Part 11:
"Relax Charlie-boy, and you too, Watcher," he added. "If Angelus wanted you dead and had a free reign, you'd be dead. No use getting all big girl blouse over nothing," he smirked.
"But he. he." Gunn seemed stunned as he pointed incredulously at the dark-haired vampire.
"He's Angelus!" he finally stuttered, aghast.
"Yeah, he's Angelus. Isn't that what he's been trying to tell you for the last fifteen minutes now?"
"I'm exactly what I have been ever since you've known me, guys. You just have a clearer understanding of what that is now. It doesn't change anything," Angel added, trying to calm them down.
"Doesn't change anything? Are you crazy?!" Gunn waved off his own question with one stake-filled hand. "Don't answer that - I don't think I want to know."
"So you're saying," Wesley began slowly, "that when you walk around hunched over it's on purpose, so you appear shorter, smaller, less intimidating, less like."
"Less like the predator I am, yes," Angel finished, nodding.
"And when you act uncertain and well, like a git, that it's all an actual act?"
"No, that part's pretty much true," Spike piped up, nodding seriously. "Angelus is a git, too."
Angel threw a withering glare in his Childe's direction and Spike held his hands up in a parody of surrender.
"Okay, okay, so Angel is a git, Angelus is not," he smirked.
"Not helping here, Spike," Angel muttered. "Listen, guys, please sit down. I'm not going to kill anyone, really. Well, maybe Spike," he amended, rolling his eyes.
Spike actually giggled at that, unable to help himself, and everyone standing about the table relaxed fractionally.
"Why are you both surprised?" Illyria asked from her seat at the table. "It has always been clear to me that this Angel and Angelus you talk of must be one and the same. The naivety of the human race, and your ability to fool yourselves, is apparently unlimited," she added, looking at them as if they were bugs under a microscope.
Angel got up and opened the fridge, grabbing a carton of eggs and a package of bacon.
"Listen, why don't you all relax while I make everyone some breakfast, okay?"
Gunn's stake hand slowly lowered and his face paled.
"Oh dear God, we are Angelus' Pets!"