Sins of the Father
Chapter Eighteen
It felt like forever since he had had hope. Faith had been his hope. But just because she was a Slayer and he was well aware that she doing her best didn't mean the fact that their searches always turned up nothing didn't hurt like hell. But here was the very person he had been counting on, before the seething red hot need for revenge filled his vision and stopped any ideas of saving Lottie and Angel from escaping his lips.
For the first time in what felt like forever, he actually felt alive.
The last time he had felt alive was when he watched a small girl with an unruly mop of curly brown hair try to suck cookie dough ice cream into her mouth through the gap where her tooth should have been. He remembered a surge of love and pride that was starting to feel normal, like it had always been there. He remembered looking at big blue eyes eagerly taking in 18th century engravings, and feeling sick to his stomach with fear and completely in awe of the fact that he - of all people - had somehow been involved in the creation of this girl.
He remembered how he enjoyed being needed when her hand slipped into his or she couldn't reach the box of cereal.
He wanted to do anything in the world to get that back.
"Willow," he said again.
"That's my name, don't wear it out," she answered with a grin.
Her companion - Tara - put a hand on Willow's arm and frowned a little.
"Willow," she said softly.
Willow nodded and approached Wesley as he wondered abstractly if she had even noticed Faith who was watching Willow with wide eyes. Of course, she hadn't seen her in years.
"When we got back from our trip, a friend of Giles said you called. Cordy told us what happened. We got the first flight over. God, I'm so sorry we couldn't get here earlier."
"Cor…" he turned his head, completely shocked and Cordy shrugged.
"I didn't want to get your hopes up," she said simply.
And right then, he realised why he loved Cordelia Chase. She wasn't as insensitive as she sometimes made out and he was infinitely grateful for her right then.
"G-Giles gave us some stuff," Tara said shyly and Willow slipped her hand in hers. "Well, his friend had some texts on gypsy curses and we've got them here. We thought we could maybe…"
"Find something to break Angel's curse? Can you do that?" Faith demanded.
Willow looked at her, blinked, studied her a moment and - to Wesley's surprise - smiled at her.
"How you doing, Faith?"
"I'm… ok," Faith replied warily.
"So, are we going to get this going or not?" Lorne asked, clapping his hands.
They bustled into action, each grabbing a book from Tara and eagerly starting to skim. All except Willow, Tara, Wesley and Faith.
"You came all the way here to help me?" he asked Willow.
"I figured you could use some help," she smiled.
"A-and it would be a good, um, test," Tara added.
"Oh. Yes, I heard… I'm sorry."
"Why are you sorry?" Willow asked brusquely. "I did it, it's not like it's your fault. You gonna help us with the research or not?"
"It would be my pleasure."
He took a book from Tara with a gentle smile. Something about the girl reminded him of himself in his days in Sunnydale. Though she - thankfully - did not cover her shyness and nerves with a pompous attitude that alienated everyone.
Faith was the only one left standing as the rest of the group fell into silence as they pored over the books.
"I guess you won't be needing me anymore then," she said and turned sharply, stalking out of the hotel.
The others glanced up, but were too excited by this new salvation to go running after her. Wes watched the door for a moment, before opening his book and reading.
Angelus was pissed. She could tell by the sounds coming from beyond the door. She knew she should be terrified of why he was angry and what it meant he would do. But she was willing to trade even the brutal rage of Angelus for the stifling heaviness of the closet.
But she still shrank back when Angelus tore the door open and grabbed her. He threw her over his shoulder and she watched his feet click in and out of her view as he strode to the opposite side of the room. She felt the movement of his arm flash out, felt his hand connect with something and heard the throaty scream of the vampire as it was dusted. He pulled her forward long enough to shove the gag back into her mouth and turned again and strode out of the room, along the hall and out into the darkness, slipping down an alley.
She didn't have to wonder where they were going, what was going to happen.
They were moving.
He was taking her away.
He was making sure she wouldn't be found.
And Lottie hated him for it.
Wes was used to researching; it was what he was good at. And right now, he thought he had a better chance of saving Lottie with a book and a witch than with a sword and a Slayer.
Which he knew was unfair to Faith. She had tried to help, really. She had even been nice to him, she had tried to connect with him, make him feel better. And he was grateful, but the fact remained that none of it had helped.
Most of the others were having a hard time with the texts. He seemed the only one fluent in the ancient language damn near all the books were written in, though Willow and Tara seemed to be coping.
He flicked through the pages of legends and glanced at the first spell the book had offered before turning the page. He continue to barely glance at the script on each page, but he froze over one word. Thesula.
He glanced at the others who hadn't noticed his pause then returned his attention to the spell. It was the second part of the curse. The removal of the clause and therefore the curse. He gulped and frowned. Why wasn't he waving this at the others, telling them it was all going to be fine because here was the thing they were looking for? Why was he just sitting here?
He stood slowly and wandered into the office, nobody questioned where he was going and why and he was grateful for it. He put the book on the desk and spent a moment reading through it. No. No mistake. This was Angel's key to happiness.
Wes clenched his jaw and slowly tore the page from the book, trying to make as little sound as possible.
This was the key to Angel's happiness. This was the thing that meant he could make love to Cordelia. This was the thing that meant Angel could have countless moments of perfect bliss.
And that was the reason Wes pocketed the page and returned the book to Tara, telling her there was nothing in it.
That was the reason he didn't object when Willow said she would do the en-soulment spell to save Angel and Lottie and they could go on looking once everything was ok.
That was the reason Wes kept his mouth shut about it when he went out to Rick's Magick and Stuff to get a Thesulan Orb.
Because Angelus was in Angel and Angelus was a monster. He didn't deserve happiness.