Gift

Chapter Eight

Mistrust

            "Cordelia?"  Wesley's voice conveyed his shock.  He snatched the picture from Liberty's grip and studied it intensely. 

"How long have you had this?"  Wesley seemed distress now.  Surprised to worried in .5 seconds.  Only Wesley.
"Connor just brought it by.  This is Cordelia?  Like Vision Girl Cordelia?"

Liberty had heard about Cordelia in the halls as well.  Wolfram and Hart corridors were regular gossip mills.  Angel had been in love with Cordelia, but he had never acted on his feelings.  Cordelia was from Sunnydale and had known Angel from there.  She ended up working at Angel Investigations when she moved to Los Angeles where she inherited her visions from a Brachen demon named Doyle.  That was all she'd heard about Cordelia.

 "Yes.  She died a few months ago after being in a coma.  How does Connor know her?"
"I don't know.  I just asked him to draw me a picture of the woman he described to me.  I never thought it would be Cordelia Chase."

"Does that mean that Cordelia knows Connor?  It must.  Everything is connecting, yet I'm still so lost.  The mystical insurgence occurred at the Hyperion Hotel and a sporting goods store.  Angel Investigations used to have its offices there.  What if Cordelia and Connor were in the same place at the time of the insurgence?  What if that affected Cordelia in her coma?"

"You think that's possible?  That Cordelia and Connor have some sort of connection with each other because they were together at the time of the convergence.  But how did Connor happen to be at the hotel?  Why would he be there?"

"Maybe he was at the sporting goods store, Libby."
"Yeah, and Cordelia was shopping for a bat and glove to play baseball while she was in her coma."

Wesley nodded, knowing that was true.  Cordelia wouldn't have gone to a sporting goods store even when she'd been alive and awake.  Unless someone carried her to the store, she would have remained at the Hyperion. 

"What worries me so much, Liberty, is the date of the convergence.  Angel and the rest of us signed our contracts with Wolfram and Hart that day.  We took this firm over on May 2nd.  What if we were the cause of the convergence?"

"Wesley, you don't know Connor.  None of you did, not before he came into the offices.  How could you all have anything to do with the activation of Connor's powers?"

"As much as I hate to admit it, we're not aware of all of the Senior Partners' plans.  The unfortunate result of our agreement with the firm.  It's what killed Fred."  Wesley paused, his voice wistful.

"It could suit them to have Connor's powers activated.  He could be used in another apocalypse or another unknown reason.  It's not like they keep us informed of their nefarious objections." Wesley continued.

Liberty let the information digest.  Connor could be used for evil purposes.  He could be an innocent victim of fate.  She sighed, realizing how dramatic she sounded, but it was true.  Connor had no idea of his destiny, either.  They'd discovered so much about his powers yet they were stuck now.  More questions had popped up since they'd discovered this information. 

"What are we going to do about this, Wesley?"

Wesley considered what he'd just learned.  He should take this to Angel, but he didn't quite trust Angel at the moment.  It was Angel who had made the final decision to take the jobs at Wolfram and Hart.  The rest of the team had wanted the jobs, but they weren't ready to make a deal with the devil.  Angel was.  There must have been a reason for it.  There must have been a reason for all of this.  Wesley locked gazes with Liberty.

"We shouldn't tell anyone.  Not yet."

"Not Angel?  Shouldn't he know about this?"

"No.  I don't think so.  I'm not sure if we can trust him."

"Angel?  We can't trust Angel?"  Liberty's tone was incredulous.  She trusted few people with her secret and her life and Angel was one of them.

"He was the one who made the decision to come to Wolfram and Hart.  He may play a part in the Senior Partners' plans.  Let's keep this between you and me for a while."

"I already told Connor about the convergence."

"That's quite all right, Libby.  He may be able to help us learn more about his connection with Cordelia.  I meant we shouldn't tell anyone at the firm.  Not until we have a better understanding of what happened."

Liberty nodded, knowing that she had to agree with Wesley.  She trusted Angel with her life, but she had trusted Wesley with her gift when she hadn't even known him.  As horrible as it sounded, she probably trusted Wesley more than she trusted Angel. 

"All right.  I'm going to go tell Connor to let him know what's going on."

"Okay."
"What should I tell him about Angel?"

"Be creative."

Liberty stood from the desk and walked on to the door.

"Thanks for listening to me, Wesley."

"You're incredibly good at this, Liberty."

She smiled brightly, not thinking about the trouble she was having in withholding information from Angel.  Wesley returned the smile half-heartedly before sinking back down into his leather chair to stare intensely at the sketch of Cordelia.

            Spike let out an unnecessary breath as he barged into Angel's office. 

"We've got problems, Peaches."

Angel looked up from the papers cluttering on his desk to see what Spike was babbling about.

"What is it, Spike?"

Spike settled himself in a chair, propping his legs up so he could recline.

"I was just outside Wesley's office where he and Liberty were having a powwow.  They're onto the brainwash thingy.  Well, sort of.  They've connected Connor to Cordelia and a mystical convergence on May 2nd when you all took over Evil, Inc.  They're not going to be bangin' down your doors with this exciting information, either, because Wesley doesn't trust you anymore."

Angel's eyes widened as he leaned forward.
"How did they connect Connor and Cordelia?"

"Drawing of the woman of his dreams.  And I don't even want to know how they're connected."

Angel glared at Spike who put his hands up in mock surrender.

"Don't shoot the messenger here.  I'm just keeping my eyes out and reporting it back to you."

"I don't need your added commentary."

Spike snorted.  "It'd be so boring without it."

The two vampires stared at each other before Angel returned to his work.

            Illyria entered the office an hour after Liberty had left.  She'd grown bored with the weaponry since she couldn't use it to kill or torture anybody.  Wesley told her she wasn't allowed to kill the insignificant creatures.  So she was back in Wesley's office.  He was staring into space, with the same pensive stare that he used when he was brooding about her shell.  Hopefully that wasn't what was bothering him.  She grew irritated when he pouted over the loss of the woman.  She stepped forward, waiting for him to acknowledge her presence, but he did not.  She also grew irritated when he ignored her.  It was usually when he pouted and drank that vile amber liquid.  She finally reached him and waved a careless hand in front of his face.

"You will acknowledge me."

"Illyria, I don't have time for you right now."

She stepped back, offended.  He should always have time for her.  She was a superior being.

"You will always have time for me.  I am a goddess and you are a lower being."
"I am a lower being with things to do."

"Like sit in your chair to stare at something that does not exist on the white walls while mourning the loss of the shell?"

Wesley's eyes flashed a stormy blue.  He was attached to Illyria, yes, but he hated it when she brought up Fred.  It was too much to hear a woman with Fred's face talk about Fred. 

"I wasn't mourning Fred, Illyria.  No need to be jealous."

"Jealous?  What is jealousy but a useless, mortal emotion?  I am not jealous, I am curious. Why do you sit in your office looking perplexed with the stink of vile liquids on your breath?"

"I am not drunk, Illyria.  I haven't had a drink since I got to work.  And I'm perplexed because I'm not sure who to trust."

"You have doubt in your other lower beings?"  Illyria's head had tilted in her curious way, a sign to Wesley that she was interested in what they were speaking of.  Whenever she wanted to learn more of the topic they were discussing, her head would cock to the side acutely, as if she wanted to hear more.

"Yes, I do.  I'm not sure whom to trust anymore.  I received some information that makes me wonder about my other colleagues."
"Even the girl who was here earlier?"

"No.   Not Liberty.  I trust her."

"And me?  Do you trust me?"  She sounded earnest then, a surprising tone for Illyria.  She sounded like a typical girl.

"I suppose I do, as much as I can.  You are still an evil goddess who took the life of the woman I loved."

"I replaced her."

"You are not her."

"I do not wish to be."

Illyria stepped forward again, her hand slowly tracing the contours of Wesley's face as if he were a science project to be examined.  The touch was gentle yet cold and it shocked Wesley.

"I will give you aid if you require it.  If you only trust me and the other girl, than you may need it."

"I might."

Wesley allowed a small smile to form on his face.  Illyria was trying to help in her own way.  And that was enough to make him feel better after his previous encounter with Liberty.

            Liberty knocked on the door to Connor's dorm room lightly.  She wanted him to answer the door, but she wasn't sure how to explain everything she'd found out.  If he wasn't home she would have more time to think about the words she wanted to use.  Unfortunately, the door opened, but the one who answered wasn't Connor.

"Hey."  He checked her out obviously.  He was kind of disgusting, but he must know Connor since he had answered his door.  She smiled coquettishly, hoping to get in the door and away from him as soon as possible.

"Hi.  Is Connor home?"

"Why does he always get the hot ones?  Connor, you've got another hot girl out here.  I'm going to stop answering the door soon.  It just depresses me."

Connor appeared at the door immediately, smiling slightly at Liberty.

"Libby?  What are you doing here?"
"I just have some stuff I wanted to talk to you about."

She caught his gaze and he understood what she meant.  He stepped out into the hall, ignoring his roommate's indignation at not being introduced to the girl standing in front of him.

"We can walk around campus.  See you later, Brenden."  Liberty walked on ahead of Connor ready to explain everything.