Title: Innocent Child 2/7
Author: Kate R.
Rating: Hard R to NC-17
Pairings: G/E, Wes/A (us) (Eventually)
AN: Dark Fic in the beginning. Written for Shawna who asked for a fic where
Angel rescues Wesley from Wolfram and Heart.
Summary: Saving Wesley is only the first step.
Disclaimer: own nothing and no one used herein. All of them belong to Joss
and I make no money.
The approached the Law Firm slowly. Angel had no idea why Spike was there except that he was helping Giles. The Chip was gone so Angel did not know why he was helping Giles. Nor did he particularly care. He knew there would be Death. The look on Giles' face told him that. Death was coming for the Lawyers in his building. Angel had read the letter before they left so he honestly could not say he was sorry. Nor would he be sorry when they killed the Council. And he was going to help. Xander had called Buffy and told her and Willow if they even cared that Giles was going to be gone for awhile dealing with something more important than the Hellmouth. If they cared to help they were welcome to come to LA. If not? It was their choice and Giles did not have time for it.
They got in easily enough thanks to Ethan's Chaos Magic killing the Shamans Wolfram and Hart had guarding the lobby. Ethan wasn't doing half assed spells this time, Angel knew. And seeing him now told Angel he ahd been playing with Buffy and them in Sunnydale. This man could bring hell to earth if he chose. He obviously chose not to but on this day? He was not above taking a little of his own back. This man was dangerous when he was seriously pissed off. Really Dangerous.
"The basement," Cordelia had told them as they were leaving. "They are keeping him the basement."
Xander had not been allowed to come because of his attitude about killing souled humans. Xander had been told to sit down and shut up because Hitler had a soul and hew as worse than Angelus on his best day. Xander sat and shut his mouth. Giles had never exploded like that before. But, it had given Xander something new to think about. His prejudice was ridiculous in light of that. Giles was right. And he knew Giles was right so when they ahd left, with every intention of killing any Lawyer for the Evil law Firm they came across, he ahd not said a word except to hand Giles his dagger. One full to the brim with Chaos magic. Ethan had one hat was full of order. Xander had no idea why except it was part of the balance. He ahd watched them get into the cars and drive off.
Now they were here, Giles thought as he came out of the past. Holding his dagger tightly, he followed Angel to the basement. Spike was upstairs with Ethan making a bloody great mess out of the Lawyers still here this late. Giles knew Ethan was conjuring things. He knew it and he for once found himself approving of it. They thought they ahd ties to demons, these evil Lawyers? They had no idea who they were screwing with. Ethan Rayne was Chaos itself. Those bastards did not stand a chance.
"Here," Angel said not bothering to whisper. He would kill whomever he saw anyhow. "He's down here. I can smell him."
Giles nodded and followed Angel down into the basement. They heard Lindsey laughing as he did something to Wesley. When they came around the corner and saw, Fury overcame Angel. Rape/Pain/nomoreplease assailed his senses. Wesley had been dragged back from his mental retreat. They were enjoying tormenting him. Angel snarled and hurled his ax, slamming Lindsey in the wall with it. Angel roared and ran at Lilah who chose the better part of valor and ran.
"Oh, my gods," Giles whispered as he saw the damage to Wesley's back from the whip Lilah had been using. "Oh, my poor child."
Angel was there then, wrapping the badly abused, naked young man in a blanket he had been carrying. Wesley was fevered as well as injured. It was cold and damp down here, of course he was sick.
Giles carried his son while Angel killed anyone who dared to get in the way. Angel did not care about the Powers and their Only Kill Demons rule anymore. Wesley had been one of his in Sunnydale. Wesley was still one of his, as those claims had not been released. And someone had dared to hurt him? Not in this lifetime. Angel got them to the lobby where Spike and Ethan were waiting. Ethan's eyes were glowing with the rainbow hued power of Chaos. No one was daring to approach him. No one was that stupid.
Angel looked at Lilah whom he saw standing with Holland Masters and he let his eyes change, letting his best friend out. Angelus stared at everyone and the Lawyers suddenly knew they had made a mistake. They wanted Angelus, they had Angelus. As an enemy.
"MINE!" The vampire roared. "This child is MINE!"
Holland Masters backed up then. They had gotten what they wanted. And now? They were scared to death of it.
Angelus, Spike, Giles and Ethan vanished into the night thanks to one of Ethan's transport spell. All Giles could think of during Transit was "OH, God, What have they done---What have I done?"
He remembered his callous attitude towards the younger man. He had forgotten there was a price for failure in the council. Worse, he had not cared Wesley would have to pay it. Gods above and below, had he paid it. With interest. Giles cradled him to his chest gently and allowed his tears to fall. His poor boy. Subjected to that for six months.
When they arrived in the office of Angel's business, everyone who had remained behind stared in horror. Cordelia went for the first aid kit, Doyle ran to the bathroom to throw up and Xander stared mutely.
"Souled Humans did this," Angel hissed angrily to Xander. "Your precious pure Race did this. Not a demon. A souled human. So get the hell over yourselves. Your race is crueler than ours could ever be."
Angel carried Wesley down to his apartment to care for him, leaving Xander staring at the wall in shock and alone in the upper office. He couldn't believe it but he knew it was true. Humans had done that to Wesley. Not vampires, humans. With souls. So who was the true evil in the world? The demons did not hide behind souls. Never claimed to have them. But humans said having a soul made you better. And yet Wesley, an innocent child, had been hut badly by souled humans. Xander felt disgusted by his own species. It was a hard truth to face but he wasn't going to run from it again. Humans were the most destructive evil on the planet. And they were capable of committing the greatest evils. Demons were demons. But humans---humans had a choice. And he had just seen the results of them making bad, selfish choices. Someone had been hurt. He felt tears in his eyes as he looked in the mirror. He did not like what he saw there. His own hypocrisy slapped him in the face as he looked in the mirror. He numbly walked down the steps and joined the others in Angel's apartment. Angel was treating Wesley's injuries and he looked sick. Doyle ahd already hurled. Ethan was standing by Giles both with grim sets to their faces. Cordelia was in a corner sobbing. Xander knew this had been a punishment for failing in Sunnydale. And he knew he and the others had helped the failure along. And this was the price of it. He felt sick but he wouldn't let himself hurl until after Wesley was treated. He wanted to see all of it.
Wesley whimpered in his sleep and Giles stroked his face gently. Xander could see the tears sliding down Giles' cheeks that Giles was ignoring.
"Daddy?" Wesley asked in a child like voice a moment later when his eyes opened. "I fall again?" he asked. Giles felt his breath slammed out of him as he realized the extent of the damage.
"No, baby," he managed to say around the lump in his throat. "Someone hurt you. But you're going to be okay. I swear you are going to be okay now."
"Do I have to go back to Father?" he asked. Giles shook his head no violently.
"No, baby. You're going o stay here with me and your papa Ethan and our friends. Okay?"
"Okay Daddy," Wesley said in a whispery voice. "Tired now. Sleep?"
"Yes baby," Giles said as he lifted Wesley's upper body into his arms. "You can sleep."
Wesley nodded tiredly and drifted off. Giles rocked him gently and looked at the others. Every one of them met his gaze with the same expression: Horrified rage and anger. Wesley's mind had been so badly damaged that he had been utterly destroyed. Whatever personality he would have this time, it would be up to them to give it to him. Everyone met his gaze evenly with a silent promise.
"We will."