Gift

Chapter Twelve

Reveal

       Wesley tried to mask his worry as he entered the Wolfram and Hart building.  He'd called his office to let Illyria know he was returning, but she had never picked up.  He knew she had a distaste for the 'small connecting boxes' but she always picked up when he'd start to leave a message.  Wesley kept his eye out as he walked to his office, hoping he'd see Illyria watching him with her haunting eyes from a corner. 

"Wes!  I'm surprised to see you here so early."

Wesley froze upon hearing Angel's voice.  He hadn't expected to see Angel so soon, not after what he'd discovered.  Wesley had wanted to prepare himself for confronting Angel and he wasn't sure he could hide his anger and distrust of Angel very well at that moment.

"I just came to drop off these books.  I've been helping Liberty with that Johnson case."

"Oh.  I thought you might be looking for your evil smurf."

Wesley's eyes widened.  Angel had found Illyria.  Or so it seemed.

"My evil smurf?"

"Yes, I believe you call her Illyria.  She was quite angry when I tied her up in my office.  She told me 'Wesley will harm you, half-breed, for taking me hostage.  He knows your petty secrets anyhow, so he already has it in his mind to harm you.  I will sit as a spectator and watch this time.' She's a cheerful sort of girl, isn't she?"

Wesley chose his words carefully.  He'd been lying to Angel just as Angel had been lying to him, though he would hardly compare the two cases.  Illyria was practically harmless, whereas Angel was responsible for Fred's death even more than Illyria was.

"Take me to Illyria."

"All right.  But you will give me an explanation as to why Illyria is still alive and why you have been hiding her."

"I'll give you answers as soon as you tell me why you had us brainwashed and pushed into this law firm during a mystical convergence that led to the activation of a high school boy's powers."

It was Angel's turn to shift uncomfortably and clear his throat.  He was clearly annoyed at being caught in his lie and that made Wesley feel a little better.  Angel must have thought he would get away with it, but Liberty was sharp as was Wesley.  There was no way he could have kept the secret, not forever. 

"I'll explain everything, Wesley, as soon as we settle down in the office.  But I think you might wish I had kept it a secret after I tell you."
"That's for me to decide."

Wesley followed Angel back to his plush office to find a protesting Illyria and Pandora's Box waiting to be opened.

      Liberty had been up at dawn, despite her late night at Wesley's.  She hadn't been able to sleep much, her heart hurting for Connor.  He had felt so betrayed when he'd found out about his roommate.  Liberty could understand the feeling of betrayal.  Her mind wandered back to the day she'd told her best friend about her gift.  She had been ten at the time.  She trusted Charity with her life, or at least her favorite doll's life, but that trust had been severely misplaced.  She had explained it the best she could to Charity and Charity had looked at her like she was insane.  Maybe she was insane.  Charity had turned on her, anyway, and run out of the house.  When Liberty had arrived at school the next day, everyone was talking about her.  Charity was making fun of her for her wild imagination and Liberty had had to play it off like she was joking.  Charity had betrayed her confidence and her trust and Liberty had never really trusted anyone since then.  At least not until she'd met the Angel Investigations gang.  But Connor was feeling as betrayed as Liberty had, though for completely different reasons, but she understood Connor's feelings.  She wanted desperately to be there for him.  Of course, she had school waiting for her, but she was wondering whether she even wanted to go.  She could just go to Connor's.  Maybe she could just stop off on the way to school.  Yes, that's what she'd do.  She would stop by on the way.

     Connor stood in the living room waiting for Brennen to wake up.  Brennen had no idea that Connor knew.  That was the way things were supposed to be, according to Wesley, but Connor wasn't sure if he could continue the lie.  He was so angry at Brennen.  Brennen had never been his friend.  Connor was just a job to his best friend in the whole world and that made him so angry.  It had been bad enough for him to turn into this freak of nature, but to have his best friend be an ancient demon sent to spy on him was too much.  Connor sank down into the couch, unable to stand anymore.  He wanted to pound something into the ground, a primal urge he'd never felt before.  Or maybe he had felt it and suppressed it.  Connor wasn't sure what he felt anymore, honestly.  Except betrayed.  Connor heard the sheets rustling and the door open as Brennen entered the living room.

"Hey, man, don't you have a class this morning?"
"Why?  Do you have to call into Wolfram and Hart and tell them I made it there on time?"

Connor's mouth dropped into an O as he realized he had said that out loud.  So much for keeping the knowledge a secret.  Now Brennen knew he knew and things were going to blow up.  Brennen paused as he bit down on his lip, a look of guilt creeping onto his face.

"What did you say?'
"Nothing."

"How did you find out?"

"I did some reading."

"Reading?"

"Wolfram and Hart's personnel files.  It was part of the little research party Libby, Wesley and I had last night.  I found out what you are and who you are."

"That's why you were acting so weird when you came home last night."

"How could you do this, Bren?  I thought we were best friends.  Lowly freshmen that could band together in a new place."

Brennen sighed and dropped down onto the couch next to Connor, his face apologetic.

"It wasn't really about our friendship, Connor.  Truth is, I was going to start college here anyway.  That's why Wolfram and Hart hired me.  I was a demon and I was going to be attending this school, so they already had a built in spy.  We might have still been friends, Connor, even if Wolfram and Hart hadn't hired me."
"Was Angel the one that hired you?"

"Actually, it was Lilah Morgan."

"I don't know any Lilah Morgan."

"She's kinda dead.  Got killed during a semi-apocalypse last year."

"Why did you accept this job, Brennen?"  Connor's voice was full of the pain and betrayal and confusion he felt.  He didn't even know where to start.  He wasn't even sure if he was asking the right questions.  He wasn't sure he wanted the answers.  Brennen shrugged.

"I needed the money.  'sides, watching the boss' kid was no big deal.  I was your roommate.  I just had to tell them if you were okay, if anyone else was watching you, that kinda thing."

Connor jumped to his feet, surprise showing on his face.

"Did you say watching the boss' kid?"

"Yeah.  That's what that Angel dude wanted.  That's why he wanted Lilah to hire me.  To watch his kid and make sure he adjusted okay."

Connor's eyes were wide with confusion.  He took a few steps back, head tilted in curiosity.  He hit the side table, knocking a couple of picture frames down, one surrounding a family photo.

"Angel isn't my dad.  You've seen the picture of my dad."
"Of your whole family.  I thought that man was Angel."

"You've never seen Angel?"

"No.  I always dealt with Lilah Morgan.  And sometimes some chick named Eve."

"Angel's a vampire, Brennen.  You must be wrong.  Vampires don't have children."

"I'm just telling you what Lilah told me."

Connor stared at Brennen, wondering if he was telling the truth.  Connor couldn't trust Brennen.  Brennen had always been lying to him.  He wouldn't know the difference between Brennen lying and telling the truth.  There were no tells in his game face because that's all Connor had seen, the game face.  Brennen held his hands up as if to show he wasn't cheating at a card game.

"Listen, I'm telling you the truth, Connor.  You don't have to believe me.  But you were my friend, even if I was getting paid to be yours."

Connor turned abruptly and ran out of the dorm room, knocking into Liberty on the way out.

            "Connor! What's wrong?"  Liberty grabbed a hold of his arm before he could get too far away from her.  He whirled to face her, his eyes full of anger.

"Take your pick, Liberty, on things that are wrong with my life."

"You didn't confront Brennen, did you?"  Her blue eyes showed her trust and hope for him, and he hated that he had let her down.  He glanced away from her, a silent answer to her question.

"Oh, Connor, tell me you didn't."

"You know I did.  I couldn't stop myself.  I was demanding explanations before I even knew what I was doing."
"He's going to go to Angel."
"Doesn't matter.  I'm going to go to Angel after what Brennen told me."
"Brennen told you information?'
"Yeah.  Like Angel was my father."

"You have parents."

"That's what I said.  Apparently they aren't really my parents."  Connor's voice broke, whether it be from blind anger or pure hurt, she wasn't sure.  Liberty reached out to him, clasping his hand.  She squeezed it and pulled him closer to her.

"I think my whole life has been a lie, Libby.  I'm not who I thought I was.  I'm not who anyone thought I was."

"You're exactly who I thought you were, Connor.  You're the same boy I've gotten to know.  Even if your last name isn't Johnson.  Even if your last name is-well, Angel doesn't really have a last name, does he?  But it doesn't matter to me.  You are still Connor, the boy I've fallen for."

Connor allowed her words to wash over him.  He smiled slightly before pulling her into a slightly bruising kiss.  Liberty lost herself in that kiss, a kiss so special she didn't know if she would recover from the feelings raging inside of her.  Connor was there, with her, and that was all she needed.  It no longer matter that she had a gift of being able to see people's true nature.  It didn't matter that she had been watching the world from the outside, unable to participate fully in life.  It didn't matter that Connor was different, with powers like a vampire's, possibly activated by some mystical convergence.  It didn't matter that Connor may be the child of a vampire.  It was just her and him.  Connor pulled away from her reluctantly, his forehead still pressed against hers.

"I'm going to see Angel for some answers."

"It's impossible for a vampire to have a child.  I mean, you're not even a vampire, Connor."
"No, but you said my powers were remarkably close to that of one.  Maybe that's why.  Maybe my mother was human and Angel wasn't.  Maybe I got Angel's powers and my mother's humanity.  I don't know.  That's why I have to see Angel."

"Can I come with you, then?'
"I wouldn't have it any other way, Liberty."

Their hands were still intertwined, but neither seemed to notice.  Liberty was lost in her thoughts and Connor was simmering in his anger.  He had settled down a little since talking and kissing Liberty, but he was still raging mad. 

"Wesley's going to kill us." Liberty said quietly.

"Yeah.  He is."