On his way home, Wesley stopped at an ATM for some money. As he waited in line, he slowly, and somewhat painfully, stretched of his neck and shoulder muscles. The Thrak demon had been tougher than expected. Well, he'd be able to deal with the sore muscles as soon as he got home. When it finally became his turn, he went through the normal motions only paying half attention - until the machine beeped. He looked at the screen, which said, "Card not recognized" and spit it out. He tried again, but the same thing came up. 'Hmm,' he thought. 'Must be a glitch. I'll try again tomorrow.' He put his card back into his wallet and went home.

He sighed when he got there, happy to be done for the day and looking forward to relaxing. He unlocked his door and then repocketed the keys as he opened the door. He absently flicked on a light switch as he began thumbing through some mail. He coughed and the sound seemed to echo in the room. He looked up, surprised at the difference in the sound and his jaw dropped. The room was empty. He quickly searched the apartment to find that it too was completely empty. 'What the hell is going on?' he thought. 'First my bank card and now this.' He went downstairs to talk to the landlord and see if he knew anything. He didn't care if it was in the early hours of the morning.

******

Wearily, Gunn got out of his truck, slamming the door behind him. Another night of patrolling and demon fighting was finally behind him. He trudged up to his apartment. 'Matchbox is more like it,' he thought for the thousandth and first time. Opening the door, he was greeted by the sight of the once messy apartment now spotless - and empty.

"What the fuck -?" he exclaimed. "If this is some kind of joke..." He slammed the door shut behind himself as he left to go to back to the Hyperion.

******

Wesley pounded on the landlord's door.

Hank, the landlord, finally answered, rubbing a sleep-filled eye. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"Hank - all of my things are gone."

"Never seen you before." He tried to shut the door.

Wesley put a hand against it, keeping it open. "What do you mean? We see each other every day."

"Never seen you before in my life. Now please leave before I call the cops for trespassing."

Wesley sighed and left, knowing that nothing was going to get fixed by his staying there. There was only one other place to go.

******

After helping Angel and the others, Connor returned to his hovel, wanting nothing more than a few hours' sleep. Upon arriving, he found his things gone. He stared at the empty space for a moment, trying to figure out what had happened, before quickly turning on his heel and heading back to the hotel.

******

Angel, Fred, Cordy, and Lorne slowly made their way up to their rooms in the Hyperion, eager for some sleep. Opening their doors, they found their rooms looking like normal hotel rooms - and devoid of any of their personal belongings.

Reconvening in the lobby a few minutes later, Angel looked at the other three before saying, "Same thing happen to you?"

They all nodded as Gunn and Connor came in at the same time.

"This is *so* not funny," Gunn said. "Where's my stuff?"

"Probably the same place our stuff is," Fred replied as she went over to him.

Gunn put an arm around Fred's shoulders as he muttered, "The ungrateful... If I find out he -"

"We can't prove anything yet," Angel commented, knowing where it was going.

Wesley stormed into the lobby. "Where in bloody hell are my things? And what did you bloody think you were going to achieve by taking them?" he fumed.

"We don't know because we didn't take them," Angel replied calmly, moving towards Wesley in the hopes of keeping things from escalating. "All of our things are gone too."

Just then the lights went out. Lorne and Cordy moved to try the lights - which didn't come back on.

"That's freaky," Cordy remarked. "Is there anyway we can get some light in here, Wes?"

"I can try," he replied. He murmured a spell and a glowing orb formed above them, casting a dim glow in the lobby. "Anything else 'freaky' happen to anyone as of late?"

"My cell's been cutting in and out a lot lately," Fred replied, "and I know the battery's fine." Everyone except Connor murmured in agreement.

"I can't seem to get into my bank accounts," Cordy said, "and I know I have enough money in them for them to be okay." More murmurs of agreement.

"Everyone I know except you all hasn't recognized me," Gunn spoke up, "or has called me by a different name." Again there were murmurs of agreement. "Do I look like a Frank to any of you?"

"No, not really," Lorne replied, smiling. "Francis - *maybe*. But Frank? Definitely not."

"Please," Wesley interrupted. "Let's get back to the task at hand. So far we know that our things are missing, our bank accounts can't be accessed, outside of this group no one seems to know who we are, our cell phone service seems to be rather shoddy all of a sudden -" at Gunn's look he amended, "- or at least more so than normal, and the lights have just recently gone out. Present company aside, can anyone think of someone or some group who might want to do this to us?"

"Aside from the obvious answer of Wolfram and Hart? No," Cordelia answered. Another mutter of agreement from the group.

Wesley looked at his watch. "Okay. It's 5:30 am now. I think we should all try to get at least a few hours of sleep so we can think clearly about what to do next. And I think that it would also be a good idea if we all called our respective banks when they open and get a specific status on our accounts."

"And after that?" Connor asked, who had been silently watching the rest of them.

"I don't know," Wesley replied. "We'll see when we get there." Connor just nodded in response. "Now, go on and get some sleep."

Everyone obeyed him and found a room to stay in for the night. The next morning they reconvened a little after 9:30 that morning after four hours of fitful sleep.

"The water's out as well," Cordelia said.

Wesley nodded grimly. "Okay, let's not dwell too much and keep moving. We must keep moving forward. First step - call your bank."

As everyone but Connor called their banks, they found out that their bank accounts were no longer in existence. As soon as they found out, their cell phones switched off. No matter what they tried, it was to no avail. After giving each other a questioning gaze for a few seconds, they all rushed the phone on the desk with Wesley and Cordelia reaching it first.

Wesley picked it up and upon hearing a dial tone, sighed in relief. The others, seeing his reaction, broke out in smiles. Then the dial tone cut off. He pressed the reset button a few times, but again to no avail. "It's out as well," he finally said as he returned the receiver to its base.

"Now what?" Connor asked.

"I can only think of one thing -" Wesley replied, pausing to glance at Cordelia and Angel, "- going back to Sunnydale."

"Why?" Cordy asked.

"Well, obviously at this point, they have more weapons and resources than we do. And considering that so far everything except what we have on us presently and our vehicles has been taken away...."

"Okay, point taken."

"And it just might be the safest thing for us. We should leave now - considering that we don't know what's going to happen next and that whoever's behind this seems to want to make us disappear - permanently."

"I'll drive Angel's car so he doesn't burn to a crisp. I don't care who the rest of you go with, just as long as you follow me." At Angel's look, she said, "And no arguing from you, mister. You know I'll be careful with your car." She glanced worriedly between Angel and Wesley. "Do you think they'll mind all of us just showing up?"

"They don't really have a choice, now do they?" Wesley replied impatiently, hoping that things would go all right in Sunnydale. "Let's get moving."

When they got outside to where their cars had been parked on the street the night before, they found their vehicles gone.

“Fuck!” Gunn exploded. “What else could go wrong?”

“Might not want to tempt fate,” Wesley commented. “Okay, how much money do we have?” They pulled out their wallets and found that they only had about $40 and some change. “So, renting a car’s out, considering what’s happened so far and that our credit cards have more than likely been cut off as well.”

“There’s no way I’m hitchhiking to Sunnydale,” Cordelia remarked.

“We could always hotwire a car,” Gunn offered.

“And how do you plan on doing that?”

“Well, we go to either a rental place or a used dealership and some of you make an interest in buying and behind their back, I get the car. Then we return the car when we’re done with a full tank and with the mileage rolled back.” At Cordelia’s look, he added, “Rondell knows some guys who can do it. And if you have a better idea...”

“No, no. I just wasn’t expecting you to be so familiar with the idea.”

While Angel, Connor, and Lorne waited at the Hyperion, the rest went to a nearby used car dealership to execute Gunn’s plan. It went off without a hitch, and they made it out with a relatively new Dodge Caravan. After swinging by the hotel to pick up the other three, they were on their way to Sunnydale.

Two hours later, they pulled up in front of the Summers residence. Assembling on the front porch before knocking, they gave each other nervous smiles. Wesley finally knocked on the door. As they waited, Angel folded his blanket up and set it aside. The door finally opened to reveal Willow. Surprised, she looked at all the people on the front porch before noticing Cordelia. She squealed with delight and gave her a hug.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, pulling away.

"Hi to you too, Willow," Cordy said with a smile. "We've had some problems in L.A. and were hoping we could stay here - or somewhere near here - until we could deal with it. And maybe get a little help."

"Umm, sure," Willow replied a bit nervously, eyeing the group again.

"Oh, sorry. This is Gunn, Fred, Lorne, and Connor," she pointed each of them out, "and you know Wes and Angel."

Willow gave Angel a quick hug before looking at Wesley for a moment before squealing again and saying, "Oh my god, it is you!"

"Yes, it is me, Willow," he replied warmly. "Could we please come inside? I wouldn't like us to attract any unnecessary attention."

"Yeah, come in, come in." She went inside and opened the door wider to let them all in. "What's all the squealing?" Dawn asked coming down the steps.

"We have some guests, Dawn," Willow replied as she shut the door.

"So I see. Cordelia?" Dawn bounded down the last couple of steps and gave the ex-Scooby a hug. "What are you doing here?"

Cordelia gave her a hug and then replied, "Trouble in LA and we needed some help."

Dawn nodded and then whispered, "So, um, who are the other people?" Cordelia repeated the introductions and Dawn gave Angel a hug before sizing Wesley up. "What happened to you?" she asked.

"Life happened," he replied. "Hello, Dawn. Is your sister home?"

"No - she had to get some groceries. But she should be home soon."

"Has Spike been here recently?" Angel asked.

"Yeah, he was here last night. Why?"

"No particular reason. Just wasn't expecting it, is all."

"How's Xander?" Cordelia asked.

"He's doing good," Willow replied looked at her watch. "He has today off, so he should be on his way over."

"Hey, hey," Xander called as he opened the front door. Everyone shifted a bit in the foyer so he could come in. "Where's the par...ty?" He slowly shut the door behind himself as he took in the group. "Wow. I didn't think Jehovah's Witnesses came in such large numbers."

"We're not Jehovah's Witnesses, doofus," Cordelia replied.

"Well, you never know - you could've converted. How are you doing, Cordy?"

"Good," she replied as he gave her a tentative hug, which she happily returned.

"Angel," he said evenly as he let Cordelia go.

"Xander," Angel replied warmly. "You look good."

"You look...about the same."

"You remember Wes, right?" Cordelia commented, not wanting things to get awkward between the two, as she gestured towards Wesley.

"Yeah." Xander turned to Wesley and offered his hand. "Wow. Are you sure this is the same person, Cordy?"

"Yes, I'm sure," she replied as she gave him a level stare before letting it soften into a smile.

"I could have said the same thing about you, Xander," Wesley said as he shook his hand. "You look good." And he had to admit that the teen he used to know had grown up to be a good-looking young man.

"Thanks. So do you. Demon fighting looks good on you."

Before Wesley could reply, the door opened again. "Willow, whose van is that -" Buffy came in the door carrying a bag of groceries. "Oh. Hi. Who are you and what are you doing in my house?"

"Nice to see you too, Buffy," Cordelia replied a bit coolly. "I hope it's not too much trouble for us to come down and get some help."

"You could've just called," Buffy answered as she shut the door behind her. "Most slayage doesn't require a field trip."

"Most 'slayage' doesn't require the phone lines being disconnected and all of our things vanishing," Wesley returned. "Hello, Buffy."

She gave him a quick once over, although she didn’t seem to recognize him, and asked, "Who the hell are you?"

"Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, former Watcher ring a bell?"

"Oh, right. Why are you -" She turned to go through the dining room and into the kitchen. "Angel," her expression and tone immediately softened, "what are you doing here?"

"We need some help," Wesley jumped in before Angel could answer.

She brushed past him and moved into the kitchen. "Don't you have people up in L.A. to help you?"

Angel, Cordelia, and Wesley followed her. "We did - but something's come up and we can't count on them any more."

As she started to put the groceries away, she asked, "What about the rest of your resources? I know Wes here's got a lot of books and stuff and you're not exactly deficient in that category either."

"That's part of the problem. Like Wes said - all of our things are gone."

"What do you mean 'gone'? It's not like they sprouted legs and walked away. Well, maybe they could - but that's not the point."

"We don't really know," Wesley spoke up. This just happened last night. We don't know who or what is behind this."

"And it couldn't be human-based?"

"I highly doubt that we have enough human enemies that are powerful enough to take every single thing that all seven of us own, plus cut off our water, electricity, and phones - including our cells, wipe out our bank accounts, and get practically everyone we know to either not recognize us or call us by another name within the space of a few hours."

"And what makes you think that we can actually help you?"

"You have resources at your disposal that may be able to help us find out the cause behind what happened. We'll only be here long enough to solve our problem and then we'll be gone. But we have no way of paying you back until we get our things back. All we have is what we have on us and the car we technically stole. All we ask is access to your resources and room and board. And I promise we'll reimburse you when we get our money back. We'll also help with the patrolling duties."

Buffy put the last can of soup away before turning towards them and leaning against the counter. She looked at her three friends - 'well, ex-boyfriend, ex-sort-of-friend, and ex-Watcher,' she thought - and sighed. "Okay, fine. We'll help you."

"And?"

"And what?"

"It just seemed that you had a condition that you wanted to latch on."

"No. At least not yet, anyway. Do I have the right to add one on later on?"

Wesley gave her a small smile. "Only if it hinges on some damage one of us has inflicted. Thank you so much, Buffy."

"Please don't make me regret this, okay?"

"Don't worry, we won't," Cordelia replied, smiling. "Thanks in advance."

The four went back out into the foyer. "Okay," Buffy said, "We'll be helping you guys out. Now we just have to figure out who's going to stay where."

"Cordy can stay with me," Willow said. "We need to do some catching up."

"I could take a couple of you guys," Xander stated. "I don't have a whole lot of space, but I think we could make it work."

"I'll come with you," Wesley replied.

"So will I," Angel agreed.

"Angel, I thought..." Buffy jumped in quickly before trailing off and giving him a pleading look.

"It'll be better this way, trust me," he replied.

Trying to keep her mind off the let down, she commented to Fred and Gunn, "We still have room here, if you want."

"Where?" Dawn asked.

"Your room."

"Why mine?" she started to complain. "That's not fair."

"Dawn," Buffy said before leveling her with a 'look'.

"Fine."

"We don't want to put anyone out," Fred replied.

"Don't worry about it. You're welcome to it."

"So we've got everyone squared away except you two," Cordelia stated to Lorne and Connor, who had both hung back a bit. "So where do you want to stay, Sullen-boy?" she directed at Connor.

"Could I maybe go over to Xander's?" he asked.

"Sure," Xander replied. "I'm sure we can find room for one more."

"Lorne?" Cordelia asked. "How about you?"

Before Lorne had a chance to reply, the door opened once again and Anya entered. "Wow," she said. "What's going on? A family reunion or something?"

"Something like that," Xander replied before introducing her to all the new people and giving a brief explanation as to why they were there.

"Is your full name Anyanka?" Lorne asked when they were finished.

"I prefer Anya now, but yes," she replied.

"I've heard a lot of interesting stuff about you, cupcake. Would you possibly be willing to discuss it?"

"Certainly. Were you planning on getting a hotel? Because you could always stay with me."

"Sounds like a great idea."

"Good, now that's settled," Buffy said.

Three days of researching and routine patrols passed with nothing to account for. Xander closed his book, pushed his chair away from the table and sighed. "I haven't been able to find anything," he said wearily. "Have any of you?"

"Nothing on identity stealing demons and plenty on everything else," Spike replied - to which there were murmurs of agreement.

"I need a break," Dawn said as she stood and stretched.

Wesley looked at his watch. "That sounds like a good idea. And why don't we just call it a night since it's already 7:30?"

"Watcher Wesley wants to call it a night this early?" Buffy commented. "Are you sure you have the right guy?" she directed to Angel and Cordelia.

Cordelia just quietly rolled her eyes and quietly made a disgusted sound - which only Angel picked up and chuckled at. "Okay," she said. "So what do we want to do tonight?"

Most of the girls made comments in the vein of renting some movies and staying in, while most of the guys made comments in the vein of wanting to go out. The only differences were Buffy - who wanted to go patrolling for a bit first, Gunn - who wanted to stay in with Fred, even if that meant the other girls as well, and Lorne and Anya - who were supposedly going to go share some demon stories they knew the others wouldn't want to hear.

"Well, I think that settles it," Wesley replied. "Those of us who want to go out - go, and those of us who want to stay in - stay, and everyone should be happy."

"Wow. Impressive," Connor remarked dryly as they entered the Bronze.

"I'm sure it's nothing like what you're used to in LA," Xander commented with a slightly sarcastic tone. "But it's good enough when you need to get out. Besides, the only other place to go aside from here and the liquor store is Willie's."

"Willie's?"

"Demon bar," Wesley replied absently as he scanned the crowd.

"Oh."

"See anyone suspect?" he asked Angel.

"Nope. You?" Angel replied.

"No."

"You can take the souled vampire out of Sunnydale..." Xander commented.

"Just trying to have a good night out," Angel replied. "We'll have to keep an eye out," he remarked to Wesley, who nodded.

"So, are we going to stand here and yap all night or what?" Spike asked.

"Imbibing copious amounts of alcohol to forget our problems for a while sounds like a good idea," Xander responded.

After ordering drinks and appetizers, they settled at a table near a pool table. They were rather quiet during the first round.

"Pool anyone?" Spike asked when a table finally opened up.

"Sure," Xander and Wesley replied.

"Don't know what to do," Connor answered.

"No thank you," Angel responded. "I'm bad enough as it is. But I'll buy another round and then referee if need be."

"That works for me," Xander agreed. "C'mon, you three, before the table gets taken."

"I don't know what I'm doing here," Connor stressed.

"Well, that makes two of us," Wesley replied under his breath before saying, "You can be on my side. I may not be great, but I'm not that shoddy either."

"Losers buy the next round," Spike said, grabbing a cue and chalking the tip.

"Agreed," Wesley replied as he began racking the balls. Wesley explained the basic rules to Connor as Xander took his first shot, sinking the red ball.

The four took a break when Angel came back with the drinks. "Shirley Temple," he said as he handed Connor his drink.

"Who's that?" Connor asked.

Xander and Spike snickered. "It's the drink," Xander finally managed.

"What's in it?"

"Ginger ale and cherry juice, I think," Angel said. "It's been a long time since I've had one."

"I still can't believe you've had one, Peaches," Spike derided. "It's a bloody child's drink."

"And this coming from the one who refers to people as Happy Meals - pot and kettle, methinks," Angel commented as he finished passing out the drinks.

Spike took a swig of his lager before replying, "C'mon, lads, let's get back to the game."

Three games and two more rounds later, Xander, Spike, and Wesley were starting to feel the effects of the alcohol.

"I propose one last game for tonight," Wesley said.

"Yeah?" Spike replied with a bit of an attitude. "And what's that?"

"Nine ball. But each ball sunk must be accompanied by a shot.

"Sorry, runt," Spike said to Connor. "You're sitting this one out."

"Why can't I?" Connor asked, turning to Angel.

"Because - no," Angel replied firmly. "You'll be allowed in a few years."

"But Fa- Holtz let me."

"Holtz is from a time when things were different."

"So are you."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean that I still go by those rules. End of discussion."

By that point, Xander and Wesley, who had slipped away to get the shots, returned and set them on the table. Without further ado, the three started the game. They were evenly matched and each got three in. When they were done, they put the cues away and Wesley racked the balls.

Once done, they all sat at the table for a bit to finish their other drinks. After draining his glass, Angel asked, "Everyone ready to go?" and started to move, and the others followed suit.

"You're not going anywhere," an unfamiliar voice said. "Spike, why haven't you been in your crypt?"

"Found better digs," he replied as they turned to the voice. "And who are you lackeying for now?"

"The Loan Shark."

"I already paid him off and he knows it. I think you're thinking you can get something out of me easy, considering my reputation and all."

"Well, you wouldn't be totally wrong."

"Can you tell what he is?" Wesley whispered to Angel.

"Vampire," Angel responded. "And there's a few more surrounding us - shouldn't be too hard to take out."

"Do you have your wrist stakes?"

"No. Think we can lure them outside?"

Wesley took in the leader's stance and glanced around to see if he could pinpoint the others. "No. Cue stick?"

"Seems like our only chance."

"Might have to make a break for it when it's over."

"Not like we haven't done *that* before."

Wesley discreetly took a pool cue off the rack next to him as they continued to watch Spike and the minion. As the scene escalated, they could see the other four vampires slowly move in on them. When Angel saw the subtle changes in Spike's body as he was about to throw a punch, he gave a slight nod to Wesley - who had also been keeping an eye on the other vampires as well as the growing crowd. They quickly moved into action. Wesley broke the pool cue and tossed half to Angel, who caught it and quickly dispatched the closest vampire. After staking his vampire, Wesley tossed the stake to Connor - who deftly caught it and took out the vampire he had been fighting. As this was going on, Spike had landed a few punches before dusting the leader. As soon as he finished, he helped Xander, who seemed to have gotten the largest vampire, dispatch his foe. Before the last bit of dust hit the floor, the five of the were heading for the door.

Once back at Xander's apartment, Connor disappeared into the guest room he was sharing with Angel, while Angel disappeared into the guest bathroom.

Spike let out a chuckle. "The poof still can't get a bit of dust on him without freaking out," he commented lightly as he shrugged out of his duster and stowed it in the closet. "Now, I don't know about you blokes, but I'm not exactly ready for bed yet. Up for some cards or something?"

"Cards sound good," Xander commented as they began moving towards the master bedroom. "You in, Wesley?"

"Sure," Wesley replied, following after them.

"You okay with strip poker?" Spike asked as he shuffled a deck of cards.

"I have no problems. Xander?"

"Nope," Xander remarked casually as he shut the door. "I've seen his bony ass enough times since he moved in that I don't care any more."

"Deuces and jokers are wild," Spike said ignoring the insult as he dealt the cards.

When the game petered out a few hours later, Wesley was the only one with a stitch left on him - a sock and his boxerbriefs - and possibly the only one who seemed like he was actually starting to sober up. He watched amusedly as Xander and Spike played a very interesting game of War - with lots of giggling and the cards more often than not missing their marks. After one rather robust fit of laughter, Xander and Spike fell with their shoulders against the headboard and stared at each other silently. Wesley kept quiet, not wanting to ruin whatever was happening between the two of them, especially if it might give him a clue as to what their relationship was now. After a moment, Xander lifted his chin up just enough so that his nose was a hair higher than Spike's, before allowing Spike to kiss him. Wesley debated the best way to make a quiet exit as the kiss became more intimate and hands and tongues were added.

Xander broke the kiss off, leaned his forehead against Spike's and turned his head slightly to look at Wesley out of the corner of his eye. "Care to join us?" he asked.

"No, I-I-I coul-co-" Wesley stammered, feeling very out of his element.

"It's okay - we don't mind. But you're definitely welcome."

"It's just that I never -"

"Been with another man? Been in a threesome? Both?"

"It's not that - though that's part of it."

"But do you want to do it?"

"I don't know. Maybe?"

"At least start with us and if you don't like it, you don't have to finish. We'll deal with the rest as it happens." Xander shrugged nonchalantly. "Now - are you going to come willingly or are we going to have to drag you into it?" he asked sweetly as he gave Wes a wicked little grin.

"At least let me watch for a bit."

"Fair enough."

Xander turned his attention back to Spike. It didn't take long for Wesley to figure out who was the boss in the relationship - Xander, which surprised him. After letting him watch for a few minutes, Xander grabbed one of Wesley's ankles and with surprising strength, pulled him towards them.

The next morning, Wesley awoke slowly to the sensation that one side of him was comfortably warm and the other was uncomfortably cold. He moved closer to the warmth and felt the arm that was draped across his waist tighten and pull him closer to the warmth and then fix the covers over him so his back was warm before draping back over him, just above his hip. Wesley slowly opened his eyes, focusing on Xander's face before him, giving him a warm and slightly sleepy smile.

"Good morning," Xander whispered.

"Last night - was that normal?" Wesley asked quietly.

"Which part - the drinking or the threesome? Neither of those are, although the sex is. But we've seen you looking at us and trying to figure us out."

"Do the others know?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't. We aren't the most perceptive bunch - well, except for Spike. But, no, we haven't actually told them. Any more questions before I tell you it's too early and to go back to sleep?"

"How did you become the dominant one in a relationship with a master vampire?"

"Maybe I'll explain it to you later. Now go back to sleep."

Wesley took a quick glance at the sleeping vampire on the other side of Xander before falling back to sleep.

Wesley awoke a few hours later as Spike and Xander were getting up. He instinctively slid into Xander's spot for the added warmth as they went to get a shower. After it was his turn, Wesley dressed and joined everyone out in the living room. Connor didn't look up from where he was eating a bowl of cereal. Angel glanced up from the newspaper and gave Wesley a questioning look, but didn't say anything.

"Good morning," Spike said coming out of the kitchenette with a mug of blood. "Sleep well?"

"Well enough," Wesley replied with a small smile, but grimaced when he caught a whiff of the blood.

"Hangover bad?"

"Not like some. Is there any coffee?"

"In the kitchen."

The five of them showed up at the Summers' residence a little before noon. As they went through the normal chatter about the night before, Wesley took his cue from Spike and Xander on what to say - and mostly not - about the events after their card game. And Xander had been right - the others didn't seem to notice the little cues that could clue anyone who was even distractedly watching them into their relationship. Wesley just wondered where exactly he fit into it - but there would be time to ask about that later. There were more pressing matters at the moment.

"So what are we up to today?" Anya asked as they convened in the dining room with food and books. "Demon snakes? Evil water spirits? Shape-shifting rabbits?"

"Keep looking for anything whose identity may be hard to pin down," Wesley replied.

"But why?" Dawn asked. "Shouldn't we be looking for identity theft? 'Cause that's what this basically is, right? And that could be anyone."

"But most humans don't also clean out your apartment and bank account and cut off your phone and electricity," Cordelia replied. "Usually identity theft is just some credit cards and a driver's license."

"Oh. What about shape-shifters?"

"They aren't usually vengeful enough to take on another's shape long enough to make it worthwhile," Wesley replied. "And they aren't known to travel in more than pairs - they have a tendency to have trouble trusting."

"So demons with identity problems? Yeah, like that's really going to narrow the field down."

"You'd be surprised, Bit," Spike voiced. "Most of us are actually quite happy with who we are."

That night they worked late and had scoured every book in the Summers home as well as a plethora of online databases. The results were scantier than they expected.

"How can we only get 2 dozen possibilities out of all these books *and* the internet?" Gunn asked as he eyed the piles of books scattered around the dining room.

"Well, we were looking for something specific," Wesley replied. "Let's just hope one of those is the right one."

"Whether or not one of them is the right one, I need to get out," Spike commented. "Want to patrol?" he asked Buffy.

A discussion ensued with the others deciding to go bowling and Spike and Buffy meeting up with them later.

Three frames into the first game, Xander sat down next to Wesley. "Any interest in joining us tonight?" he asked.

"I don't know," Wesley replied.

"Last night was intriguing and could be blamed on the alcohol, but twice - and the second time sober - is just weird?"

"Basically."

"We'll it's not like we're asking for love - just sex. But you're free to join us if you want and if you don't - that's okay too. This is an open invitation - don't think it expires in the morning."

"Thank you - that's very generous. I must admit, though, if you wanted a third - why me?"

"Let's just say it takes one to know one."

"I still don't -"

"Wes - it's your turn," Angel said.

"It's still weird watching Angel bowl," Xander commented. "We'll talk later - promise." He patted Wesley on the knee before letting him up.

Buffy and Spike showed up just as they were about to start the second game, excited over having dusted some newly risen vampires and ready to unwind. When they all left a few hours later, everyone was more relaxed and the general morale was a lot higher.

And Wesley did join Spike and Xander that night, not knowing exactly why - but not regretting it in the morning.

"Has anyone seen my fuzzy pen?" Dawn asked the next morning when she came downstairs.

"I don't know," Willow replied. "Have you seen my Sappho book?"

"Nope. Can I go over to Janna's later?" she asked Buffy.

"Sure, but could you at least put in a little research time first?" Buffy replied.

"No problem."

"Good morning!" Xander called as he and the others came in. "Ready for another fun day of wacky research fun? And has anyone seen my watch?"

"Maybe and no," Buffy replied.

"We're missing some stuff too," Willow remarked. "Do you think it could be the same thing that came after you?" she directed to Wesley and Angel.

"It's possible," Wesley replied. "But we won't know for certain until we figure out exactly what it is."

"So food, then books, and if we get lucky - we might actually get this done today," Xander commented, carrying some cereal boxes over to the counter. "So where are the other sleepyheads?"

"Not sure, but they should be here soon," Willow replied.

"The turtledoves are moving about upstairs," Spike commented.

"Well, let's get started and they can join us when they're ready," Wesley responded. "The sooner we get started -"

"The sooner we can go home," Gunn finished as he and Fred entered the kitchen. "As much as I wanted to get out of LA - it'll feel nice to get back. No disrespect to you all - that's just the way it is."

"None taken," Buffy replied. "It'll be nice to have the bathroom back." She gave him a warm smile.

The group had just settled down at the dining room table with assorted breakfast items and research tools when Anya and Lorne came in carrying coffee cups and giggling. "Hope we didn't miss too much of the fun," Lorne commented as he sat down and grabbed a book.

Wesley noticed the slightly jealous look that Xander had cast in their direction. He knew that he and Anya had once been an item, but he wasn't going to pry into what had gone wrong. Wesley pulled himself back to the task at hand and studied the sheet that listed the demons and what sources they could be found in for a moment before tearing it up into equal pieces and handing it out.

By lunchtime, they had gotten halfway done and still hadn't found a match. As chaos was about to break out in the kitchen with too many people trying to do their own thing at the same time, Wesley joined Spike on the front porch.

"Watcher," Spike acknowledged, flicking ashes off his cigarette, as Wesley pulled the door shut behind himself.

"Ex," Wesley corrected absently.

"Still - what you are."

"Possibly." Wesley casually approached where Spike was perched on the porch railing in a deep shadow. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Fire away, mate."

Wesley leaned with his backside against the railing and casually crossed one leg in front of the other and stuck his hands in his pockets. "How did you and Xander become involved?"

"Funny situation, that." Spike took a last, deep drag and flicked away the cigarette butt before slowly exhaling the smoke through his nose. "Mutual need, I reckon. We both needed something we weren't getting and decided to help each other out. We don't question how it works."

"And how does it work -"

"That a master vampire such as myself is letting a human be the dom?" Wesley nodded. "When we started this, I was in pretty bad shape mentally and emotionally and he got me in order."

"Got you in order? How?"

"Some shit happened a few months back between me and Buffy and I left for a while. When I came back, I was - like I said - in pretty rough shape. And Xander basically kicked my ass for me for being such a sodding wanker and made me pull it together - at least on the outside. I'm still hung up on Buffy and I know I'm not worthy to go back to her - not yet, anyway. And he's still hung up on Anya and who knows what their story is." He paused for a moment, seeming hesitant to go on. "Maybe it's my kink, but I like it - a lot. And I have to admit, the boy's got a knack for it. He hasn't been showing off his talent the past couple of nights - not wanting to scare you off and all, but he can put on a bloody good show."

"Interesting."

"Definitely is. Besides, we both know it's a solution to a temporary problem and that it's just sex - nothing more."

"'Nothing more'?" Xander asked as he came out carrying a plate and glass. "I thought 'The Raven' was 'Never more'. Interested in a sandwich?" he offered Wesley.

"Thanks." Wesley took the sandwich gratefully and Xander put the glass down on the railing next to him.

"Think the answer's in the last dozen?"

Wesley nodded as he took a bite of the sandwich. "I do."

"Will you be happy to get home?"

"In some respects."

"What's up with the new kid - Connor?"

Wesley debated whether or not to tell them and decided to. "He's Angel's son."

"You're kidding," Spike said. "Never figured Angel for the adopting type."

"No - it's biological. He shagged Darla and somehow she conceived and Connor's the result. He's human and might be the closest we'll ever get to a male Slayer."

"How's that possible?" Xander asked. "I thought it was all - you know - dead."

"Technically, yes. But we don't know exactly how it happened."

"And when did they shag?" Spike asked.

"About a year ago."

"But he's, like, 17 or something," Xander replied.

"He was taken into a hell dimension a few months ago and the time there is different."

"How did he get back?"

"Through a portal - but don't ask for the specifics as I wasn't there."

"This is just too weird. Is Buffy going to be told?"

"I'm not going to tell her, if that's what you mean. That's up to Angel."

Willow poked her head out the door. "We're gonna get started again, so when you three are ready...."

"Thanks, Will," Xander replied. "We'll be in."

She smiled at them and shut the door.

"That's too weird."

"Tell me about it," Spike commented as he hopped down. "Well, we best be getting in and getting it over with."

The final 12 proved to be a bit more daunting and they finally finished as their stomachs began to insist on being fed.

"Found it!" Angel exclaimed triumphantly.

"What?" everyone else asked practically in unison.

"It's the Thak'dul."

"Are you sure?" Wesley asked speculatively. "They haven't surfaced in at least 300 years." He took the book from Angel and began reading over the entry.

"It's the only thing that fits all the criteria. Plus, things have started disappearing here as well and that fits in with their M.O. as well."

"So what's this Thak'dul and how do we kill it?" Gunn asked.

"There's actually seven of them at any given time. They're powerful magically, but they usually work for others. And it's quite simple - your normal decapitation or through the heart and then slice-and-dice disposal."

"And why am I feeling there's a rather large but here?"

"They're normally incorporeal."

"Then how do we kill them?" Buffy asked.

"From what it looks like - first we'll have to do a ritual to summon them. Then we'll have to actually name them - after which we'll finally be able to kill them."

"That can't be too hard. So what are their names?"

"That's part of the reason they have to be summoned - no one knows their names since every time they're reborn, they take new names. And from what it looks like, only the people involved can kill them and then each person has a specific Thak'dul to kill."

"Great. Why couldn't they have taken everything when I was wearing something a little less dry-cleanable?" Lorne commented dryly.

"Don't worry - we'll find you something else," Anya soothed. "I'm sure Xander wouldn't mind letting you borrow some of his things."

"Will they come after us?" Buffy asked, pulling them back on track.

"Not unless you piss them off. Although, if we don't stop them, they will slowly steal your identities as well - but they'll take longer to do it so that you don't notice as quickly. And it'll seem like mostly just trickster behavior - loosing or misplacing things and such."

"So what did you guys do to piss them off?" Dawn asked. "And how do we get them to stop doing it to us?"

"They're normally used by more powerful beings as a way to exact revenge or wipe someone or something out, and they never divulge who hired them. Even though they have names, the Thak'dul have no concept of their own individual identity and therefore feel compelled to take someone else's and assume it completely - even down to finally killing their target and then taking over their lives. We'll just have to get to them before they finish - which they could feasibly take months to do, if we let it go."

"And how long would it take us?"

"If we do it right? A couple of days at most."

"So what's the normal batting average against these guys?" Gunn asked.

Skimming the entry, Wesley replied, "A little under half from what it looks like, but the author isn't too clear about that."

"Sounds like normal odds," Willow replied. "What will we need for the ritual?"

Wesley handed the book over to her as Connor asked, "So, are we going to start tonight?"

"It might be a good idea to wait until tomorrow," Wesley replied, "and approach this with clear heads. This is one of those things where you have to be very careful."

"Good, because I'm starving," Cordelia said. "So - dinner. What do we want?"

"Pizza," Gunn replied and about half agreed with him.

"Chinese," Fred replied and the others agreed with her.

"How about both?" Xander supplied. "We've ordered from two different places before."

A Chinese take-out menu was found, pizza toppings decided upon, phone calls made and then everyone got comfortable in the living room to wait for the food. Dawn even forgot about Janna's when Monopoly was suggested and she, Gunn, Fred, and Connor pulled out the game and set it up.

"I think they're slowly becoming friends," Wesley said as he said down on the arm of Angel's chair in a somewhat secluded corner as they watched Dawn help Connor set up.

"They'd be good for each other from what I've heard from Willow about Dawn," Angel commented. "Not totally sure how Buffy will react when she finds out about Connor's origins -"

"She's got to let go sometime, just as you have."

"I know, but I think it's been harder for her since I was her first."

"As ugly as it may be - maybe it'll help."

"Maybe. But it's hard, you know? Sometimes I feel her watching me when no one else is looking -"

"Do you think you'll ever fall in love again?"

"Maybe. I don't know. Possibly -" Angel quickly glanced up at Wesley before back at the four "- but definitely after I shanshu, though."

"Sounds reasonable. Might be hard when the kids start asking why you don't age. 'You see, kids, Daddy's got a special genetic condition. Not only can he not play outside -'"

"Hey!" Angel tried to sound insulted, but it didn't quite work, and lightly smacked Wesley's thigh.

Wesley just gave him a wry grin. "Do you think there could ever be forgiveness between us?"

"I've already forgiven you. Didn't you get that the first time I told you? Have you forgiven?"

"You? Yes. Myself? I don't know. Things aren't always -"

"I know," Angel cut him off. "Friends again?"

"Definitely friends again."

When the food came, they all gathered around the table and dished out food - acting as much a family as any.

The next morning, they all convened early at the Summers residence. Willow had called ahead and arranged for the necessary items to be picked up from different places along the way. After deciding that the back yard would probably be the best place, and feeling very lucky that it was one of the rare overcast days, they gathered up everything and began setting up outside.

"Now remember," Wesley gently reminded everyone. "No talking unless you're directly questioned. The Thak'dul aren't exactly known for their patience."

Gunn was a little uneasy at how simple it was all supposed to be, but everything went according to plan as the protective circle was drawn, the items burned and the Latin spoken. And after a split second pause after the last word, there was a crack of thunder and the air began to shimmer inside the circle.

"Yes, human?" a booming voice asked. "What do you want with us?"

"We would like our lives back from those who stole them," Wesley replied calmly, yet forcefully.

"Certainly we have not taken it from all those gathered here."

"No, but we still demand them be given back."

"Very well, if you be up to the challenge. Let those who are demanding approach the circle." Fred, Gunn, Connor, Lorne, Cordy, and Angel gathered with Wesley around the circle. "The challenge is this. We will each give you a riddle for our name. If you wish to challenge us in the flesh, you must answer the riddle correctly. You will have 24 hours exactly to answer the riddle. Do you accept?"

They murmured their assent.

To Wesley, a voice spoke, "I am an outsider. I am like my kind - but far different. I am also learned and have tutored heroes."

To Lorne, another voice spoke, "I have been spurned by my own - even my own mother does not want me. I am misunderstood and others run from me, but deep down I'm really not all bad. I also have a fondness for music."

To Fred, a third voice spoke, "I have a place and I am a refuge. Those who are a bit mad know me, but they have been cured."

To Gunn, a fourth voice spoke, "I am an exiled warrior. I have vanquished many horrible foes. I do not back down from any challenge. I have a good sense of tactics and I can make weaponry from what I have been given. I also seek counsel from higher powers. But, if not careful, pride will be my downfall."

To Connor, a fifth voice spoke, "I have been formed by a mother's lament as well as her death."

To Cordelia, a sixth voice spoke, "I am a seer and have used my powers for good. I serve a higher power. I have been made to teach others my secrets and save others' lives."

To Angel, a seventh voice spoke, "I am made of conflicting things, yet I am one being. Warriors fought against me and failed, but one finally succeeded with the help of others. I am related to other great scourges of my time."

Angel let out a small laugh. "Is that all?" Wesley glared at him, tried to get him to stop before things got ugly. "That seems pretty easy. All the books made it sound like it was going to be hard."

"Your insolence will not be tolerated."

Angel moved a little closer to the circle. "What are you going to do? Hurt me?"

A sound like rustling cloth was heard and some of the shimmering light moved towards Angel and he suddenly fell to the ground, clutching his head. Wesley and Cordelia rushed to his side.

The Thak'dul that had originally spoken to Wesley spoke again. "We will return in exactly 24 hours to hear your answers." Then they disappeared.

"What the hell happened?" Gunn asked. "I thought that the circle was supposed to keep them in."

"It is," Wesley replied. "But it's been scuffed up." He motioned towards the messed up powder with his chin. "Angel must've done it accidentally. Help me get him inside."

Once they got Angel inside and on the couch, Cordelia asked, "Will he be okay?" as she sat down on the couch next to him.

"Well, he should be conscious soon," Wesley replied. "Other than that, I'm not sure."

"And why's that?" Buffy asked.

"Supposedly the touch of a Thak'dul while in incorporeal form is supposed to render the victim insane. But it seems like the author thought that that was more of a myth than a reality. But I haven't found any other evidence either way." Wesley sighed. "But we really should start working on those riddles."

"Otherwise things'll get really bad?" Gunn asked.

"I wouldn't be surprised. We can take turns keeping an eye on him."

"How are we going to go about researching this time?" Willow asked. "Because none of it sounded helpful on the clue-giving side."

"How about literature or something like that?" Fred asked. "'Cause, at least to me, they all sound like they could be from some type of literary work."

"Good a place as any to start," Wesley replied. "We better get started or we may never finish."

"Might not anyway," Gunn commented, "especially with how long it took us to figure out what they were to begin with."

"Let's just get started." Wesley brought Cordelia a couple of books and let her sit by Angel as she worked.

Time seemed to fly by as the group worked, and yet they didn't seem to be getting any closer to finding any answers. Wesley also did some more research on the demons themselves during his breaks in trying to crack his and Angel's riddles.

At about 9 pm, as Fred was bringing out some more drinks and snacks, he let out a sigh and slumped against the back of his chair. Tiredly, he took his glasses off and carelessly tossed them on top of the open book before him. "Why didn't I see this before?" he commented more to himself than anyone else.

"What is it?" Buffy asked from where she was keeping watch on Angel, who was still unconscious, as she helped research.

"It's something about the Thak'dul - and I must've read over it at least 20 times before now and didn't see it." Wesley rubbed his eyes for a moment before continuing. "Their first appearance was noted in the fourth century B.C. - in Greece." He paused for a moment, scanning the rest of the page to see if there was anything else he had missed.

"So you think that that might have something to do with their names?" Spike jumped in before he could continue.

"It's very likely. Since we haven't found anything yet, it's worth a shot."

A few hours later, they had started to find answers. By 4 am, they had finally solved the riddles.

"C'mon, Wes," Xander said, as he, Spike, and Connor approached the couch. "There's nothing we can do for him right now."

"But there should be something," Wesley replied absently from where he was sitting next to Angel, who was still unconscious.

"You've read everything through fifty times, mate," Spike commented. "I don't think you're going to find it at this point. At least not in what we've got. Maybe you can ask them tomorrow."

"That's why we should go home and get some sleep," Xander pressed. "They seem to recognize you as the leader, so if we don't have you ready, who knows what's gonna happen."

Wesley sighed. "You're right." He gave one last look to Angel before standing.

"Don't worry," Gunn said, as he and Fred came into the room. "He'll be fine. The worst that'll probably happen is he'll wake up and go over to Xander's place."

Wesley only nodded. He compliantly followed the others to the car and then into Xander's apartment. When he came together with Spike and Xander for their round of sex, the others couldn't help but notice that this time he was more intense, and more needy, than before and they did their best to comply. After they had finished and the other two had fallen asleep wrapped in each other, Wesley quietly crept into the guest room. Without waking Connor, who was asleep on the floor, he crawled into Angel's bed and silently cried himself to sleep.

The next morning they again reconvened early. Wesley immediately placed himself near Angel, who was still unconscious.

"This is the most freakish weather ever," Buffy commented as she looked out the window at the soft drizzle that was falling. "So what happens today?" she asked, turning to Wesley.

"I'm not sure," he replied. "Obviously, we'll have to give them our answers and somehow that will render them corporeal and we will be able to fight them. But remember - only those of us involved will be able to fight them and we'll be able to kill only our specific demon."

"But what about those of us who aren't, ah, so inclined?" Lorne asked. "And what about Angelcakes here still being down for the count?"

"We'll find a way," Wesley replied quietly. "We always do." He looked at his watch. "We should probably start getting some weapons ready for when the time comes."

As they started moving and gathering weapons, Angel's eyes shot open. "They're coming," he said. "They're coming. They're coming. They're coming."

"Who's coming?" Wesley asked, going over to Angel.

"They're coming," he repeated, quickly getting up and pushing past Wesley to rush out into the backyard. Wesley was right on his heels.

"Good thing it's raining," Fred commented.

"They're here," Wesley called into the house from the backyard.

The L.A. team quickly assembled outside and, at Wesley's instruction, in the same order they had been around the circle the day before.

"We are here for your answers," the leader said to Wesley.

"Just one question, first," Wesley replied.

"Speak."

"What has happened to our friend here?" He motioned to Angel.

"He has been punished for his insolence."

"What exactly did you do to him?"

"That is none of your business."

"I think it is. He is a warrior for the Powers."

"There is more than one warrior, mortal."

"True. But none can do what he can. He is a vampire with a soul."

"This means nothing to us."

"So what is his fate?"

"We shall see. For the present, he will remain as he is. Now, let us get down to business. Are you ready to try to name us?"

"We are. What happens after that?"

"We fight. If you win, you will get your identities back. If we win - well, we'll deal with that later. So, who do you think we are?"

Wesley spoke, "I name you Chiron."

Lorne gave Wesley a nervous look before saying, "I name you Pan."

Fred nervously said, "I name you Kastria."

Gunn, somewhat defiantly, said, "I name you Bellerophon."

Connor replied, "I name you Peirene."

Cordelia replied, "I name you Polyeidus."

Wesley quietly sucked in his breath as he watched Angel, wondering what would happen. Angel was looking intently at the shimmering light before him and shifting back and forth on his feet. "There's a beasty here," he finally spoke - more to himself than anyone else, and the tone of his voice was slightly lilting and the rhythm of it different, and slightly faster, than normal. "It's all scales and fur. It doesn't make any sense, no sense at all. Chimaera teeth are gnashing, gnashing, gnashing and the breath fiery hot." He made a gesture for the others to stay back. "Fiery flames and smoke. Stay away from the mouth. Stay away from the mouth of the Chimaera."

"You have done well, human," Chiron said to Wesley.

There was a crack of thunder and the Thak'dul were standing inside the circle. They were all about six and a half feet tall with dark, scaly skin and had a sinewy look to their build.

"Now," he said, "let the fighting commence."

As the group scrambled to get weapons off of the porch, the Thak'dul stepped out of the circle.

"How can they do that?" Lorne whispered to Wesley. "I thought the circle was supposed to keep them in."

"Must be because of the rain," Wesley replied. "Good luck. And remember -normal killing and then slice and dice should do the trick."

"Easy for you to say, Buster," Lorne muttered under his breath as they waded into the fray.

Connor, Wesley, and Gunn had no problem killing their individual Thak'dul - considering that for all their magical ability, they didn't have the skills needed to put up a good fight. Lorne, Cordelia, and Fred were having a little more trouble - but more on account of size and their own lack of fighting prowess. Wesley, Connor, and Gunn helped distract the demons long enough for them to be dispatched.

"Well, that was rather anti-climatic," Lorne commented when they had finished.

"Where's Angel?" Cordelia asked.

"And where's the demon?" Connor asked.

"Angel's in here but the demon isn't," Dawn replied as the Sunnydale gang came out from where they had taken refuge just inside the house.

"So it must've escaped," Wesley replied.

"How dangerous is it?" Buffy asked.

"It shouldn't be - aside from to Angel. It might scare other people that come in contact with it, but it shouldn't do anything." He looked at the bodies on the ground. "We better take care of these."

The L.A. group nodded grimly and began helping him dispose of the bodies.

Once they were done, Fred and Gunn headed for a shower and the rest wearily sat down in the living room. Wesley crouched next to Angel, who was cowering in a corner, muttering to himself.

"Angel," he said softly. The vampire didn't seem to take any notice of him. "Angel." Wesley put a hand on his shoulder.

Angel started, as if he hadn't realized Wesley was there. "It's not here, it's not there. Where is it? You have to find it. It's out there looking. Don't find me. Don't find me."

"Don't worry, Angel. We'll find it."

"Wesley." Cordelia's voice caught his attention.

"Yes?" He turned to the others, who were watching them.

"What are we going to do about Angel? He can't stay like that."

"I don't know. More research, I guess. It's the only thing I know to do."

"At least we know what we're looking for this time," she commented, sighing. "Let's get started."

The others followed her to the dining room table and resumed their positions. When Gunn and Fred came down, they joined in and the others took turns in the shower. Wesley spent most of the day trying to make a connection with Angel, but to no avail. That night, he insisted in taking Angel back to Xander's apartment, saying he felt better knowing where he was. No information had been turned up on how to cure him and the Thak'dul hadn't come back.

"Do you think it'll be safe enough?" Buffy asked.

"Yes. Connor and Spike will be there if that eases your mind. And Xander and I can hold our own, so I'm not worried."

"But what if the Thak-whatever comes back?"

"It wouldn't help much, anyway. If it goes there, we'll handle it. If it comes here - Fred, Gunn, Cordy - do what you can to detain it until morning. I do not want the rest of you getting involved." They nodded.

Angel was docile on the way to Xander's apartment. Wesley helped him get ready for bed and even if he didn't seem to be aware of what was happening around him, Angel seemed to know that Wesley was a friend of his. Connor voluntarily gave up his spot in the guest room to sleep on the couch so that Wesley could watch Angel. Instead of sleeping in Connor's spot, Wesley climbed in bed with Angel, needing the assurance that he was there physically, even if not mentally. The vampire was asleep as soon as they got situated, but Wesley watched him for a while before drifting off as well.

"Welcome," an Irish brogue said.

"What is this place?" Wesley asked, looking around the idyllic scene.

"A dream."

"Of what?"

"That's up to you." Another figure appeared.

"Doyle."

"And on the first try. I'm impressed."

"What's going on?"

"I come bearing a message."

"What? That it's going to get easier? To keep pressing on? There really is a light at the end of the tunnel?"

"My, my, my. Such bitterness."

"You would be too, if you'd been through what I have."

"No doubt about it. We've been watching you."

"We who?"

"The Powers."

"The Powers?"

"Yep."

"You're one of the Powers?"

"The form? No. We thought it would be easier for you if we came to you in a form that was familiar to you - of someone that was important to you."

"And how is Doyle familiar to me? He died before I came."

"But he is still a part of you, nonetheless."

"So what do you want?"

"To do what you had jested at, and -"

"Then save it."

"And to give you a gift."

"What type of gift?"

"You'll see when the time comes. But you have to keep going. It's not to be easy, but you're up to the tasks set before you. No matter what you've been told, you are uniquely made for the road you must travel."

Wesley rolled his eyes. "I don't need the Hallmark card."

"Fine. Good luck to you."

Wesley awoke with a start. He glanced at the clock - 7:30 am. He slowly untangled himself from Angel and headed to the bathroom.

A few hours later, everyone was assembled at the Summers' house.

"I had the weirdest dream last night," Cordelia commented as they gathered in the kitchen to get coffee. "Dennis was in it - but it wasn't really him, it was one of the Powers. It was really weird."

"I had one too," Wesley replied. "But in mine, the form was Doyle's. Did anyone else have a dream last night?"

The others nodded, except for Angel - who was playing with some silverware.

"Alonnah," Gunn put in.

"Groo," Fred and Lorne commented.

"Holtz," Connor replied.

"Tara," Buffy and Dawn said at the same time.

"Joyce," Willow, Spike, and Xander said.

"Hallie," Anya volunteered.

"Little gypsy, dancing, dancing. So much blood, so much blood," Angel cooed from where he was perched on a bar stool.

Wesley unconsciously moved next to Angel and put a hand on his shoulder. "Am I correct in guessing that everyone had some type of message told to them?"

The others nodded again, except for Angel - who was now intently scrutinizing Wesley's face.

"Well, let's hope that at least one of them included killing the Thak'dul that's on the loose," Cordelia commented.

"Luckily there's no mention of any strange incidents last night," Fred replied from where she had been perusing the newspaper.

"This thing's after just Angel, right?" Gunn asked.

"Yes," Wesley replied, after he took a sip of coffee.

"What are the chances of it returning today?"

"Highly possible, in my guess - but I don't have much to go on."

Gunn nodded. "Good. 'Cause I want to get this over with and go home."

"Do you think he's up to fighting?" Buffy asked, looking at Angel.

"I'm not sure," Wesley replied. "But we'll see when the time comes. As we found out yesterday - as long as it's Angel that kills it, it doesn't seem to matter which of the rest of us fight it. Hopefully primal instincts will take over."

The group continued to search for a cure for Angel while they waited for the Thak'dul to show up. Wesley stayed close to Angel for the day to try to make a connection, and to see if there were any clues to help them help him. But it just seemed like his brain had been melted. So Wesley kept Angel company as he babbled and every once in a while would gently stroke his hair - which seemed to make Angel happy.

"It's like Tara was," Willow said softly as she knelt next to Angel and Wesley that afternoon. "She, uh," she paused and Wesley gently squeezed her shoulder in assurance, "had her brain sucked by Glory - a god - about two years ago. And she was just like this. It was like she was here, but she wasn't -"

"And every once in a while, there'd be an instant where you think she was back to normal and it was all a bad dream, to find that it's not."

"Yeah."

He gave her an empathetic look. "Angel's the same way." His cellphone rang. "Excuse me." He got up and moved to the other side of the living room before answering. "Pryce."

"Where have you been, man? It's like you just dropped off the face of the Earth."

"Sorry, Emil. Something's come up."

"Where are you?"

"Sunnydale."

"What the hell are you doing there?"

"Family emergency of sorts."

"You need us for anything?"

"No, I think we've got it covered."

"When should we expect you back?"

"Most likely in a couple of days."

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye." Wesley shut off his phone and unceremonially dropped it on the table.

"It's time," Angel said, looking up at Wesley.

"Time for what?" Wesley asked, going over to him.

"It's time. Time, time, time. Fate, destiny, the future, now." He reached out and gently ran his fingertips down the side of Wesley's face. "It's time." Then he jumped up and bolted for the back door.

Wesley was immediately after him and tackled him just before he reached the door. "Spike!" he yelled as he pulled the squirming vampire away from the door and tried to keep a firm grip on him. When the younger vampire reached him, he commanded, "Hold him. Don't let him go until I say." He glanced at the others who had assembled. "Get weapons and rope. I think it's here." They immediately began moving. "Gunn, Connor."

The two fighters followed Wesley out back where, sure enough, Angel's Thak'dul was pacing. The three immediately began fighting it, but it was stronger than they had expected. When the others brought out an array of weapons, the demon broke away from them and headed for the group on the porch, swinging claws and gnashing teeth with Wesley, Connor, and Gunn directly behind it. The Thak'dul would have followed the others inside, if the three on its heels hadn't tackled it right outside the door.

"Now, Spike!" Wesley commanded as they held the struggling demon down.

Spike did as he was told and released Angel. Angel immediately tried to escape farther into the house, but Spike turned him around and pushed him towards the door.

"Come on, Angel," Gunn yelled. Angel's eyes grew wide and tried to back away, but to no avail with Spike behind him.

"Angel, we need your help," Wesley supplicated. "You need to kill it." The Thak'dul managed to get an arm free and slashed Wesley across the lower shin. Wesley involuntarily cried out, but quickly grabbed a hold of the offending arm and broke it.

At Wesley's cry, Angel immediately vamped out and sprung into action with a snarl. He quickly snapped the Thak'dul's neck with such force, that he practically tore the head off as well. Before he could continue and make a bigger mess, the guys pulled him off the body. After thrashing around for a moment, Angel stilled. He looked at Wesley and sniffed, before tearing himself away from them and running out of the kitchen.

As the others began to clean up the last body, Willow brought over some paper towels and bandages and began cleaning up Wesley's leg. "Good thinking there," she said.

"Thanks," he replied, wincing. "How bad is it?"

"A lot of blood, but it's superficial."

"Good." As soon as she finished bandaging it, he began to get up. "Thanks."

"Where are you going?"

"To find Angel."

Wesley breathed a sigh of relief when he found Angel in the corner he had occupied that morning. "Angel," he said softly. "Are you okay?"

"It's dark and twisting, turning," Angel replied. "Can't find my way, can't find my way." He began hitting his head lightly against the wall.

Wesley began stroking Angel's hair, which stopped the vampire. "Don't worry, we'll help you find a way out."

"Like hell we will," Gunn said. "You're the one that got him this way. Fred and I are going back to L.A."

"Fine," Wesley replied, turning to them, but not getting up. "I won't stop you. But you'll be on your own again - just like you were this summer."

"I'm going with them," Cordelia put in, coming over. "And so's Connor."

"Fine," Wesley repeated. "It'll probably be better for Angel back there anyway, now that the Thak'dul have been killed," he said more to himself than anyone else. "Maybe with more familiar territory, he'll get better faster."

"What do you mean 'get better faster'?" Buffy interjected, coming in from the kitchen. "He's not better?"

"No, Buffy, he isn't."

"Then he should stay here. I could take care of him and -"

"And what, Buffy? You're the active Slayer and on a Hellmouth. Watching after Angel will most likely be a full-time job."

"I can do it."

"And keep up as the Slayer and your day job?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure? Because I seem to remember that the last time I was here, it was all about Angel."

"When isn't it?" Cordelia muttered.

"Cordy," he sighed. "Not now."

"Well, I could obviously take care of him. All I do is get visions anyway."

"And what if he needs you when you're needed to go out for a vision? I doubt you're going to take him with you."

"And I suppose you're going to take care of him?"

"Yes."

"What about the fighting?"

"There's Gunn and Connor. Plus, you and Fred can hold your own. I can still do research. And I have a team of experienced fighters if you so need that may be willing to help. It's not like you guys want me around anyway, unless I can help *you* somehow."

"Well, if you hadn't taken Connor to begin with," Gunn started.

"As if you would've noticed!" Wesley threw back. "You and Fred were so wrapped up in each other that you wouldn't have noticed if the world ended. And when you got back," he directed at Cordelia, "it was all about Angel. I'm surprised you even noticed I was alive."

"But he was so hurt -" she started, as she moved towards them to touch Angel. He growled in response and she jerked her hand away.

"And I wasn't? *He* didn't have his throat slit before being left to die. *He* wasn't almost smothered with a pillow. *He* didn't have his friends come to him to kick him when he was down and tell him to never return. Did Fred even tell you she did that, Gunn?"

"What does Fred have to do with this?"

"Well, considering how she's *your* girl, thought you might want to know if she saw someone you thought was a rival for her affections."

"I ne-"

"Yes, you did. So it comes down to me. Always the odd man out. Always the expendable one. I'll be the one to take care of him."

"No, you won't," Buffy interjected. "I said I'll do it and I will."

"Buffy, you do realize that he's not going to wake up tomorrow and everything will be okay and he'll love you again, don't you? He's been through a lot since he left here - Doyle, Darla, Wolfram and Hart, Connor."

"Yes, I do," she huffed. "And why does everyone keep bringing up Connor like he's so important?"

"Because he's Angel's son."

"Angel's *son*?"

"Yes."

"Wha-? How?"

"We don't know how - just that Darla showed up on our doorstep a little over a year and a half ago, pregnant."

Buffy seemed to deflate. "Why didn't he -? He should have told me."

"It's not like things would have been different between the two of you. He's moved on. You should too."

"You're right. Because if I'm not important enough to get an invitation to the baby shower, he shouldn't be that important. You fight over him." She dejectedly walked away.

"Cordy?" Wesley asked.

"While I love him, I really don't think I could be around him 24/7. He's all yours, Wes. I may still try to take over from time to time, but good luck with him."

"Gunn?" Wesley looked at him. "Anything else you want to add?"

"Not yet. You still have your eye on Fred?"

"Not in the way you mean."

Gunn nodded. "There may be hope for you yet."

"Good to know."

"We're going to get going. Do you think you'll be able to get a ride back?"

"I think it'll be a good idea for us to come along now as well. We shouldn't overstay our welcome, and something tells me that it's fast approaching."

They spent the afternoon gathering the few things they had acquired, settled accounts and promised to send money before taking off for home.

As they started to get closer to home, Angel started babbling to himself. "Mesektet. 18, 23, 20, 27, 19 - pull. Big button. Up. Mesektet. 18, 23, 20, 27, 19 - pull. Big button. Up. Mesektet. 18, 23, 20, 27, 19 - pull. Big button. Up."

"Does this make any sense to you?" Lorne asked Wesley as he turned to peer into the backseat where Angel was covered with a blanket.

"No, but not much of what he's said lately has," Wesley replied.

"Go there, go there. Mesektet has the answers. 18, 23, 20, 27, 19 - pull. Big button. Up."

"Go where?" Lorne asked, turning back around.

"We just past Wolfram & Hart," Wesley replied.

"Mesektet...Wolfram & Hart...." Lorne sound like he was talking more to himself than anyone else. "Does the White Room mean anything to you?" he asked suddenly.

"Not really. What's supposed to be there?"

"It's a place where a form of deity is supposed to reside and supposedly she can give people answers."

"Well, it's worth a shot. But I'm still going to be going through everything I have to see if I might have missed anything."

"You are going to let us off first, right?"

"Definitely."

Once at the hotel, Wesley jotted down Angel's continued babbling before telling him, "I'll only be gone for a little while. Be good for Lorne, okay?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Lorne replied quickly. "You're not leaving him with me. Who knows what he'll do."

"He should be fine, Lorne. And if he tries anything, just knock him out."

"Oh, like you did to me?"

"I'm sorry, Lorne - I truly am. If there had been any other way -"

"Like, oh, say, *confiding* in us?"

"Well, you all sure did a good job of acting like you really cared. I had been going for weeks without enough food or sleep researching that prophecy without so much as a 'hey, Wes, how are you?' or 'gee, Wes, you look kinda tired, did you get enough sleep last night?' or 'hey, Wes, you hungry, 'cause we're ordering take away'. And don't tell me that you were all too busy because the only thing taking up anyone's time was Connor."

"I don't know what you expect, Wesley."

"I'm not expecting anything, Lorne." He sighed. "Maybe that's my problem. I'll be back as soon as I can." He quickly left before anything more could be said.

Wesley stealthily made his way through the Wolfram & Hart lobby, hoping to not be detected by Lilah, Gavin, or one of their minions. He breathed a sigh of relief after making it to the elevator without incident. He pressed the buttons and, after a couple of tries, pulled the right one - causing the larger button to appear. He pressed it and the next thing he knew, he was standing in a white room that appeared to go on forever.

"Hello," a young voice said.

Wesley focused on a young girl standing in front of him.

"Wesley. Come to visit me alone? You're always alone, aren't you? I know. It's so much more easier than making connections. So what's up?"

"I was told that you could give me answers."

"Only if you ask the right questions."

"Angel - one of the Powers' Champions - was made insane. We need him sane again to do his job."

"That's not in my power."

"But I thought -"

"I deal with children, silly. But I will grant you something for your devotion to him. Do you love him?"

"So you won't help me?"

"I *can't* help you. Now, do you love him?"

Wesley opened his mouth to answer when it hit him. Yes, he did love Angel - in some fashion at least. "Y-y-yes. I think so," he stammered.

"Are you sure?" She looked at him hard. "Because this is a once-in-a-million chance that I'm about to give you."

"Yes, yes I am. Or, I do love him."

The girl held up her hand and blew above it, as if she was blowing him a kiss or some imaginary powder towards him, but he didn't feel anything.

The last thing he heard was, "Can't wait to see how it turns out."

Wesley ended up back in the main lobby of Wolfram & Hart - as Lilah was coming in.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Personal matter. But I'm finished, so I'm leaving."

"Where have you been the past two days? I've been trying to get a hold of you."

"Had to go out of town."

"And you couldn't tell me?"

"It was an emergency and I highly doubt that you would have really cared. Besides, it's not like we're actually in a relationship."

She let out a huff. "Fine. But I'll be over later."

"Don't wait up for me. I have work to do."

"When will we -?"

"I don't know and don't hold your breath."

Wesley sighed as he entered the Hyperion. "Where's Angel?" he asked.

"Up in his room," Fred replied. "Lorne's with him."

Wesley headed up to Angel's room. "Thanks for looking after him," he said when he entered. "How was he?"

"Just peachy - if a bit of a motor mouth," Lorne replied as he stood. "I couldn't make out what he was saying, though."

"It's okay. If it's important enough, I'm sure he'll repeat it."

Lorne just nodded and then left.

Wesley sat down next to Angel and began to gently stroke his hair. "Hey," he said softly. "I'm back."

Angel looked at him and gave him a smile like Wesley had never seen him use before. And his heart stopped for a moment. He didn't just love Angel - at least not like he loved Cordelia, Fred, Gunn or Lorne, but he was *in* love with him. How it had happened, he wasn't sure - there was never a moment where a lightbulb went off and he realized that he was in love with him or the how or why of it. He didn't quite know what to do with this revelation. Loyalty and bonds of friendship, he would know how to deal with in this sort of situation, but romantic love - no bloody idea. He knew that he couldn't - and wouldn't - take advantage of Angel. He was going to do what he did best - tuck them away and never breathe a word about them to anyone and hope that one day it wouldn't hurt so much.

Soon everyone fell more or less back into their old routines. Connor and Gunn did rather well as a fighting team, Fred and Cordelia were able to step up when need be, and Wesley was back on "musty book duty" as Cordelia put it - which actually suited him just fine to compliment the task of taking care of Angel. He researched in every direction he could think of and exhausted every resource he could find, but to no avail - there didn't seem to be a cure for anyone who had gone insane because of a Thak'dul. And every day, Wesley watched Angel closely for some sign, some something, to signal that he was better and that the nightmare was over. But it didn't happen. And Wesley slowly resigned himself to the idea that he would be watching after this vampire for the rest of his life - for who else would do it? And every day he hurt a little more and grieved a little more for the friend that he had lost.

One night, a few weeks later, Wesley was bustling about to get Angel ready for bed as he had so many other nights.

"Wesley."

The word shocked him. It had been so soft that he almost hadn't heard it.

"Wesley."

There it was again. It sounded like Angel - like the Angel before the Thak'dul.

He slowly turned to Angel. "Yes?" he replied just as softly.

"It's me. I'm back."

Wesley looked at him for a moment and it really was him. It really was Angel and not the hollowed out, insane version that Wesley had grown accustomed to over the past few weeks. He hesitantly took a step towards him, unsure of how to react, of what to say. "Are - are you sure it's you?" he finally managed.

"Yes, I'm sure. A bit disoriented, though. What happened?"

"You don't remember?"

"No. Last I remember was being in Sunnydale to deal with the Thak'dul."

Wesley's eyes involuntarily started to well up and he quickly turned away.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Wesley could feel Angel close behind him now.

"It's just that you were - and -" The words started flowing along with the tears as he filled Angel in.

"Oh," Angel managed after he had finished.

"Is that all you can think to say?" Wesley quickly wiped his eyes on the cuffs of his shirtsleeves and sniffed.

"No. It's just that I - Wow." He tentatively wrapped his arms around Wesley's waist from behind and pulled him close as he tried to comfort him. "Thank you - for everything."

"You're welcome."

Angel was surprised when Wesley didn't try to pull away from him. "I love you," he blurted out.

"What?" Wesley asked, twisting to look at the vampire.

"I do. I know I haven't done anything to show it, but it's true."

"And when did you come to this conclusion? Or have you really lost your mind?"

"A while ago - after the anger was gone and I started to miss you. Plus, I had a lot of time to think down at the bottom of the ocean."

Wesley didn't know what to say or how to begin to respond. "I - I don-"

"It's okay, Wes, you don't have to."

"No, I do. Love you, I mean."

Angel's lips tentatively met his in the sweetest, gentlest kiss ever and Wesley melted into him. He gently ran his fingers over Wesley's back, learning the contours of the muscles and the bones hidden beneath the shirt. Wesley snaked one arm around Angel's back and the other hand up into Angel's hair.

"I want to touch you," Angel whispered.

"I won't stop you," Wesley replied softly before beginning to plant soft kisses along Angel's jawline.

Angel deftly stripped off Wesley's t-shirt before pulling away slightly so that he could see Wesley as he touched him. He gently, and almost reverently, caressed every inch of Wesley's torso, back, and arms, pausing here and there to place the gentlest of kisses on the scars. Wesley shivered as Angel did so. No one had ever touched him like this before. Angel gave him a questioning look, to which Wesley gave a brief nod, before stripping him of his sweatpants. He did the same with Wesley's ass, legs, and feet before coming back up to do his head and neck and then capturing his mouth once again in a tender kiss.

He quickly broke the kiss off and stripped his own clothes off before coming back for another kiss - this one a little hungrier, but no less gentle. He maneuvered them to the bed and they fell with Wesley on top of Angel. Wesley gently kissed and nibbled his way down Angel's body, pausing to tease each nipple into pebbles and hear the soft moans when he dipped his tongue into Angel's belly button before placing a soft kiss between it and his slowly hardening cock.

After kissing his way back up, he settled himself along Angel's body, so they were matched body part to body part. "Did you ever fa-, no, thi- no, -" he whispered.

"Yes," Angel replied. "Every day. Sometimes more than once. But those don't hold a candle to this. Love you, Wesley."

"Love you too."

Wesley began to move slowly, almost lazily, against Angel's body with his own as he allowed his hands to roam freely over the vampire's skin and his lips over neck and face. Angel took advantage of the opportunity as well to learn the contours of Wesley's body and kiss away as much pain as possible. But all too soon they were both hard and aching.

"I want you, Wes. Want you in me."

Wesley could only nod, as longing, desire, and everything else that he had bottled up for so long began to threaten him. Angel must have seen it, because he gently kissed him - which made everything but Angel go away. "Do you have -?"

"In the drawer."

Wesley quickly got the lubricant from its spot. Angel took it from him and slowly spread some on three of Wesley's fingers and then took a dollop on his own hand. As Wesley gently pushed a finger into Angel's hole, Angel began to slowly and gently run the hand with the lubricant over Wesley's hard cock. They kept time with each other, encouraging each other with soft moans and gentle thrusts until all three of Wesley's fingers were inside of Angel and his cock was harder and more sensitive than he had ever thought possible. He slowly removed his fingers, eliciting a whimper from Angel before settling on top of him. With whispered "I love you"s from both sides, he slid in as gently as possible. Wesley kept the pace slow and gentle with long thrusts that were angled just right each time to bring Angel the most pleasure. The vampire writhed beneath him, trying to both move in synch with him and also against him for better contact. When Wesley felt Angel's hand move between them, he beat Angel to his cock and began to slowly caress it with the lightest of touches in time with his thrusting, eliciting soft moans from Angel. The sight beneath him was one of the most exquisitely beautiful things he had ever seen. Cognitive thought shut down and he gave in to the feeling of Angel's body beneath his and around his cock - tightening and releasing in the most pleasurable ways, and the expressions of pure love, lust, and abandonment that passed over Angel's face. As they came, their cries were swallowed by the other as Wesley captured Angel's mouth with his.

Wesley collapsed against Angel after the final tremors of their mutual climax had passed. They wrapped their arms around each other and Wesley melted into him once again. Then Angel lifted his chin and kissed him again.

"I love you, Angel," Wesley whispered.

"Love you too, Wes," Angel responded.

Wesley slowly withdrew and wiped the cum off of their chests and stomachs before settling behind Angel and pulling the comforter over top of them both. He wrapped his arms around Angel, who pressed his back up against his stomach.

"Love you, Angel," he whispered again before kissing him gently on the neck.

Angel turned slightly so he could look at Wesley. "Love you too." He smiled happily before turning back.

The next morning Wesley awoke slowly and stretched slowly and luxuriously. He was still nestled up against Angel's back. He burrowed his face in Angel's neck and inhaling the vampire's scent before placing a gentle kiss at the base of it.

"Good morning," he whispered softly, sensing that the vampire was awake as well.

"Morning is here; sunshine is shining, shining; the day stretches onward," Angel cooed - his voice back to the insanity-laced lilt that Wesley had become so used to.

"Yes, they are," Wesley said softly as he kissed Angel gently on the shoulder and pulled him closer.