Sins of the Father
Chapter Ten
Lilah was tired. She had been at the office all night. Oh sure, it was happy days for everyone else now that the senior partners were happy about Angel becoming Angelus. But it was Lilah that had to do the paperwork. She was the one that had to detail all they knew about how he lost his soul, what Angel Investigations were doing about it and what offers they thought would entice him to work with company.
But at least she was finished. With a sigh, she stood up slowly and started to gather her things together. Her office door opened and the punchable face of Gavin Park appeared.
"Lilah," he greeted. "Fantastic news, don't you think?"
"Yeah, yeah," she muttered, too tired for a witty comeback. "Get out, Gavin, I'm going home."
"I only wondered what you were planning to do about Angel becoming Angelus," he answered, walking into her office with a wide and entirely false smile.
"Like I told you, Gavin," she snapped, glaring at him. "Angelus is unpredictable and not a team player. I've done all the write ups on the situation and we will then offer Angelus aid in whatever he wants, with limits, of course. And you, you have a lot of paperwork to do."
"I didn't actually mean Angelus," Gavin said. "I mean, all that was very interesting, but it's nothing any of the rest of us couldn't have put into action. I meant, what are you going to do about Angel becoming Angelus in regard to Angel Investigations. They'll get in the way."
"I'm aware of that," Lilah retorted. "But there's not much they can do -"
"Besides restore his soul."
"But there are infinite ways around that," Lilah smirked. "And a way around that is one of the things I intend to offer Angelus. Now, if you could get your ass out my way, I'm leaving now. Oh, I almost forgot," she opened a drawer and handed him a large file of paperwork. She had been saving pointless bits and pieces that weren't in any rush to be completed since she heard about Angel and Cordelia for just this purpose. "Get this done please, Gavin," she smiled sweetly. "I think most of it requires reading. Who knows, it could take you weeks. But that's all right, I'll soldier on with the Angelus project without you."
With a final smirk, she handed him the folder and swept out the office.
But halfway down the corridor, she glanced down at the business card paper-clipped to the folder in her arms.
Angel Investigations. 213-555-0162
Wes stepped away from the half-built cage and allowed himself a smile.
"Well, Gunn," he said. "If this detective business doesn't work out, we would make fine metal workers."
"Or just plain cage builders 'cause I think this is my limit," Gunn answered with a grin. His face became sombre however when he asked. "You think this'll hold him?"
"It should," Wesley answered slowly. "But just in case, we should have someone watching him with a tranquilliser gun."
"Or we could just kill him," Connor said, coming down into the basement. "Instead of wasting our time."
"And I thought we went over this," Wes muttered.
"Ah, ignore him," Gunn returned.
"Wesley," Connor said, his scowl penetrating his voice when he realised he was being ignored. "Lottie's looking for you."
Wes turned slowly and raised his eyebrows at the teenager.
"You've spoken to her," he asked.
"She's a nice kid," he shrugged, stomping back up the stairs.
Gunn chuckled and nudged Wes in the arm.
"She's got us all charmed," he said. "Hey, bring her down here. She'll probably be better at this than you."
"And she really couldn't be worse than you, Gunn," Wes replied dryly, turning to the stairs.
"Hey, Wes," Gunn called, Wes turned and waited silently for a reply. "You're a good dad, man."
Wes smiled.
"Thank you, Charles."
He jogged up the stairs and out of the basement; catching sight of Lottie knelt before the weapons cabinet, watching Connor polish a sword.
"Dad," she said, looking round at him. "Connor won't let me help."
"I should hope not," Wes replied. "Where's Fred?"
"She had to go get Lorne," Connor answered without looking up. "He called saying he was too drunk to get home."
"Oh, bloody hell," Wes muttered. "And Cordy?"
"Upstairs, asleep."
"Oh… Connor, are you all right?"
"Fine."
"We'll get Angel back, Connor. I promise you."
"I don't really care," Connor snapped, standing up, putting the sword away and stalking away. "I'll check on Cordy."
Wes watched him with a sigh. Lottie stood and closed the doors of the weapons cabinet.
"I think he misses Angel," Lottie said matter-of-factly. "But he pretends he doesn't."
"I see," Wes nodded. "Well, just so long as you've been keeping an eye on him."
"Yep," she smiled. "Can I come help with the cage?"
"Go on then," he said, offering her his hand and leading her down into the basement.
"Little help here, people!" Fred yelled, struggling to hold up the drunken Lorne.
Connor emerged from upstairs and took Lorne's other side as Wes, Gunn and Lottie ran up from the basement.
"Lorne, what happened?" Gunn asked, helping him sit down on the couch.
"The Furies were out," Fred said, looking at Lorne reprovingly. "Their secretary -"
"Secretary?" Gunn asked. "Furies have secretaries?"
"Lovely floppy skinned demon," Lorne said. "Was telling me all 'bout her cousin in Sunnydale. Remarkable."
"She offered him a drink and he decided it would be rude to say no. Hence…" Fred gestured to Lorne and rolled her eyes.
"Did you see the Furies?" Wes asked.
"No," Lorne answered. "Busy women. People heard Angelus was back and they all figured they'd be on his hit list. Man's got a lot of enemies. Fred, sweetie, can I have another firewater?"
"No! I'll make you a coffee."
Lorne watched her go with a wistful smile.
"Lovely girl," he murmured. "Let me know when she's free, Gunn."
"Hey, you go there again, I will have to kill you," Gunn promised him.
"I know, sugar lump," Lorne replied. "Oh and Wesley? I made an appointment, the ladies with be here tomorrow at ten."
"Right," Wes murmured distractedly.
"What's up?" Connor asked.
"Well, if everyone was after sanctuary spells because Angelus is back, it would make sense that Wolfram and Hart know."
"Which isn't good," Fred added, entering the group, handing Lorne his coffee and glaring at his disgusted look. "And who knows what they'll offer him to get him on their side?"
"Exactly," Wes nodded.
"I say we get to him first," Gunn said. "Get the spell up and running and get him in here until that girl gets back from England."
"We can't wait that long."
The group turned to see Cordy descend the stairs.
"She's right," Lorne nodded. "So what do you see with those brown eyes of yours, Brown Eyes? Do you even see your visions with your eyes?"
"Are you drunk?" she asked.
"Very," he replied.
"Look, we get him in that cage," Cordy said. "But we can't just keep him there. He's intelligent, the longer we leave him in there, the surer he'll find a way out."
"What do you suggest?" Wes asked.
"I don't know," she answered, pressing a hand to her forehead. "I could call Giles and ask him when he thinks Willow will be back. Or maybe he knows someone over here who could help us."
"Right," Wes nodded, noting her exhaustion. "I'll go and call Giles now."
"I'll finish up the cage," Gunn said, bending down slightly to talk to Lottie. "You gonna help me, Squirt?"
"Ok. Come help, Connor," she said
The teenager shrugged. "I've got nothing better to do."
Gunn picked Lottie up, swung her around and they left for the basement, followed by Connor. Cordelia approached Lorne with a slight frown.
"Fred, I think we'd better get him to bed with a bowl. I'm not clearing his barf off the floor."
Wes smiled as the girls helped Lorne up the stairs, Cordelia's words, "Don't you dare spew on me!" rang around the lobby as he entered the office.
He had barely reached for the phone when it rang and he snatched it up, hoping it was Willow to say she was home and Dawn said they called.
"Hello?" he said, sitting down. Please be Willow. Please be Willow.
"Wesley? It's Lilah."