passions.

"Lorne," Wes started in a low voice, once he had cornered Lorne in the kitchen. "I was wondering, what do you think of Angel and Cordelia?"

"Likeable kids, well-suited, so not gonna put the world in jeopardy by getting all touchy-feely."

"You think?" Wes asked doubtfully.

"Wes, Angel won't let it happen, neither will Cordelia. But yeah, the sexual tension - phew! See why I've been out so much?"

"And you don't think they'll give into it?"

"Put it this way, I hope they've got more sense. They want to, sheesh, if you were Angel, wouldn't you? But they won't, they've got too much to lose."

It didn't serve to make Wes feel any better. Lorne had all but admitted they wanted more and self-control only lasts so long. And if they got caught up in the moment and reason went out the window…

"Why don't you talk to them?" Lorne suggested.

"Because they'd really listen to me," Wes answered sarcastically.

"Stranger things have happened. Connor smiled, there's a strange for ya."

"Mmm," Wes murmured, "thank you, Lorne."

"No problem," the demon shrugged.

Wes left the kitchen and watched Cordelia and Angel from a safe distance. He sighed. He really didn't want to do this. He glanced back at Lorne. Why couldn't he say anything? Because he doesn't think there's a problem. Has everyone forgotten how easily Angel went over to the dark side when Darla turned up?

"Uh, Angel? Angel, could I have a word?"

Angel looked up from polishing an axe and nodded. He kissed Cordelia briefly before getting up and walking over to Wes.

"What's up?" he asked, bouncing a little on the balls of your feet.

"You're happy," Wes noted.

Hearing a note of accusation in Wesley's voice, Angel stopped bouncing and assumed a sombre expression.

"No, I'm not. I'm brooding, see? In fact, I'm kinda upset about the stains on my broadsword…"

Wes raised his eyebrows and Angel's frown deepened.

"Ok, so I'm a little chipper. I know what you're thinking, Wes. You think Cordy and I are gonna… I admit it's hard not - y'know. But we're dealing. What we've got now, it's good, I can live with this."

"Can she?" Wes asked, slightly hesitant.

"She says she can," Angel answered. "We're not going do anything to risk my soul. I swear. And if we did, I know that you would stop me doing anything to hurt anyone."

"But could I?" Wes questioned.

"Yeah," Angel smiled. "You've always said you would, don't back out on me now."

"I'm not. I just don't want it to come to that."

"Neither do I. And it won't, ok? I've got too much too lose and I've learnt from my mistakes. You've got nothing to worry about, but seriously, I appreciate your concern."

And with that, Angel returned to his sword and Cordelia. Wes returned to his desk and his book, still fighting his sense of unease. Angel had promised, that should be good enough.

So why isn't it?

Wes had not taken Lottie to the hotel after school, instead he took her home, saying there was no work to be done. In fact, he was desperately trying to escape his foreboding. He had warned Angel, there was nothing more he could do. He had expressed his fears to Lorne; the one person who would have shared them had there been any reason. He had done everything he should have done. He had learnt from past mistakes. There was nothing more he could do. Yet he was still worried and he had decided that there must be a way around the curse. If there was, he was going to find it and offer it to Angel. That way there would be nothing to worry about and everything would be fine.

"Are you all right?" Lottie asked, as he grabbed another book on gypsy curses from his small bookcase.

"I'm fine, just looking for something."

"Can I help?"

He looked up at her, her own face mirroring his worry.

"No, I'm sure I'm just overreacting. It's all right. Nothing to worry about. Nothing at all."

He should have known better than to pull her in for a deeper kiss rather than let her go to her room. It had become their nightly routine, a huge make-out session that always ended before it became too heated. But this time, the tension that had been steadily building for a week made him hold her tighter, run his hands down her back and cup her ass.

"Angel," she gasped. "We musn't…"

But her protests were feeble and she met his lips again, drowning out her own words. She struggled a little when he lifted her and started up the stairs, but she soon collapsed against him, rocking her hips and caressing his back with her fingertips.

Darla, he thought. Nothing happened there. It'll be ok. It'll be fine. Nothing to worry about.

Stop! his mind screamed over his rationalisations. Stop it! Remember Sunnydale? Remember Buffy? You'll lose everything! Cordy, Connor, your friends! Think, Angel, think!

No, don't think, Angelus whispered. Just feel. You don't love her like you loved Buffy, you know it. Nothing will happen, I won't get out. Take her, you know you want to. Imagine her skin, what it would taste like. She's part-demon, Angel, imagine what she can do. Imagine what it would feel like inside her. Go on. Do it!

Angel could barely think through the voices echoing in his mind, he didn't realise she had already tugged off his shirt and his fingers were fumbling at her bra. When he did realise, he pushed the voices to one side and gave himself over to her warmth, to her tenderness, to her love.

The last thing he remembered as his mouth suckled her neck was Angelus's laughter resounding in his ears.

Cordy was sleeping peacefully, but she stirred and rolled over, her fingers searching for Angel. She opened her eyes when she didn't find him and her heart almost stopped. What did we do? We - Oh, no. No, no, no.

"Angel?" she called, grabbing a stake. Not Angelus. Don't be Angelus. I shouldn't have… I should've stopped it… Why didn't I? Oh, God, what have I done?

There was no answer and she stumbled to the bathroom room, praying he was showering. She gripped the doorframe as she peered around the empty bathroom. The vision hit her and though they no longer hurt, the intensity of it pushed her back onto the bed, the stake clattering to the floor.

She saw Angel's lips on hers. She remembered telling herself that it should be enough, she didn't need more because he loved her. But she felt the need growing inside her as he kissed her and his hands roamed her body. She knew she should pull away, tell him to stop and she did, but it was a weak protest and he ignored it, as did she. She remembered trying to stop it, but each time finding his hard chest or his lips on her skin. She remembered surrendering; telling herself it would be fine. She didn't believe it, but the haze of passion drowned her doubts.

She saw Angel and herself make love. She saw herself fall asleep in his arms. She saw him wake and roll away, running through the corridors, stumbling into walls. She heard a cackle of insanely cruel laughter. She saw the man she loved lurch into the street in only his pants. She saw him drag himself to an alley. She saw his eyes glow yellow, his agonised expression melt into a smirk. She saw two lovers die in that alley at the hands of -

She opened her eyes and gasped, swallowing a sob. What have I done? She should have known this would happen. She did know it would happen, but she didn't care. She sat up on the bed and reached for the telephone, dissolving into tears as she dialled the familiar number.

"Hello?"

"Wesley?" she sobbed. "Oh, Wesley, what have I done?"

"He's back, isn't he?" Wes asked, sounding resigned, but not surprised.

"Yes," she whimpered. "I'm so sorry."

"That's no good to us now, Cordelia," it was meant as a reproach, but it came out in a reassuring tone. "Tell the others. I'll be there as soon as I can. We'll have to do a sanctuary spell."

"Wesley, I'm so sorry."

"It doesn't matter now," he said. "Just tell the others. Pull yourself together, Cordy, we'll need you."

"We've got to stop him, he's already killed two people."

"Calm down," Wes soothed. "I'm on my way."

"It's Angelus, Wesley," she choked. "It's Angelus."

But Wes had already slammed the phone down, cursing passion for being such a cruel bitch.