Paka Ahali, Chapter 11
Title: Paka Ahali, Chapter Eleven
Author: frk_werewolf
Fandom: Angelverse
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Wesley/Gunn, Angel/Doyle, Cordelia/Various
Summary: As the infection within grows into an animal, Wesley finds himself questioning the meaning of family and fighting to protect those closest to him.
Warnings: Slash. Minor-almost-not-there Het.
Chapter Summary: In which the group gathers, fights, and finally plans.
preivously
Wesley pressed his back against the wall, lungs straining for air. He could feel Gunn next to him, trying to keep him upright. Wesley turned toward Gunn, allowing the other man to pull him close. He looked over Gunn's shoulder, searching for any sign that they had been followed. "I think we're safe for now."
"I've never seen so many vampires in my life," Gunn gasped out. Wesley nodded, breathing in Gunn's scent. The initial number of vampire guards that Lindsey had were but a small number compared to the horde that had shown up once it was clear that Wesley and Gunn were achieving the better hand.
Let it never be said that Lindsey McDonald wasn't smart enough to know when to push harder.
"What now?" Gunn asked, pulling back to look at him. "Shit, English, you're bleeding."
"Am I?" Wesley asked, blinking as a droplet of blood fell from his forehead and into his eye. He wiped the blood away, smearing it across his face. Funny, he had not remembered hitting his head. "We need to get back to the hotel."
"Good idea," Gunn agreed. Gunn slipped his arm around Wesley's waist and gently pulled him in the direction of the Hyperion. "At least we now know who is behind this."
When they arrived at the Hyperion they found the lobby in disarray. One of the sofas was overturned and papers were scattered across the floor. Wesley immediately bent down to pick up a lone book, checking it for damage, before turning to look at the lone figure slumped in the corner. Glancing at Gunn, Wesley slowly walked forward and knelt down in front of the visibly shaking vampire.
"Angel?" Wesley whispered. Angel jerked, looking up at him with watery eyes. "What happened?"
Angel shook his head in response.
"Could you go find Cordelia and Doyle, please?" Wesley asked Gunn. The younger man looked at the two of them a moment, before giving a short nod and heading toward the offices. With a sigh, Wesley reached out to touch Angel's arm. "Do you wish to talk about it?"
Again, Angel shook his head. Wesley clenched his jaw and fought down the urge to hiss at him in frustration.
"Doyle's gone, man," Gunn called over from the doorway leading into Angel's office. Behind him Wesley could see Cordelia sitting at the desk.
"Did you try calling him?" Wesley asked.
"He's not coming back," Angel croaked out. Wesley winced at Angel's tone. "He's never coming back."
"Yes, he is," Gunn snapped. Angel glared up at him. Gunn didn't seem to care as he walked over. "We've finally found the guy responsible for all of this, damn it. I'm not about to let him get away from it just because you won't get off your lazy ass and fight for your boyfriend."
"My mate is leaving me--" Angel started, growling as he stood.
Wesley stood, stepping between Angel and Gunn. His lip curled upward briefly flashing his fangs at Angel, before his face went emotionless. That was all the warning he gave Angel, knowing that there wasn't much of a chance that he would truly turn violent toward his alpha leader. Angel narrowed his eyes at Wesley, before looking over Wesley's shoulder at the human standing there, arms crossed and defiant.
"You have no idea what's happening here," Angel finally stated.
"Oh really?" Gunn snorted. "I know this much. If I were you, I'd be fighting to keep my mate around, instead of rolling over and taking it. If you really cared about Doyle you'd fight for him, but I don't think you do. Ever since that Slayer's death you've been pushing Doyle to the side like he's worthless. You don't love him. I don't think you know how to love."
Angel lunged forward, knocking Wesley to the side. Wesley's back hit the floor painfully, causing his healed wounds to twinge in response. He looked up to see Angel grabbing Gunn by the front of his shirt, lifting Gunn off his feet and pinning him to the wall.
"Angel!" Cordelia exclaimed from the background, but she made no move to stop him. She didn't have a death wish.
Apparently, however, Wesley did. He pushed himself to his feet and stormed over, grabbing one of Angel's arms and using all of his strength to yank him back. Angel released Gunn, turning toward Wesley with a snarl. Wesley gave into his baser instincts and barred his teeth, hissing in warning. He didn't want to fight with his alpha, he knew it was a bad idea, but he refused to allow his mate to be injured all because Angel couldn't keep control of his life.
Wesley easily maneuvered himself between Gunn and Angel once more, releasing Angel's arm as he did so. Angel stared at him, taking in gulps of unneeded breath, obviously in an attempt to calm himself. Wesley swallowed, before finding the strength to speak. "I know you're upset, Angel, but I will not stand by and let you treat the rest of us horribly because of something you have no control over."
The muscle in Angel's jaw twitched, but he didn't reply.
"If you can react that strongly to Gunn's words, why can't you use that in an effort to keep Doyle with you?" Wesley asked, voice soft. He shook his head and sighed, the entire urge to fight and defend Gunn rushing out of him. "If we're going to beat this then we all need to be together, okay? We need Doyle here."
"He's not going to talk to me," Angel finally said.
"I'll call him," Cordelia offered, already heading for the phone.
The tension of the room was making Wesley's skin tingle. He felt caged and as a result began pacing along the back of the room, wary eyes watching as Doyle and Angel avoided looking at one another. The bitter emotions of the room felt thick and unnatural as he breathed them in. It made the room seem smaller, like the walls were closing in on him.
"Hey," Gunn's soft voice said. Wesley turned to him automatically, pressing his face against the smooth skin of Gunn's neck. "Are you okay?"
"I'll be fine," Wesley muttered. At least, he would be fine now that Gunn had distracted him.
"We're waiting on you, English," Gunn told him. Wesley looked up and caught Gunn smiling. "You are the brains of this operation, you know."
Wesley snorted, before gave a brief nod and moved away. He walked over to the others, who were disturbingly silent. Clearing his throat, Wesley waited until he had their attention before speaking. "I've found the Arguel responsible for Doyle's problem. Unfortunately I also came into contact with Lindsay, who appears to be the one running the show."
"Why am I not surprised?" Cordelia asked in exasperation.
"Quite," Wesley agreed. "Nonetheless, we need to focus on the Arguel. Now, from my research, most Arguels need to be able to visibly see the person their effecting. I think it's rather obvious that the Arguel isn't following Doyle around, so he must be using the other method."
"Which is...?" Angel asked, eyes darting over to Doyle, before dropping to the floor as though he were sorry to have brought attention to himself. If Wesley weren’t so happy to see them in the same room, he would have found the entire situation beyond annoying.
"He'll need a place he can relax and meditate, so he can safely enter a trance state," Wesley explained. "I'm almost certain this would be his apartment, which isn't that far from here."
"Fine, we go and take care of him," Angel announced, standing. He paused, before looking at Wesley sternly. "Later, we're going to talk about making sure you have back up."
Saying nothing, Wesley followed Angel to the weapons cabinet, reaching for his crossbow. He fingered it, making sure the bow was tight enough. "We really should consider investing in firearms."
"I'll stick with swords, thanks," Angel replied. He turned away, glancing at the others. "We'll take my car."
It was a tight squeeze, with Gunn pressed against one side and Wesley between him and Cordelia in the back seat. Doyle kept glancing backward during the ride, as though wishing he were in the back seat instead of next to his lover. Wesley called out instructions on how to get to the Arguel's apartment occasionally, but otherwise remained silent. They arrived at the apartment, easily entered the building and made their way up the stairs. All in all, the entire thing seemed rather anti-climatic.
Cordelia was the first enter the hallway, insisting that she at least looked normal and therefore wouldn't be shot at the moment anyone spotted her. Wesley wasn't so sure about that, but there was one thing he had learned in his life and that was not to argue with Cordelia when she was determined to prove herself.
They all pressed their backs against the wall, grouped together like a bunch of children up to mischief. Cordelia peeked around the corner, before turning back to them and mouthing what appeared to be a curse word. "Lindsey's here."
Angel growled loudly from his position next to Gunn. Doyle glanced back at him, one look urging him to be silent. Angel frowned, but stopped growling.
"Okay," Cordelia whispered, nodding decisively. She reached her hand out to Wesley. "Give me your crossbow."
"What?" Wesley asked softly. "Why?"
"Don't be a baby and give me your crossbow," Cordelia ordered. Wesley reluctantly handed it over. He pushed his way to the front of the crowd so he could peek around the corner. Lindsey was walking down the hall, his back to them, toward the Arguel's doorway. Wesley glanced back at Cordelia, who was flipping the safety off of the crossbow. "Okay, here I go."
Suddenly her face erupted into a wide, happy smile that was so fake that Wesley had to look away. Then, with the crossbow carefully point down to the ground and hidden just a bit behind her, Cordelia walked around the corner. Or rather, she sauntered around the corner, her hips moving in a strange motion that only women seemed to be able to manage without falling over.
"Well, well, if it isn't Lindsey McDonald," Cordelia said brightly. Wesley could see Lindsey stiffen, before slowly turning around, giving Cordelia a smile that was just as fake as hers.
"Cordelia, what a pleasant surprise seeing you here," Lindsey greeted, white teeth flashing and his polite tone holding that extremely subtle twang that only the former residents of Oklahoma had.
"Oh, I'm sure you think so," Cordelia replied, just before she lifted the crossbow and pulled the trigger. The bolt hit Lindsey in the thigh and the lawyer let out a gasp of pain, dropping down to one knee and looking at his wound.
Cordelia turned halfway and looked at them, giving them an expectant look. "Well? Are you guys going to stand there and let me do all the work?"
Wesley immediately stepped around the corner and retrieved his crossbow, feeling a bit safer with a weapon on his hand. They all walked down the hall. Angel kicked Lindsey's briefcase away, where he had been struggling to not only open it, but also not fall over. Gunn casually reached over and shoved Lindsey onto his side, causing the bolt in his thigh to hit the floor. Lindsey let out a cry of pain, which Wesley easily ignored as he led the way to Arguel's door. He paused at the door, glancing back to see Doyle grabbing Lindsey by the lapels of his coat.
"I think we'll be having a talk after we deal with your buddy," Doyle informed the lawyer, his accent thick. That said, Doyle began dragging Lindsey toward just as Wesley back to allow Gunn to kick the Arguel's door open.
Author: frk_werewolf
Fandom: Angelverse
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Wesley/Gunn, Angel/Doyle, Cordelia/Various
Summary: As the infection within grows into an animal, Wesley finds himself questioning the meaning of family and fighting to protect those closest to him.
Warnings: Slash. Minor-almost-not-there Het.
Chapter Summary: In which the group gathers, fights, and finally plans.
preivously
Wesley pressed his back against the wall, lungs straining for air. He could feel Gunn next to him, trying to keep him upright. Wesley turned toward Gunn, allowing the other man to pull him close. He looked over Gunn's shoulder, searching for any sign that they had been followed. "I think we're safe for now."
"I've never seen so many vampires in my life," Gunn gasped out. Wesley nodded, breathing in Gunn's scent. The initial number of vampire guards that Lindsey had were but a small number compared to the horde that had shown up once it was clear that Wesley and Gunn were achieving the better hand.
Let it never be said that Lindsey McDonald wasn't smart enough to know when to push harder.
"What now?" Gunn asked, pulling back to look at him. "Shit, English, you're bleeding."
"Am I?" Wesley asked, blinking as a droplet of blood fell from his forehead and into his eye. He wiped the blood away, smearing it across his face. Funny, he had not remembered hitting his head. "We need to get back to the hotel."
"Good idea," Gunn agreed. Gunn slipped his arm around Wesley's waist and gently pulled him in the direction of the Hyperion. "At least we now know who is behind this."
When they arrived at the Hyperion they found the lobby in disarray. One of the sofas was overturned and papers were scattered across the floor. Wesley immediately bent down to pick up a lone book, checking it for damage, before turning to look at the lone figure slumped in the corner. Glancing at Gunn, Wesley slowly walked forward and knelt down in front of the visibly shaking vampire.
"Angel?" Wesley whispered. Angel jerked, looking up at him with watery eyes. "What happened?"
Angel shook his head in response.
"Could you go find Cordelia and Doyle, please?" Wesley asked Gunn. The younger man looked at the two of them a moment, before giving a short nod and heading toward the offices. With a sigh, Wesley reached out to touch Angel's arm. "Do you wish to talk about it?"
Again, Angel shook his head. Wesley clenched his jaw and fought down the urge to hiss at him in frustration.
"Doyle's gone, man," Gunn called over from the doorway leading into Angel's office. Behind him Wesley could see Cordelia sitting at the desk.
"Did you try calling him?" Wesley asked.
"He's not coming back," Angel croaked out. Wesley winced at Angel's tone. "He's never coming back."
"Yes, he is," Gunn snapped. Angel glared up at him. Gunn didn't seem to care as he walked over. "We've finally found the guy responsible for all of this, damn it. I'm not about to let him get away from it just because you won't get off your lazy ass and fight for your boyfriend."
"My mate is leaving me--" Angel started, growling as he stood.
Wesley stood, stepping between Angel and Gunn. His lip curled upward briefly flashing his fangs at Angel, before his face went emotionless. That was all the warning he gave Angel, knowing that there wasn't much of a chance that he would truly turn violent toward his alpha leader. Angel narrowed his eyes at Wesley, before looking over Wesley's shoulder at the human standing there, arms crossed and defiant.
"You have no idea what's happening here," Angel finally stated.
"Oh really?" Gunn snorted. "I know this much. If I were you, I'd be fighting to keep my mate around, instead of rolling over and taking it. If you really cared about Doyle you'd fight for him, but I don't think you do. Ever since that Slayer's death you've been pushing Doyle to the side like he's worthless. You don't love him. I don't think you know how to love."
Angel lunged forward, knocking Wesley to the side. Wesley's back hit the floor painfully, causing his healed wounds to twinge in response. He looked up to see Angel grabbing Gunn by the front of his shirt, lifting Gunn off his feet and pinning him to the wall.
"Angel!" Cordelia exclaimed from the background, but she made no move to stop him. She didn't have a death wish.
Apparently, however, Wesley did. He pushed himself to his feet and stormed over, grabbing one of Angel's arms and using all of his strength to yank him back. Angel released Gunn, turning toward Wesley with a snarl. Wesley gave into his baser instincts and barred his teeth, hissing in warning. He didn't want to fight with his alpha, he knew it was a bad idea, but he refused to allow his mate to be injured all because Angel couldn't keep control of his life.
Wesley easily maneuvered himself between Gunn and Angel once more, releasing Angel's arm as he did so. Angel stared at him, taking in gulps of unneeded breath, obviously in an attempt to calm himself. Wesley swallowed, before finding the strength to speak. "I know you're upset, Angel, but I will not stand by and let you treat the rest of us horribly because of something you have no control over."
The muscle in Angel's jaw twitched, but he didn't reply.
"If you can react that strongly to Gunn's words, why can't you use that in an effort to keep Doyle with you?" Wesley asked, voice soft. He shook his head and sighed, the entire urge to fight and defend Gunn rushing out of him. "If we're going to beat this then we all need to be together, okay? We need Doyle here."
"He's not going to talk to me," Angel finally said.
"I'll call him," Cordelia offered, already heading for the phone.
The tension of the room was making Wesley's skin tingle. He felt caged and as a result began pacing along the back of the room, wary eyes watching as Doyle and Angel avoided looking at one another. The bitter emotions of the room felt thick and unnatural as he breathed them in. It made the room seem smaller, like the walls were closing in on him.
"Hey," Gunn's soft voice said. Wesley turned to him automatically, pressing his face against the smooth skin of Gunn's neck. "Are you okay?"
"I'll be fine," Wesley muttered. At least, he would be fine now that Gunn had distracted him.
"We're waiting on you, English," Gunn told him. Wesley looked up and caught Gunn smiling. "You are the brains of this operation, you know."
Wesley snorted, before gave a brief nod and moved away. He walked over to the others, who were disturbingly silent. Clearing his throat, Wesley waited until he had their attention before speaking. "I've found the Arguel responsible for Doyle's problem. Unfortunately I also came into contact with Lindsay, who appears to be the one running the show."
"Why am I not surprised?" Cordelia asked in exasperation.
"Quite," Wesley agreed. "Nonetheless, we need to focus on the Arguel. Now, from my research, most Arguels need to be able to visibly see the person their effecting. I think it's rather obvious that the Arguel isn't following Doyle around, so he must be using the other method."
"Which is...?" Angel asked, eyes darting over to Doyle, before dropping to the floor as though he were sorry to have brought attention to himself. If Wesley weren’t so happy to see them in the same room, he would have found the entire situation beyond annoying.
"He'll need a place he can relax and meditate, so he can safely enter a trance state," Wesley explained. "I'm almost certain this would be his apartment, which isn't that far from here."
"Fine, we go and take care of him," Angel announced, standing. He paused, before looking at Wesley sternly. "Later, we're going to talk about making sure you have back up."
Saying nothing, Wesley followed Angel to the weapons cabinet, reaching for his crossbow. He fingered it, making sure the bow was tight enough. "We really should consider investing in firearms."
"I'll stick with swords, thanks," Angel replied. He turned away, glancing at the others. "We'll take my car."
It was a tight squeeze, with Gunn pressed against one side and Wesley between him and Cordelia in the back seat. Doyle kept glancing backward during the ride, as though wishing he were in the back seat instead of next to his lover. Wesley called out instructions on how to get to the Arguel's apartment occasionally, but otherwise remained silent. They arrived at the apartment, easily entered the building and made their way up the stairs. All in all, the entire thing seemed rather anti-climatic.
Cordelia was the first enter the hallway, insisting that she at least looked normal and therefore wouldn't be shot at the moment anyone spotted her. Wesley wasn't so sure about that, but there was one thing he had learned in his life and that was not to argue with Cordelia when she was determined to prove herself.
They all pressed their backs against the wall, grouped together like a bunch of children up to mischief. Cordelia peeked around the corner, before turning back to them and mouthing what appeared to be a curse word. "Lindsey's here."
Angel growled loudly from his position next to Gunn. Doyle glanced back at him, one look urging him to be silent. Angel frowned, but stopped growling.
"Okay," Cordelia whispered, nodding decisively. She reached her hand out to Wesley. "Give me your crossbow."
"What?" Wesley asked softly. "Why?"
"Don't be a baby and give me your crossbow," Cordelia ordered. Wesley reluctantly handed it over. He pushed his way to the front of the crowd so he could peek around the corner. Lindsey was walking down the hall, his back to them, toward the Arguel's doorway. Wesley glanced back at Cordelia, who was flipping the safety off of the crossbow. "Okay, here I go."
Suddenly her face erupted into a wide, happy smile that was so fake that Wesley had to look away. Then, with the crossbow carefully point down to the ground and hidden just a bit behind her, Cordelia walked around the corner. Or rather, she sauntered around the corner, her hips moving in a strange motion that only women seemed to be able to manage without falling over.
"Well, well, if it isn't Lindsey McDonald," Cordelia said brightly. Wesley could see Lindsey stiffen, before slowly turning around, giving Cordelia a smile that was just as fake as hers.
"Cordelia, what a pleasant surprise seeing you here," Lindsey greeted, white teeth flashing and his polite tone holding that extremely subtle twang that only the former residents of Oklahoma had.
"Oh, I'm sure you think so," Cordelia replied, just before she lifted the crossbow and pulled the trigger. The bolt hit Lindsey in the thigh and the lawyer let out a gasp of pain, dropping down to one knee and looking at his wound.
Cordelia turned halfway and looked at them, giving them an expectant look. "Well? Are you guys going to stand there and let me do all the work?"
Wesley immediately stepped around the corner and retrieved his crossbow, feeling a bit safer with a weapon on his hand. They all walked down the hall. Angel kicked Lindsey's briefcase away, where he had been struggling to not only open it, but also not fall over. Gunn casually reached over and shoved Lindsey onto his side, causing the bolt in his thigh to hit the floor. Lindsey let out a cry of pain, which Wesley easily ignored as he led the way to Arguel's door. He paused at the door, glancing back to see Doyle grabbing Lindsey by the lapels of his coat.
"I think we'll be having a talk after we deal with your buddy," Doyle informed the lawyer, his accent thick. That said, Doyle began dragging Lindsey toward just as Wesley back to allow Gunn to kick the Arguel's door open.