Becoming I

Chapter 8 cont'd

Linwood glared at Lilah, "Do something," he shouted furiously at her. He groaned as she calmly took out her cell phone and turned away, dialing. Probably calling for her nail appointment, he thought in disgust.

"Angel, killing this creep isn't gonna solve anything. Please, trust me, you don't wanna do this," Lorne said desperately, looking up at Angel
An
Angel said quietly, "That's where you're wrong," and he kept dragging Linwood up the stairs.

"We had a deal, Angel. I gave you everything you asked -- what more do you want from me," Linwood shouted over his shoulder.

Angel paused, "I want my son back."

Linwood started to panic, he knew there was no way that he could get the kid back and he looked desperately at Lilah who was still turned away, yakking away on her phone.

"Lilah..," he shouted angrily. He was so going to fire her ass for this!

Lilah held up a hand, saying, "Hey! Whoa! Flag on the play!"

They turned to see Lilah still on her cell, twisting around and tossing an explanation to them as she listened.

"The firm's tech team just registered a sever bio-plasmic disturbance on Taber and National, same time as the spell," she explained.

"Sahjhan," Angel hardly dared say the name.

Lilah raised a brow, bored, "Whatever it was, it flipped a two-ton truck like a Tonka toy."

Angel released his grip on Linwood's chair, watching with little emotion as it and Linwod tumbled down the stairs.

Calmly, Angel strode past the lawyers and headed to the front door as, Gunn and Fred rush in.

"Angel, we need to talk," Fred said urgently.

Angel, impatient to get to Sahjhan, merely says, "Not now." This time Sahjhan wasn't going to escape him. He moved to sidestep her, but she moved with him and his attention moved to her.

He growled softly, his eyes flaring gold, "Fred....,"

"Angel, please, there's something you need to know before you...," Fred began desperately as Angel sidestepped her again, quicker this time and headed for the door. He made it within a few feet of the stairs, when Fred blurted out...

"The father will kill the son!"

Angel froze, his back to them before he turned slowly, wai.
.

Fred and Gunn both move towards him.

"There was a prophecy in the Nyazian scrolls. Wesley checked the translations, the commentaries, he even went to mystic oracles but he couldn't disprove it," Fred continued now more quietly.

Gunn looked at in empathic pain, "They'd already fed you Connor's blood, bro. You said it yourself, he smelled like food."

Angel just stood there his mind whirling, screaming denial of what they wsayisaying, holding on to his rage, his anger....if he let go now he knew he would be lost. It was the only thing holding him up---rage...grief. That and the ice.

He heard their voices distantly, heard Fred say softly, "Wesley was trying to protect Connor." No! Wesley STOLE his son...he wasn't trying to protect Connor!

Then Gunn's voice, "He was trying to protect you. Same as we're doin' right now."

He refused to listen, to hear their soothing, calming lying voices.

Angel looked at them, then turned, rejecting their words....denying them.

Fred ran past him to the stairs and got in front of him saying desperately, "Angel, the prophecy..."

He looked at her stonily, "It's a lie. I'd never hurt Connor."

"How can you know that for sure," Fred asked him quietly.

"I'd never hurt someone I care about," he said with a soft growl, giving her warning that he was just about to break that rule, starting with her as he added, "Now move."

He was relieved when she stepped aside and he left the hotel.

//...Xander, Willow and Spike exchanged grim looks. Angel was slowly sliding outcontcontrol. Willow and Spike looked at Xander and he nodded slowly in acknowledgment, it would be his call to make but they would be there to support him. They turned back to the bowl and continued to watch, praying that Angel would finally stop and understand what everyone was trying to tell him.//

As Angel stalked across the street, he heard the high pitched whine of an arrow coming at him and managed to duck in time, seeing it fall harmlessly to the ground. Twisting around he saw one of Holtz little soldiers and growled, recognizing her from the night Holtz disappeared with Connor.

He rolled out of the way as Justine fired another arrow at him, but the third time he didn't manage to get clear in time, grunting as it slammed into his shoulder.

He managed to yank the arrow painfully out of his shoulder just as four of Holtz's men converged on him at once. Feeling an almost savage joy as, finally, he was able to rid himself of some of the sickening rage that he felt. Landing devastating blow after blow on the men and whether they lived or died under his hands, he no longer gave a goddamn.
Until finally they lay crumpled, sprawled on the ground.

It wasn't enough...he could still feel the hot rage just simmering under the surface of the thick ice that encased him.

And as he turned to go, he was punched in the face by Justine.

Breathlessly she smirked, "Don't run off now. The fun's just startin'."

He didn't have time for her bullshit and when she lunged with a stake, he disarmed her roughly and slammed her hard against the wall. He put the bloody point of the arrow that he pulled from his shoulder at her throat, gently caressing her with the sharp point, watching the fear, the terror bloom in her eyes as he regarded her dispassionately.

With soft menace he whispered, "I'm not your boyfriend. Find somebody else to smack you around."

And he grabbed her by the jacket and hurled her away from him as he turned to leave. .

//Xander's eyes were deadly, power was crackling between his fingertips as he watched Justine start to get up, looking at Angel's back with an unreadable expression on her face. Angel was his to deal with and no jumped up wanna-be fighter was going to touch him. They watched the array of emotions playing across her features and then Justine scrambled to her feet, runs.//

//"Smart girl," Xander whispered, turning his mind and attention back towards Angel. Starting at Willow's low cry, switching his attention back to the bowl of water. Frowning as Fred and Gunn exited the hotel, spotting Justine making off in Wesley's car. Sudden comprehension flashed in Willow and Spike's eyes: Justine had to know where Wesley was. Grimly the three observers focused on Fred and Gunn, following Justine. Xander, keeping a mental watch on Angel just in case he did something even stupider, he watched Gunn and Fred track Justine back to some sorta cave.//

"Where's Wes," Gunn demanded as Justine turned puzzled eyes on them.

"He's not comin' back," she says almost softly to herself, turning back to her own thoughts.

Gunn exchanged a worried look with Fred, "What?!"

"It was all lies. Every bit of it. All he wanted was that kid. To punish Angel. He never cared about anything else," Justine said in a low monotone, 'Not even me' was left unsaid and Fred's eyes widen in sudden understanding.

Gunn looked at Justine impatiently, "Look, I'm talkin' about Wesley. His car's parked up top here, you obviously took it from him, where is he," he demanded again glaring at her.

Justine looked away and both Gunn and Fred step closer to her.

Fred says softly, gently, "We just wanna hear his side," trying to convince the obviously distraught woman to help them.

"His side?" She laughed bitterly, "His side's kinda funny: he sacrificed everything he believed in to save that kid."

"By helping Holtz take him to hell? I'd like to hear it from the horse's mouth," Gunn said harshly.

Justine's eyes flashed angrily before she said quietly, "Your friend's innocent, the only one of us with nothing to gain, but everything to lose."

"Is he alive," Fred asked softly, fearing the answer.

Justine looked up at Fred, before looking away. The memory of slashing Wesley's throat still haunted her and she could feel her gorge rise as the image flashed through her mind.

Fred continued, pleading gently, "Where is he? Will you please just tell us."

Justine took a deep breath, knowing that with her next words she was signing her death warrant and was fiercely glad, "Heaven... Hell... I slit his throat."

Gunn held her gaze in disbelief.

And suddenly, CRACK! Fred slapped her brutally across her face. Justine instinctively threw an opened hand blow back at Fred but Gunn caught her punch and threw her tumbling over the chair.

The fight between Gunn and Justine was quick and furious before Gunn slammed her to the floor.

"Stay down," Gunn warned her with a low growl, eerily reminiscent of Angel.

Justine bared her teeth in a fierce grin, "Um, no," before she lunged at Gunn.

He again beat her down to the ground, hard. And Fred moved up next to him to stare down at Justine. They watched with hard faces as she pulled the hair out of her face and stared up at them, blood trickling from her nose down to her lips.

Justine looked up at them and said simply, "I trusted the wrong man."

Gunn stepped over and grabbed Justine by her jacket, jerking her roughly to her feet.

"I don't give a fuck who you trusted, you're takin' us to Wesley and he better be alive," he warned her with deadly menace.

And a voice came from behind them, "You call that a fight?"

//"Oh shit," Xander muttered in soft dismay, his eyes wide.//

//"You can say that again," Willow whispered, her eyes intent on the images in the bowl.//

Gunn and Fred turned in alarm towards the gate, instantly recognizing Sahjhan from the picture Angel drew of the demon.

"Fuck," Gunn said softly.

"Let me show you how we used to do it," Sahjhan grinned evilly. Whoever made him corporal, he was going to give that person a big huge thanks before ripping out their heart.

Gunn, Fred and Justine backed slowly away as Sahjhan moved towards them.

Sahjhan smirked, "So, my home, uninvited guests, this can't end well."

Sahjhan peered at Justine recognition finally dawning in his eyes, "Now, I remember you! One of Holtz's groupies, you tried to cut off my head."

And he backhanded her viciously, sending her flying into the wall with an audible thud before crumpling.

Fred and Gunn winced in sympathy.

Sahjhan turned to Gunn and Fred, "Man, I can't tell you how much I missed doing that!"

"Now for some more fun and games," and begins to stalk towards them.

Fred fumbled in her pocket for her cell phone and across the chamber, Justine slowly began to comes to.

Gunn and Fred continued to step back away from Sahjhan, around the table even as Fred kept trying to dial her cell.

Sahjhan looks at them with a cold dark hunger, "I also missed gravity, friction and smashing things to pieces," as he grabbed a chair and smashed it on the table, holding onto a big thick club-like leg.

Fred fumbled the phone and she squeaks as it falls.

Gunn's ready to protect Fred, with his life if necessary.

Sahjhan smiled mirthlessly, "Let's start with your skulls."

"Let's not," Angel said coldly as he stepped into the chamber.

//Xander and Willow nearly collapsed in relief, gratefully that Angel had made it in time. Maybe this will help him release some of his pent up rage and despair. Break that numbing ice that he had encased himself in.//

//Spike muttered, "Knew the silly poofer wouldn't let his people down."//

//Xander gave him a disbelieving glance, "Yeah, right!" before turning his attention back to the bowl.//

Sahjhan turned and watched Angel stride toward him, giving no notice to the slowly stirring body of Justine.

Neither demon noticed her and she, seeing her chance, bolted out the door to freedom.

//"Whoa, whoa...whoa," Spike said indignantly, "Ya see that?! She just ran away! She's not even gonna help 'em?!"//

//"HUSH!" Both Willow and Xander said fiercely, their eyes intent on the bowl.//

//"I'm just saying, is what," Spike muttered under his breath.//

Angel regarded Sahjhan with an almost emotionless stare.

Sahjhan smiled broadly, "Angel, I'm guessing I have you to thank for the whole mortal coil thing."

"Yeah, tell you what, take me to the Quor-toth world, help me find my son -- we'll call it even," Angel said quietly, with a very unamused smile.

Sahjhan's eyes widen in feign enthusiasm as he breathe, "Really? You and me, buddy cop summer release? We iron out our wacky differences and bond?"

His face abruptly sobered turning dark, "I don't think so."

"You're takin' me there," Angel said through clenched teeth, feeling the numbing ice start cracking under the terrible strain to holding back his rage and grief.

Sahjhan shook his head, "Couldn't even if I wanted to. The only ones capable are Travelers and even the crazy ones ain't that crazy. The others are just a bunch of do-gooders."

Angel's eyes had narrowed as he spat out, "You're lying!"

"No, that, I'm telling the truth about. Whole universe could go kaplooie. Bad for me, bad for America, didn't he tell you," Sahjhan raised his brows.

Fred eyes had narrowed in thought, "So what are you lyin' about?"

Sahjhan smiled modestly, "Oh, well. I don't like to brag but... read any good prophecies lately?"

A light went on in Gunn's mind, "You wrote the prophecies," he breathed his eyes wide at how Wesley had been played.

"More a re-write," Sahjhan said proudly.

Fred recited from memory in a hushed voice, "The father will kill the son."

"Bingo! Yeah, I flitted back and forth in time, changed the one that threatened me, polished some others," he smiled looking around to see if they appreciated his cleverness.

He frowned, "I flitted in a manly way. Just so we're clear." He turned to Angel, "You're not really my enemy. You're in my home and I'm so gonna kick your ass but you were never really the point."

"It was Connor," Angel said quietly, finally understanding.

Sahjhan shook his head mockingly, "Boy, can't put one over on you, can you? Oh wait, already did. It's pretty freaky the first time you see your name in a true prophecy, all carved in blood on an official scroll. 'The one sired by the vampire with a soul shall grow to manhood and kill Sahjhan.' Me. Now I couldn't let that happen, could I," he said with a horrible smile.

"So you planted false prophecies. That Angel would kill his son... and Wesley believed them," Fred whispered unsteadily, her eyes dark with pain for Wesley.

"Thank God he had some spine, he wanted to raise your kid as his own. Holtz was totally useless. Here I am living' with a knife over my heart for eleven hundred years and he's into some twisted revenge. If he'd just killed the thing while it was still in its mother we coulda avoided all of this...," Sahjhan words were cut off as Angel charged him.

But Sahjhan was ready and had used his words as a goad. He blocked Angel's initial rush and swung the chair leg, catching Angel across the neck.

Gunn rushed Sahjhan and took a swing, slamming his fist into Sahjhan's face, buying Angel a moment to recover.

Sahjhan grabbed Gunn and threw him headfirst towards a burning braziers.

//Xander's hands flashed brightly and the brazier tips over before Gunn reaches it.//

Angel and Sahjhan hammer at each other as Fred picked up one of the braziers and hurled the hot coals into Sahjhan's face.

He howled in pain, glaring at her, "Do I look like I need more skin problems?"

Sahjhan tries to punch her and his blow is deflected by....something, he blinks in astonishment.

//Willow's eyes flash brightly, shielding Fred from Sahjhan.//

Then Angel slammed into him hard from the side, their bodies sending Fred stumbling to the floor.

Angel threw another punch at Sahjhan and kicked him, but Sahjhan caught his leg launching him across the chamber.

Gunn got up and tried to grab Sahjhan but got kicked in the head for his trouble, going down for the count.

Sahjhan put his hands on his hips, "Okay, look I don't know who you are or why you're getting involved, but you had better stop this bullshitting around. If I want to kill somebody, you had better stay your hands out of this," he said to the air.

Angel could vaguely hear Sahjhan yelling at someone, but dear God he hurt so bad. He needed to hurt, to make the physical pain match what he feels on the inside.

//Xander's face was like flint as he watched. And from then on out, it's not so much a fight as a beat down as Angel just kept coming and coming. Sahjhan kept bashing him, until he finally smashed Angel into the table, then kicked him across the room. //

This time, Angel didn't get up. And Sahjhan stepped over to a busted chair, grabbed a stake-sized piece and turned back to Angel with a cold smile as he glanced around.

//Xander's face was hard and cold, his hands glowing and half a second before he unleashed on Sahjhan, Justine rushed in carrying an urn.//

Sahjhan heard her enter and looked at her before dismissing her as no threat before turning back to Angel

//Xander blinks, "What the hell does she think she gonna do with that," he said to Willow in puzzlement.//

//Spike snickered, "I bet the silly bint thinks it's one those Reskie urn."

//Xander and Willow exchanged glances before Willow's eyes began glowing softly, slowly the urn in Justine's hands began changing, shifting.//

Fred crawled to Gunn on the floor, "He's gonna...," she whispered watching Sahjhan standing over Angel.

Angel was barely conscious as realized he can't even save himself, remembering his words to Fred earlier, 'I'd never hurt someone I care about,' he had said and even as those words left his mouth he knew them for the lie they were. He had hurt someone that he cared about....Xander.

All Angel could do was watch as Sahjhan raised the stake above him.

Sahjhan smirked, "I hadda put your boy down. Pity, kid had a big future. I mean big. Well we all gotta go sometime, besides you got a spare."

We now see what she's carrying. It's a Resikhian urn. A duplicate of the one in the Flashbacks.

Justine opens the now Resikhian urn. A stream of liquid floats up and out, streams over to Sahjhan, swirls around him.

Sahjhan stared in disbelief as the liquid flowed over him, "No way! That's impossible...
no, no... don't do that!" He yelled in outraged fury, he had gotten one of Holtz's stupid demons to get rid of the damn thing.

He tried to finish staking Angel but the liquid covers him and the stake fell to the ground as Sahjhan is sucked into the urn.

From within the urn a tiny voice could be heard, "You freakin' cheaters! Not fair!"

Justine replaced the lid on the urn as Gunn and Fred moved carefully to Angel.

Both men are beat up as they all struggled to their feet and Angel looked at Justine, the urn in her hands, a puzzled look on her face.

"Holtz left it," she muttered distractedly, turning the urn over, "But this isn't the same one as before."

Angel blinked and says simply, "Thanks," opening his link tentatively and feeling a hesitant warm thought echo to him.

//Xander's eyes widened as he felt the link open and tentatively sent his gladness through the link.//

Justine sat the urn down, she's emotionally and physically exhausted.

"What about Wesley?" Fred eyed her quietly.

"The park next to his place... that's where I... left him," Justine said in a low voice, her head down.

Angel face stills as he realizes the night isn't quite over yet and gently closes his link to Xander, feeling a echo of sorrow through it before the link shut down.

//Xander sighed and bit his lip, praying that things would settle down now. Maybe Angel would finally listen to him.//

Angel, Gunn and Fred go to the park next to Wesley's apartment looking for evidence of Wesley, frustration rising in each at the lack of a body.

"Maybe she was lying," Fred wanted to hit something, anything preferably Justine.

Angel didn't look up from his study of the ground, "No...he was here," he said quietly.

Fred looked at him, "How can you--," she began before stuttering to a halt.

Angel just looks at her and he could sense the warm tide of color flooding her cheeks.

"Right, the blood," Fred mumbled, embarrassed.

Gunn came over to them,, "We need to get going. Sun's coming up," he said, squinting a little at the brightening sky.

Angel stared into the distance, wrestling with his emotions of the last few days, feeling the ice that surrounded him for the past few days cracking...shattering. His mind washed in sadness...in grief...in...

"He can't be dead," he finally whispers into the still air.

Fred looked at him earnestly, "We'll keep looking. Lorne's been calling hospitals all night."

Gunn glanced towards the east, seeing the sky turning yellow, "Need to get your indoors, man....we'll find him," he assures Angel confidently.


Xander, Willow and Spike relaxed with a tired sigh it was over...it was finally over. They finally stumbled to their beds in exhaustion from the rollercoaster of the days events.


Angel stood in the darkened room of Wesley's office just staring at the man's desk. It wasn't right...none of this...it just wasn't right.

He heard someone come in, his head tilted to the side...quickly identifying Lorne.

Lorne, "I...uh...cleaned the Pentagram as best I could. The dried blood... well, it's starting to be a look out there," he said trying to relieve some of the overwhelming sadness that was coming off Angel in waves.
el, el, "Thanks," he said simply, losing himself in roiling emotions.

"You know me, like to keep busy. I'd crochet a new pillar if I could afford the yarn," Lorne said with desperate cheer.

Angel stood silent and motionless in the office, disregarding Lorne again.

"It's not right," he finally mumbled.

"Figure of speech. I'm aware you can't crochet a pillar.....and I'm aware that's not what you're talking about," Lorne said quickly.

Angel turned around, "All I could think of was getting my hands on Sahjhan; Fred and Gunn tried, he tried to tell me, to keep me from...," he ground to a halt.

"Going too far," Lorne said quietly, looking sympathetically at Angel.

Angel nodded, "Yeah and I nearly got them killed."

"Yeah, you did. Glad it didn't work out that way," Lorne said with quiet conviction. He waited, something was still troubling his friend.

Angel turned back to Wes' desk, idly picking up and looking at items on the man's desk, hesitant to ask his next question.

"You think Wes is...," he faltered to a stop, blinking quickly and taking a deep unneeded breath.

"I don't know. I hope for the best. Angel, there's a bigger picture here. And in that bigger picture there's a glass," Lorne began to say.

Angel's mouth twisted in a painful half smile, "If the words "glass is half full" are about to come out of your mouth, don't," he warned the other quietly.

Lorne rolled his eyes, "No, this is more a "glass half full of spiked blood." If Sahjhan and that lady lawyer had pulled off their feeding plan you'd have Connor's blood on your hands," he said fierce resolution.

Angel looked at him for a few moments, before saying quietly, "Don't I anyway?"

"No! You think there was something more you could have done? You did everything you could with the knowledge you had...," he paused before saying with quiet conviction "...just like Wesley."

Angel held Lorne's gaze, before slowly looking away, not wanting to commit himself to that particular idea.

Lorne continue, "Maybe the way to start forgiving yourself is by starting to forgive him."

He watches Angel before the phone begins to ring.

Lorne reached over and picked it up on the second ring.

"Angel Investiga-- hey, Fred. They did?! And...? Okay, where? He's right here. I'll tell him. Thanks," Lorne hung up turning around to Angel but knows by the look on the other's face that he already knows.

"They found Wesley... ," Angel murmured, his eyes going distant.

Lorne watches him, "Yeah. At St. Patricia's. He's in pretty bad shape. But he's alive.
Maybe you should pay him a visit," his words were quiet as he continued his narrow eyed watch of Angel.

Lorne simply held out the piece of paper to him with the address to St. Patricia.....


Back at the apartment, Xander Shifted to his parents house and retrieved Holly. Assured his parents that everything was fine, yes Angel was okay..no there was no big emergency...no I don't know when we're gonna have another child and hurriedly Shifted back before they thought of some more questions to throw at him.

They sat in the kitchen eating bowls of cereal, since Spike refused to cook for them. All three mortals muttered darkly at the vampire before grabbing bowls for a breakfast of cold cereal.

Spike serenely warmed his blood in the microwave, "Look, me and Peaches told you two to take the blo...the friggin' cooking classes," he muttered well aware of Holly's interested eyes.

Both Willow and Xander sneered at him before exchanging a look that clearly said, 'They were spoiled and they liked it like tha

Spike rolled his eyes, when Peaches came back they were definitely gonna hafta do somethin' about their humans...he sobered, if Peaches came back. He looked at Xander who was regarding him with a look of pain in his dark eyes before ducking his head and attacking his cereal.

Spike silently cursed the bloody fool for hurting the boy.

There was the quiet silence of food being seriously addressed, interspersed with quiet conversation.

Gunn and Fred stood outside Wesley's room as Angel strode down the hall towards them.

Angel doesn't know why he finally came, maybe it was the look in Lorne's eyes...that Lorne was going to start beating him across the head if he didn't go. Things are just unsettled in his mind, too many emotions were racing through him.

He came to a stop next to Fred and Gunn, looking a Wes's closed door, vaguely aware that Gunn was talking.

"It's good you came, man," Gunn said quietly watching his friend.

Angel looked hesitant, "He ask for me," he asked, looking at Gunn.

Gunn shook his head, "Nah, he can't speak yet, his trachea's all messed up and he's lost a lot of blood. But I'm sure he'll be glad that you came."

"He's not completely out of the woods yet. You being here can only help," Fred looked at him anxiously.

Again, Angel looked at the door, "Can I see him," he asked in a quiet voice.

"I'm sure he'd like that," Fred smiled softly.

Back at the apartment, Spike said quietly to Xander, "Do you think Peaches gonna listen now," he keep a watchful eye on Holly, well aware of her amazing ability to eavesdrop. Sneaky little chit, he thought fondly.

"I can only hope and pray," Xander replied back just as quietly, "I know that there's gotta be a way to Quor-Toth without killing us." He looked frustrated at his lack of answers, feeling an unnamable tension ghosting up and down his spine.

"Maybe we should call Cruz, see what he knows," Willow offered tentatively, her eyes worried.

Xander looked relieved, "Yeah, good idea," a sick look deepening in his eyes as his eyes lost their focus.

Spike and Willow exchanged worried looks, "Pup? Xan? Xander?!" Spike said sharply, reaching out a hand to shake Xander roughly.

Xander finally turned dazed eyes to them, before jumping up and rushing to the sink, spewing his stomach into it, the link between him and Angel bursting violently open.

Gunn and Fred hung back as Angel stepped into the room and shut the door.

Angel looked at his erstwhile friend lying damaged...wounded in the hospital bed, eyes closed. Where it not for his hearing or the the monitors displaying Wes' active vitals it'd be easy for him to believe the other was dead.

Angel's eyes wandered over Wes' bandaged throat, imaging savage wound in the other's neck. His eyes drift over to the tubes and IV's hooked into Wes' arm.

In the back of his mind a silent whispering began: you should have trusted me, you were innocent, you were set up,....

Angel walked carefully over to Wes' body and hovering by the bedside of the injured mortal. Watching as Wes' eyes open, sensing his presence, no fear, just calm acceptance of his fate.

"Hey, Wes...," Angel whispered staring down into Wes equally pale face, "I just... I want you to know I understand why you did it. I know about the prophecies and I know how hard it must have been for you to... do what you did."

....growing louder: you should have trusted me, we were friends, how could you do this to me....

Wesley just stared silently up at Angel, no emotion visible on his face, only his eyes were alive, burgeoning with hope, begging for forgiveness.

Angel said hesitantly, "You thought I was going to turn evil and kill my son. I didn't turn into Angelus. It's important to me that you know that. This isn't Angelus talking to you, it's me, Angel. You know that, right?"

He looked down at Wes', wanting the other to know that he wasn't Angelus. It was very important right now that Wes understood that significant fact.

Wes blinked and slowly nodded.

"Good," Angel whispered, his eyes intent on Wes' face as he picked up a pillow.

....a now it a scream or rage: you betrayed me, you stole my son, MY SON!

"That's good," he whispered again, "It's important that you understand that."

He moved in closer and almost lovingly covers Wes' face with the pillow, smothering him. Holding on with a cold empty face as Wes started to futilely struggle.


Back in the apartment, Xander had sank to his knees in the kitchen, gasping for breath, his eyes blind to Willow and Spike hovering over him.

CRACK! Spike's blow landed viciously on his cheek, bringing him back to the apartment, finally realizing that it wasn't his hands holding the pillow over Wes' face.

"Change," was all he was able to gasp out to Willow as Spike helped him to his feet. Taking a deep breath, he shook off Spike's hand looking down at the floor. When he looked up, both Spike and Willow stepped away from him in alarm.

"We have to get to the hospital, NOW!" he barked to Willow and Spike, a long black coat flowing over him, the hem almost reaching the ground.

Willow blinked, glancing at Spike before her robe shifted and flowed becoming a pair of dark green pants and a long black/green duster, simply fastened with a single chain just under her breast.

Spike waited and sure enough, when he glanced down he was in his familiar fighting garb of tight black jeans, black T-shirt and black duster.

"Grab Holly and let's go," Xander said softly, his face hard and dangerous as Willow gently took the now trembling child's hand and they stepped, Shifting with Xander....

....coalescing in Wes' hospital room, monitors beeping urgently. A simple spell and the room was sealed as the nurses rebounded against the door. Another quick spell by Willow prevented Holly from seeing what was happening as both Spike and Xander attacked Angel, beating him away from Wesley.

Xander yelled, "Angel," and using Power enhanced strength he tried to pull Angel away from Wesley.

Willow anxiously watched as the monitors went haywire, Wesley's pulse was spiking, his oxygen was dropping rapidly. Muttering a quick spell, she watched at the monitors resumed their normal quiet beeping and the desperate gasps of Wesley as he struggled to breath easing muffled whimpers.

Xander and Spike tried to pull Angel off of Wes, without killing him.

Xander kept shouting, "Damn you Angel, STOP IT!" tears were falling down his face.

And at first Angel had just assumed that Xander was some figment of his imagination, so he ignored him, determined to finish the job on Wes. It wasn't until Spike finally managed to pry him loose and punched him, sending him flying across the room that he realized that Xander, Holly, Spike and Willow were actually in the room with him.

Angel's eyes finally focus, seeing Xander, pleading with him, "He took my son, he took my son! He deserves to die!" His anger, his sense of helplessness demanded that Wes pay for what he did, for taking his son.

"Stop it, you don't know what you're doing," Xander shouted, still trying to get Angel to listen to reason, to listen to him.

Angel managed to slide past Spike and latched on to Wes again, "I'll never forgive you, never... I'LL KILL YOU! You're a dead man. YOU HEAR ME!! DEAD!"

Xander summoned his power and with a gestured sent Angel flying, slamming into the opposite wall.

Willow quickly removed the pillow from Wes'.

Wes' blinked sluggishly, blearily focusing his dazed mind on the image of Willow. Turning his head painfully, he regarded a dark haired man yelling at Angel.

Outside, Gunn and the others could hear the terrible shouting going on in the room. They exchanged alarmed looks as they heard the awful commotion inside and Angel screaming.

They heard more shouting and then someone getting thrown against a wall hard.

Angel staggered to his feet, a trickle of blood on his lips, "Why do you care? You turned your back on me," he sneered at Xander.

Xander was shaking, "You wouldn't listen to me when I tried to tell you...," he began.

"Skip it," Angel growled, "All you're gonna do is just lie to me again, so you might as well shut the hell up. You wouldn't help me, that's what I know, that's what I remember. You betrayed me along with that other piece of filth," he spat out casting a ugly look at Wesley.

At that Xander's face changed, shutting down.

Wesley turned away with a low moan of pain, in trying to do the right thing he had lost a beloved friend.

"You still refuse to listen, maybe it's time I showed you," Xander said softly, his eyes austere and hard.

For the first time, Angel felt uneasy looking into Xander's cold face, this wasn't his sweet and sexy bedmate, the boy that loved to laugh and play games with Holly.

And, without a backwards look, Xander Shifted them, removing the spell on the room, leaving Wesley behind.

Alone.

A broken man. Trying to breathe.