The Offices of Angel Investigations (Name Change Pending) | Los Angeles, CA | Yep, Still Late May
So, finding and helping Cordelia? Actually hadn't been that difficult. A small, petty part of Wesley wondered whether Angel's help had been needed at all. Sure, Wesley and Gunn had been snatched up by the Skilosh demons almost immediately after they'd begun sneaking into the house, but they might have fought their way out. Angel, though, had rushed in before they actually could, swinging an sledgehammer around and taking out the Skiloshes while Wesley, Gunn and Cordelia managed to untie themselves. Typical Angel. Charging in and playing the hero in the most dramatic fashion possible.
Most of Wesley knew that that wasn't fair, that Angel had helped them, but at the moment he wasn't feeling mature enough to care.
At the moment -- back at their new offices, where he was seated at the desk on the phone while Gunn patched up a scrape on Cordelia's shoulder -- he was just feeling a little bit tired and annoyed.
Angel
For a moment, everyone stared.
Then:
"I'm sorry."
Wesley
That was a statement Wesley certainly hadn't been expecting to hear. He wasn't even sure if he had ever heard it come out of Angel's mouth before. It certainly didn't sound familiar in his voice.
"I'm going to have to call you back," he told the person on the phone, and placed it back down in the receiver.
Then he stood up.
"Before you say anything more," he said, his voice surprisingly steady even to his own ears, "I think I should tell you, we've all discussed this, and none of us are ready just yet..."
Angel
Angel didn't protest. Didn't say anything, in fact, until Wesley trailed off, and even then he looked from Gunn to Cordelia to see if they had anything to add before he spoke.
"It's okay," he said finally, "Wesley. I don't want you to come back and work for me."
Wesley
Then what did he want? Wesley certainly couldn't think of another reason Angel might be here -- unless, of course, he wanted to take another book.
"Oh," he said. "I see."
Angel
Angel took an (unnecessary) breath.
"I want to work for you."
Cordelia
Cordelia arched an eyebrow. "I'm sorry," she said, in the caustic tone she used when she wished to express that she wasn't sorry at all, "I must have misheard you."
Gunn
Gunn didn't look very moved by this either. "You want to work for us?" he repeated. Sounded fishy if you asked him.
Angel
"Yeah," said Angel. "I do."
Wesley
Months ago, Wesley would not have voiced the obvious question. It would have seemed a sign of weakness. And it was, still, but in this case he needed to know.
"Why?"
Angel
"Because," Angel said without raising his voice. "I think I can help."
Cordelia
There was a pause after that, as everyone in the room took a moment to picture exactly what that would be like. Took a moment to consider whether or not it was acceptable.
Then: "How do we know we can trust you?" Cordelia demanded, interrupting the silence.
Angel
Angel gave a weak, sad smile. "I guess I'll just have to earn that," he said.
Cordelia
"No," said Cordelia, quietly.
Three heads turned to look at her, but what they saw was not the calm, steely expression of rejection they might have expected, but rather Cordelia losing her grip on the chair she'd been standing behind, one hand flying up to her head and the other reaching out for something to brace onto. Damn it, why did she always get the most painful visions while standing up?
Images flashed behind her eyes: a dilapadated building, a big scary demon approaching, a familiar street intersection. As the vision faded out, she hastened to put it into words before she could forget.
"The big usual scary is rising up in a housing project in Topanga," she said, "and -- wait. Why is it I'm not on the floor this time?"
Angel
Cordelia, along with Wesley and Gunn, turned to see what it was that was keeping Cordy up.
It was Angel -- he'd grabbed her before she could fall.
"I got you," he said, smiling faintly.
Cordelia
Cordelia offered the faintest of smiles in return, then shook her head and straightened up. "Maybe he should drive?" she suggested with a nod back toward Angel.
Wesley
Wesley gave a small, cautious nod at that.
"Let's go."
[[nfb/nfi, taken from angel 2x16 "epiphany", and i wish i could say that was the end of me spamming you for a bit, but... uh.]]
Most of Wesley knew that that wasn't fair, that Angel had helped them, but at the moment he wasn't feeling mature enough to care.
At the moment -- back at their new offices, where he was seated at the desk on the phone while Gunn patched up a scrape on Cordelia's shoulder -- he was just feeling a little bit tired and annoyed.
Angel
For a moment, everyone stared.
Then:
"I'm sorry."
Wesley
That was a statement Wesley certainly hadn't been expecting to hear. He wasn't even sure if he had ever heard it come out of Angel's mouth before. It certainly didn't sound familiar in his voice.
"I'm going to have to call you back," he told the person on the phone, and placed it back down in the receiver.
Then he stood up.
"Before you say anything more," he said, his voice surprisingly steady even to his own ears, "I think I should tell you, we've all discussed this, and none of us are ready just yet..."
Angel
Angel didn't protest. Didn't say anything, in fact, until Wesley trailed off, and even then he looked from Gunn to Cordelia to see if they had anything to add before he spoke.
"It's okay," he said finally, "Wesley. I don't want you to come back and work for me."
Wesley
Then what did he want? Wesley certainly couldn't think of another reason Angel might be here -- unless, of course, he wanted to take another book.
"Oh," he said. "I see."
Angel
Angel took an (unnecessary) breath.
"I want to work for you."
Cordelia
Cordelia arched an eyebrow. "I'm sorry," she said, in the caustic tone she used when she wished to express that she wasn't sorry at all, "I must have misheard you."
Gunn
Gunn didn't look very moved by this either. "You want to work for us?" he repeated. Sounded fishy if you asked him.
Angel
"Yeah," said Angel. "I do."
Wesley
Months ago, Wesley would not have voiced the obvious question. It would have seemed a sign of weakness. And it was, still, but in this case he needed to know.
"Why?"
Angel
"Because," Angel said without raising his voice. "I think I can help."
Cordelia
There was a pause after that, as everyone in the room took a moment to picture exactly what that would be like. Took a moment to consider whether or not it was acceptable.
Then: "How do we know we can trust you?" Cordelia demanded, interrupting the silence.
Angel
Angel gave a weak, sad smile. "I guess I'll just have to earn that," he said.
Cordelia
"No," said Cordelia, quietly.
Three heads turned to look at her, but what they saw was not the calm, steely expression of rejection they might have expected, but rather Cordelia losing her grip on the chair she'd been standing behind, one hand flying up to her head and the other reaching out for something to brace onto. Damn it, why did she always get the most painful visions while standing up?
Images flashed behind her eyes: a dilapadated building, a big scary demon approaching, a familiar street intersection. As the vision faded out, she hastened to put it into words before she could forget.
"The big usual scary is rising up in a housing project in Topanga," she said, "and -- wait. Why is it I'm not on the floor this time?"
Angel
Cordelia, along with Wesley and Gunn, turned to see what it was that was keeping Cordy up.
It was Angel -- he'd grabbed her before she could fall.
"I got you," he said, smiling faintly.
Cordelia
Cordelia offered the faintest of smiles in return, then shook her head and straightened up. "Maybe he should drive?" she suggested with a nod back toward Angel.
Wesley
Wesley gave a small, cautious nod at that.
"Let's go."
[[nfb/nfi, taken from angel 2x16 "epiphany", and i wish i could say that was the end of me spamming you for a bit, but... uh.]]