Trying to get along. Ha!

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Continued from here.

"No, I know," Angel said, sounding good-natured. Wesley wasn't sure if it was genuine or an act, and the fact that he couldn't tell made him uncomfortable. "I just want to know."

Feeling rather helpless, Wesley shifted his chair sideways a bit and rested his hand on Spike's thigh, the tension in the vampire's frame impossible to miss.

Comments

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"I didn't," Angel repeated. "You remember what it was like. Rain of fire. The Beast. Cordy. Jasmine. Connor going over the edge. Thinking you guys were all dead. I didn't think there was any way to fix it all."

"So when the friendly evil law firm came by with an easy answer, you took it?" Spike asked, managing somehow not to roll his eyes.

Angel sat back, looking tired. "It was the only thing I could do."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"How did they do it?" Wesley asked. He couldn't help picturing being restrained, struggling, Fred's terrified face, Gunn's anger, Lorne's disbelief...

But Angel knew none of that -- he only shrugged. "I'm not sure. Some kind of magic -- it was like, as soon as I agreed, it was already done. Lilah said something about this guy, Cyrus... something, memory restructuring... I don't know."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Acutely aware of the tension in Wesley's body, Spike kept stroking his hand. There was a part of him that wanted to take Wesley away from hearing about it, and there was another, larger part that wanted to slam his fists over and over into Angel's face until all that was left was a messy smear.

"You let Wolfram and Hart do this to your friends, to your son, and you didn't get the details?" Spike asked.

Angel shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "There wasn't time."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"They wanted you that badly?" Wesley asked. "It seems to me you could have asked for more time. It wouldn't have taken much."

"Right then? Anything would have been too much." Angel wouldn't meet Wesley's eyes. "I needed to do that for him. I would have done anything."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Sounds like you're lucky you didn't lose more than just your memories," Spike commented, unconsciously holding onto Wesley's hand more tightly.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"I didn't mean it like that," Angel said, but Wesley knew that he had. "I didn't -- it was for Connor, that's why. I wouldn't do anything else. Now, I mean."

"Wouldn't you?" Wesley asked. He was very grateful for Spike's hand on his.

"No. I wouldn't." Angel sounded stubborn. "He's my top priority -- you know that -- but as long as he's safe, and happy... I wouldn't do anything to hurt any of you."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Like, say, lie about whether or not you destroyed people's memories?" Spike managed to keep most of the anger out of his voice.

"That's different," Angel replied, but there wasn't much energy behind the argument. "It'll hurt them more to find out. I was trying to stop that from happening."

"You were trying to cover your own ass," Spike corrected.

"I was, but..." Angel glanced up at Wesley but couldn't hold his gaze. "I wasn't trying to be selfish."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"No," Wesley said slowly. "I don't think you were." Careless, willfully blind, perhaps, but not selfish. "But it can't go on like this, Angel. They have to know."

"Yeah. I'll tell them." Angel looked like it was the last thing on earth he wanted to do.

"Good." Wesley's voice was gentle, encouraging.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Spike hated to hear Wesley use such a kind tone of voice on Angel, but he kept his distaste to himself. He wasn't about to show his jealousy in front of Angel if he could avoid it.

"You'll help me explain?" Angel asked Wesley. "I don't know what to say."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"I'm sure you'll do fine," Wesley said. "But yes, if you run into any trouble, I'll be here. I'll help however I can." He looked at Spike, not wanting to speak for both of them.