CHAPTER NINE

Spike watched Faith trying to coax Connor out from under the cot. The boy remained firmly wedged, shaking. At least the wretched weeping had stopped. He couldn't move from the chair he had ensconced himself in without inciting the boy to charge the bars. If Faith wanted Connor out of from under the cot, all she needed to do was call Spike to the cage. "Just leave him there, Faith. He's fine."

She turned to face him, her eyes hot. "And you'd know that how?"

"I lived with Dru most of my life. I know from crazy. I know the moods and the signs. He'll calm down if we quit poking at him," Spike said, stretching his legs out in front of him.

"I suppose you might be right." She stretched. "I need to relax. I'm beat. Mind if I get comfortable?"

Spike grinned. "What's that entail, luv?"

She reached behind her and undid the clasp on her bra then proceeded to go through the motions needed to wiggle it out from under her shirt. "Just this. Men ought to have to hoist their nuts up with padding, metal and itchy lace, too."

"I think there are men that do," Spike said. "You just have to go to the right clubs."

"Thanks but no," Faith said then whirled when her bra got yanked out of her hands. She saw Connor had crawled out from under the cot. He scampered back to the cot and laid down on it, her bra pressed to his cheek. "What the fuck?"

"Didn't you ever learn never to turn your back to ocean waves or men?" Spike smirked. "See the boy has his dad's fascination with breasts or is it Slayers?"

"Probably both." Faith rapped on the bars. "Can I have my bra back?"

Connor curled up tighter, a death grip on the bra. "Where's Father?"

"Hey, he knows more than 'demon lover'," Spike said.

"Actually, Steven, I think he'll be here soon. You just rest. You can keep the bra if you want," Faith said, going back to sit next to Spike.

"How come women never make me that offer?" Spike asked.

"Because you're a perv and he's just a scared kid...who's probably a closet perv.

She shrugged. "Most men are."

"There you are, back to the dim view of mankind," Spike said.

"It's mostly justified." Faith shrugged. "Some of you aren't so bad. Angel, Giles, Xander. Not to say they can't be perverts when they put their minds to it."

"Trust me, Angel's a perv. I know. I've watched. I've bitched when he just decided to wander in and help himself to the woman I'm with before I'm done." Spike made a face.

"Yeah, like you were complaining." Faith rolled her eyes.

"When it was Dru, I did," Spike assured her.

Faith looked at him strangely. "You mean that. I guess sometimes you ain't so bad."

He licked his lips. "Bad as you want me to be."

"I'll get back to you on that," she flirted back.

"I'll be waiting." Spike smiled as sweetly as he knew how. "I mean that."

Faith's eyes opened slightly then she blushed just ever so slightly. He realized she understood he meant it. He knew it wouldn't fill the hole Buffy left in his heart but Buffy hadn't filled the hole Dru left. He just needed to dedicate a new area to them.

"Demon loving bitch," Connor said.

"Hey, watch your mouth or I'll take that bra back." Faith stabbed a finger at him.

He pouted then stroked his cheek with the garment. "Smells like...happiness."

"He's so around the bend," Spike said.

Faith nodded, smothering a yawn. "Why don't you go see if Angel needs you? I can watch the kid by myself and he doesn't like you any how."

Spike nodded. He was already tired of watching Connor and he didn't like the feelings the boy stirred up in him, especially the jealousy. He had always been Angelus' favored son even when his sire by proxy was angry at him. He knew Angelus had been proud of his viciousness but now Angel had someone to love unconditionally in a way he had never loved anyone, in a way Spike had never been loved. He put his mother's love for him in the 'need to control' category, not the 'pure I'd do anything for you' type of love.

As he headed out, he knew that he shouldn't feel jealous. It was wrong but he had always been a jealous creature. It was why he was always in direct competition with Angel. He wanted what was his. Even if he got it, he wanted more. Still, he wasn't sure if he wanted this, a living child. He wasn't sure he could handle that kind of pain.

Spike found Angel in his suite sitting at the table with Wesley. Both men looked over at Spike, as if surprised to see him.

"Shouldn't you be getting some rest, finish up all that healing, Peaches?" Spike asked.

"You think I could sleep?" Angel's expression said Spike was in the running for the dumbest man alive.

"Maybe not. Faith thought I should come help you," Spike said, sitting on the couch.

"Doing what?" Wesley asked.

Spike shrugged. "Does it matter? The kid just gets more agitated if I'm around. Maybe you could use another set of eyes on the books or something."

"Actually I think I have everything well in hand. Fred can help me procure the last few items," Wes said, getting up. "I was only trying to help Angel with the medical reports on that boy downstairs. It throws into sharp relief how little impact trying to run the L.A. branch as a force of good has had. It's quite reprehensible stuff and even if we weren't helping, we have several employees turning a blind eye to it."

"That bad?" Spike asked.

"Hellacious." Wesley headed for the door. "Spike, we could use your help tonight trying to find those kids and free them from the demons' control."

"I'll be there." Spike kicked his feet up on the couch and waited for Wes to go before saying, "What did they do to him?"

Angel shook his head. Spike could see Angel was past emotion into that well of numbness that was so hard to claw your way out of. "You and I on our worst days wouldn't have thought of torturing someone like this. They were very interested in finding his limits and they had no qualms about putting someone in horrific pain. I'm not so sure it took telelpaths to destroy his mind. I've turned people's brains to jelly doing less than this."

"What now?"

"I don't know. I just don't know. There's the contract...but they broke it first. And Wesley's right, we're not doing any real good here. We're fooling ourselves. The good we have done is probably just a distraction from whatever else Wolfram and Hart is doing elsewhere." Angel ran a hand through what was left of his burnt hair. "I'll have to tell them all what I've done in order to find a way to help my son. How is he doing?"

"Me being there was upsetting him so I left. He stole Faith's bra and is using it as a security blanket." Spike leaned over the back of the couch watching Angel's perplexed expression. He wished he could enjoy that confusion but things were too dark for that.

"What?"

"He got her bra." Spike shrugged. "I figure so long as he isn't wearing it over his head like earmuffs or does something obscene with it, we're in the clear. He's pretty calm now though. He has a few other words in his vocabulary outside of demon and lover. He knows bitch and where's father."

"He's looking for Holtz," Angel said and, in spite of himself, Spike felt his own heart breaking for him.

"Faith told him his father would be here soon," Spike said. "It seemed to make him happy."

"It's probably not a lie." Angel crossed over and sat on the love seat, facing Spike. "Holtz may very well come here, thinking Wolfram and Hart might help him."

"He's been here," Spike said.

Angel's eyes popped. "What?"

Spike realized he may have let a dangerous cat out of the bag. "I've seen him in Eve's office."

"And you're just thinking to tell me this now." Angel reached across the coffee table to grab Spike.

. "I wouldn't talk about keeping secrets." Spike jerked away. " I know how to eavesdrop on Eve. She's trying to convince Daniel that you're to blame for Connor's condition."

"I'm surprised he wasn't here to kill me before this in that case," Angel said, settling back.

"He didn't believe her and they are planning on killing you, Angel. Eve said Daniel had to keep the kid from killing you before schedule. He didn't know that he could. He sounded sincerely worried that he wasn't able to control Connor and that the boy wasn't eating or sleeping except when he used the drugs Eve gave him to control Connor." Spike shook his head. "He doesn't trust her and if he comes here, it'll be her he's looking for, for double crossing him. I got the impression he was very worried about the kid."

Angel nodded. "He might be. I think he did come to love Connor when they were trapped in Quor-Toth. Being resurrected doesn't seem to have changed that. He won't want to hurt Connor but he might be willing to sacrifice him in order to get to me."

"I remember what you and Darla used to laugh about, what you did to this man, I can see why he would but when it comes to carrying a grudge he's gotta win records." Spike lit up and tossed Angel the pack. Angel helped himself. "Faith and I heard you strangling Eve." Spike said and Angel paused, a startled expression on his face. "I've got no trouble with you killing her for this. Faith doesn't like it. Just thought you should know."

Angel took a deep drag on the cigarette, "Thanks. I'll keep it in mind."

"Of course, Eve's probably taken the fastest jet out of town."

Angel shook his head. "No. The Senior Partners run the show. If they wanted her to handle this, they may force her back here. It'll depend on who she thinks will kill her first, me or them. You going to stick around to help?"

"Do I look like I'm going to cut and run?" Spike took a drag. "Do you really want me helping with this?"

"Like it or not, you're family. Besides, you had the most patience with Dru out of all of us. You now how to handle someone in Connor's fragile mental condition. You and I have the most experience and I could use your help," Angel said as if it had cost him everything to say it.

"Yeah but my way of handling Dru when she got bad was to make love to her. I've never been into boys," Spike said.

"And if you were, I wouldn't have asked you to stay. When this is over, everyone will either be helping or deserting me. I can't even guess which." Angel sucked on the filter of his cigarette. "But I need you because only you and I or a Slayer has the strength to hold Connor down if he gets too agitated. I don't want him hurting anyone because he's having a psychotic episode. You saw him in that cage earlier. Faith could barely hold on."

"Good point. I'll be here. Anything you need me to do now?"

"I'm going down to check on him. I know I shouldn't but I can't help it. You can come with," Angel said.

"Yeah sure, not like I need sleep or anything," Spike grumbled but he got up to follow his grandsire.

* *

Faith decided watching someone sleep was about as boring a duty as she had ever pulled. Even an encounterless patrol was better since at least she could get up and walk. She wanted to go into the cage once or twice and shake Connor awake. She could see he was having nightmares. He moaned and thrashed and she wanted to do more than shout his name and startle him more. She didn't have the key.

At least now he was in a deeper, more restful sleep. He looked amazingly innocent, lying on his side, his lips parted, hair falling over his face. His slight snoring was just the drone Faith needed to put her to sleep. She still hurt a little and was exhausted but she was a Slayer and she could fight sleep, right? She used thoughts of Spike to keep her awake.

She wondered what game he was playing, acting like he cared about her. She didn't think he did, not in a deep way at any rate. Maybe he wanted to be a friend. Somehow she figured he didn't have many. Maybe it was just about the sex. That was easy enough. Do it and he'd go away. But what if he didn't? Was she ready to have a real friend? Robin and Angel were about the only ones she had. She knew Buffy and her friends were just tolerating her. Maybe they could be friends. Maybe not. It was hard to tell with that much dark water under the bridge. It might be worth exploring.

Faith was half asleep when she heard someone come into the room. Instantly awake, she got up but it was only Gunn. She smiled sheepishly. "He's sleeping like a little angel."

"He's anything but," Gunn said.

Faith wasn't sure if it was his words, the totally emotionless tone or the flat, blank look on Gunn's face but alarms went off in her brain. Gunn had been called up to meet with the Senior Partners. Hadn't Wes said that Gunn had direct contact with those mysterious partners? Faith suddenly wondered if that link meant they could give Gunn orders, even ones he might not want to fulfill. "What brings you back here, Gunn?" She tensed, not wanting to put him down. She liked Gunn.

"Business."

"I think we'll wait for Angel, whadda you say?" She took hold of his arm.

Gunn twisted just slightly and the electrodes from his taser embedded into her belly. Faith bit her tongue as her body convulsed. More pain exploded as her head hit the floor. When her senses cleared, she had been handcuffed to Connor's cage. She couldn't move yet, her whole body filled with the pins and needles feeling. She heard Eve's voice.

"Come on, just get it done. I need to get out of here but the Senior Partners won't let me go until it's done."

Gunn just grunted at her and Faith was more convinced that he was being controlled. She turned, pulling on her shackles. They were too tight. Eventually she'd be able to break them. She knew she didn't have time. Gunn had a syringe in hand and something told Faith it was either a lethal dose or something to sedate Connor long enough for him to be transported out of here. She was betting on the latter if Eve had made travel plans and the fact that Connor was living out in the streets with Holtz. The Senior Partners were done with Project 229.

Connor stalked around the inside of his cage but there was nothing he could do. He was a sitting duck. Faith didn't have a clear view, tied to the bottom of the cage as she was but she saw Eve trying to take aim with a taser like the one Gunn had, the cop-styled one that shot electrodes to keep some distance between police and perp. Faith kicked out and tagged Eve's ankle. She fell, crying out. Faith knew she hadn't really hurt her, too damn bad.

"Gunn, hurry up and kill him," Eve said, reaching for the taser which had landed close to the cage.

"Steven, get that thing!" Faith yelled but the kid was way ahead of her. He had the gun in hand and he shot Eve with it. "Good boy."

Gunn took advantage of Connor concentrating on Eve and he shot the boy in the back with another taser. Connor's head bashed into the bars before he fell. Gunn started toward the cage and he was opposite Faith so there was nothing she could do. She pulled hard on her shackles, feeling flesh tearing but not enough to let her slip free. Gunn grabbed Connor's ankle, yanking him closer to the cage so he could inject them.

"Gunn, don't! You don't want to hurt him," Faith cried.

Gunn brought the syringe to bear. Faith heard a twang and an arrow sprouted out of Gunn's thigh. He fell to his side, panting in pain, both hands around the wound. The syringe rolled free. Faith looked at the door and saw Holtz there. He came across the room and grabbed Eve by the hair, dragging her up.

"You betrayed me, woman." Holtz's voice gave Faith shivers. She didn't want to know what he was about to do but at this point, she could get behind killing Eve. "Now let my son out of the cage."

"Angel has the key. He's the one who did this," Eve said, her thin body quivering.

"She's lying," Faith said. "Angel's trying to help him. She's trying to kill Steven."

Holtz looked between Eve and Faith, considering it. "Let him go now, Eve."

"Angel will kill you both," Eve said.

"She's the one who damaged Steven's mind," Faith said. "Her doctors tortured him then she set mind readers on him."

Eve grabbed one of Holtz's stakes off his belt and tried to stabbed him with it. He slammed her face down into a lab table and let her drop. "Does the other one have the key?" He pointed to Gunn.

"I don't know. He has the keys to my handcuffs. Free me and I'll help you," Faith said. "Just don't hurt Gunn. He doesn't know what he's doing."

"I don't think I'll be freeing you, young lady. I've seen what you're capable of doing," Holtz said. "All I want is my son."

Faith saw Angel and Spike coming in behind Holtz. She hoped she could keep him distracted until the vampires could do something about him. "I only you guys because Steven attacked me. I'm a Slayer. Do you know what that is? It's my job to kill demons."

"Yet I've seen you with the little blond one. You're here with Angelus. I don't think I can trust you," Holtz said, turning and firing. The crossbow bolt struck Angel just above the groin. Angel gasped and went to his knees. "It's odd, how you can almost feel them coming up on you." He tried to load up but Spike moved faster than Faith had ever seen him go.

He yanked Holtz closer with the end of his own crossbow and punched him in the face. Holtz reeled back. "That's for calling me little." Spike hit him again. "That's for shooting me." Bleeding, Holtz tried to open a bottle of holy water but Spike batted it away then took Holtz to the ground. "And that's for burning me with a cross." He stopped Holtz's struggles with another punch. "And that's for not shooting Peaches in the balls."

"Are you okay, Angel?" Faith asked.

Angel pulled the arrow free. "Disappointed I didn't get a few licks in."

"Gunn tried to kill Connor, Angel. I think he's being controlled. He chained me up," Faith said.

Angel crossed over to Gunn who was still on the floor bleeding heavily. He dug in the man's pockets and came up with the key. "Spike, call the infirmary before he bleeds to death. I think that nicked his femoral artery."

Spike nodded and went to the phone. Angel freed Faith and she helped him put Holtz in her shackles. The man was breathing but battered. Connor, still a little groggy from being tasered, crawled on his belly to reach out to the man through the bars.

"Help's on its way," Spike said. "What the hell happened here?"

"Where's Eve?" Faith realized the woman was no longer on the ground, bleeding from the wound Holtz had inflicted on her forehead when he smashed her into the table. Faith saw Eve had the syringe and was going for Connor's exposed arm. "Angel, I think that syringe has poison in it."

Angel grabbed Eve, jerking her away from the cage. She whirled on him trying to stab him with the syringe and he calmly grabbed her head and twisted. Faith winced, hearing the snapping of Eve's neck. Angel let her lie there like a doll.

No one said anything for several moments. Faith couldn't breathe, shocked by the casualness of it. Her wrists throbbed from the damage she had done trying to escape so she tried to divert her attention to them instead of Eve's limp body. Angel's eyes met hers and she managed not to look away. "I think the Senior Partners meeting with Gunn was to get control of him or something." Faith rubbed her bleeding wrists.

"Once Gunn's taken care of, we'll sort this out," Angel said. "I'll arrange to have Eve disposed of."

Faith didn't like the dead tone in his voice but at this point she felt no remorse for Eve. She spared that for Gunn who she would continue to believe didn't know what he was doing until proven otherwise and for Holtz whom she feared might not live out the day if Angel had anything to say about it.