Title: Tangled Web Author: SunnyD_lite Spoilers: Shells Pairing: None- friendship/animosity between all the characters Chapter Summary: Gunn and Wes - first meeting since the stabbing. Rating: PG-13 -language Disclaimer: I claim these characters for the Queen of Sheba, just kidding they are owned by Joss, Mutant Enemy, and other corporate entities - I'm just playing with them. Author's Notes: ME left too many threads hanging during the hiatus. I had to fix it! Note this was written during the hiatus. Any similarity to the show from Underneath on is just shared brilliance! Jelly Doughnuts and endless thanks to my betas PattyAnne, a_r_evett and desoto_hai_873! FEEDBACK: Pretty please? Come on you know you wanna! Chapter 15 - RESTORATION Spike looked around at his three sleeping beauties and shook his head. The fragrance of burnt bay leaves, myrrh, and oddly enough, orange peel, still hung in the air. Knowing the effects of the spell, Gunn and Lorne had sat in the comfy chairs during its recital. Watcher, on the other hand, would have hit his head on the desk had Spike not decided to catch him. Now Wes was snoring on his desk while the others were out cold in their chairs. Spike had no idea how long it was going to take, but it had been over an hour. Spike sat on guard. Yup, this lot did need a nurse maid, no question about that. The question was, why had he volunteered? No, he knew the answer to that one too. Bugger. The invitation to be part of the team was all the seduction he had needed. So, they were his. Snores and all. ********************** "Angel, you've been called to a," she gulped, "Partner's Meeting to explain stuff," a very worried looking Harmony said, entering his office. "That's not on the schedule." "They said it was an emergency - seems they just noticed the switch of Demon for Scientist, and they don't seem happy. Oh, and they said something about Gunn bugging the Conduit?" She started to leave but turned and said, "Umm, Boss-if they mention anything about a corporate credit card, just play dumb, ok?" Credit card? Shaking his head at the non-sequitur, he asked, "When's the meeting?" "Nowish, in the White Room." In the elevator, Angel kept trying to tidy his hair. The necroglass was great, but what he really needed was a vampire friendly mirror. Scratch that, looking at himself, knowing what he'd done, probably a good thing they hadn't invented it. ************* They all sat there, stunned. Then Gunn turned to Wesley and said, "So you DO know how I feel, but man, you cannot run away from us again. Too much has happened and we need you here." "It wasn't running. Angel tried to kill me. Fred told me never to come back. What was I to do?" The frustration, anger, despair and isolation of that time after Connor was lost was almost drowning him. Gunn reached for his hand. "We can do it differently this time. We have to." "Yes a few less knocks to the noggin would be appreciated," quipped Lorne. "Or you lot could learn not to hum when you've got a secret! Either works fine for me. So...I was king of the diaper pins, at least until the little fella wasn't so little. He hated me. Nobody hates me. Couldn't have run the club if they had." The others turned to look at him. The pain in that comment was more heartfelt then they'd ever heard from their normally chipper friend. "I can't believe he would do that. Completely wipe our memories, destroy who we are." "And why wouldn't he, Watcher? I've got to give it to Mr. Broody, this is a bit larger than his normal schemes - well, the ones without world destruction," Spike chimed in. "What you lot never got was Angel and Angelus ARE THE SAME: one exercises self-control, the other doesn't care. But the motivation, the need for controlling the situation, that was always present, as long as I've known him, anyway. It was the main reason for our tussles. I liked to mix it up, he had to know how it would break down, make the decisions for everyone. Mind wipes and control freaks, they always seem to go together. Glad I managed to sidestep it this time. Randy Giles, ugg." "He had a son. 'The father will kill the son.' No wonder he stopped believing in prophecies. Where do you think Connor is?" "Let me check something." Gunn began tapping at the computer and said suddenly, "Bingo, I typed in Connor as the password and it opened Angel's employment contract." He scanned the screen and said. "I think I can get us out of this. Are you guys willing to give up your jobs here? To start again at the subsistence level we had at the Hotel?" "I've never been on evil's payroll," said Spike. They just looked at him. "Hey now, pre-soul it was all volunteer work!" Shaking his head Lorne replied, "Despite what Spike said, it's what Spike said, we aren't making a difference here and my seeing needs a focus. I'm outie. The stars will just have to fend for themselves. As long as I can still have my sea breezes, I'll be fine." "If I've survived being a rogue demon hunter once, I can do it again. And you Gunn - are you in?" "Fighting the good fight, sounds like my type of fun. And I think I can pull this off. I just need to talk to the Senior Partners." "Hi guys!" Harmony wandered in, oblivious to the tension in the room. "Um, he probably wouldn't want me to tell you, but Angel just got called into the White Room. It sounds like the Partners are really mad. How was I to know that the corporate credit card was monitored so closely? Oh, yeah they were upset with losing Fred and releasing an Ancient." "That's my cue, then. So, we're agreed?" Gunn asked. "Go get them, tiger!" replied Lorne. Gunn smiled and walked to the elevator, ready for battle. ******************** Angel was restless on the ride in the elevator. Then, the doors opened into the nothingness of the White Room. It distorted his senses. He couldn't tell how big it was, what it contained. Kept him off balance which was not what he needed right now. He didn't even know what the issue was - well not precisely- so how could he discuss it? "You are late," the voice, coming from nowhere and everywhere, boomed. At least they were going to speak English, he thought with a bit of relief. How to act: subservient or pissed off? Spike would vote for pissed off and why was he considering Spike's opinion? Out of time he declared "Short notice, sorry". Not aggressive, not as a supplicant. "We had a contract with you, Vampire. You have breached the terms by removing one of the players from the field. We are considering whether this nullifies everything." Oh God. Connor. What would this do to Connor? He had sold his friends for his son. He had lost so much, but he couldn't fail Connor. Not again. "Well contracts aren't why you hired me. Let me run it past the legals." "We own the legal team. They will give you our opinion on the matter. And, so you don't waste your time, there are no other specialists in demonic contracts. We tend to eliminate the competition." He could hear the smugness of the voice. Couldn't see anything yet. Probably trying to keep him off centre. It was working. Then a pair of elevator doors opened and Gunn stepped out. "This discussion is with you and you alone Angel. Order that human out." At this point, a long table with various demons seated around it appeared. They were in black robes and the wigs of British judges. If it hadn't been so serious, he would have burst out smiling - something that Cordy had told him was his equivalent to a belly laugh. "Hate to break-up the love fest here, but I don't think so." Gunn said. "While there was a head agreement, which I will deal with later, the contracts with each of us were quite specific. No post- mortem clauses, no sale of souls. You defaulted on my contract, which led to certain direct and collateral damages. The cost of fixing the direct damages was the nullification of one Winifred Burkle. Now, as this damaged flowed from YOUR actions, it is incumbent upon YOU to rectify the situation. I see that you are a touch miffed with having an Ancient walking round the place. Trust me,her comments on you all are less than complimentary. Easy fix. Change it back. Illyria to her coffin. Fred to her body." "Oh, did you lot actually look at the termination clause?" Gunn went on. "We can quit with two weeks notice. And, Angel, sorry we didn't discuss it with you, but we quit!" "You will forfeit your upgrade." "Sorry to disappoint. This upgrade was not of your doing. It's mine, paid for with services rendered: the coffin got into the country. Whatever you all change to undo the Ancient situation is neither here nor there. You have no power over this upgrade. Wesley has already returned all the books. Lorne is sending out his good-bye letter to the movers and shakers. Fred-well just get her back and the lab is all yours." Angel was sputtering at this point. "And as for the memory-wipe? Sorry dudes, you didn't count on Spike." "Spike?" yelped Angel. "Yup. He kept pointing out the gaps in our thinking. Once we started noticing, we were able to act on it and, with a little counter spell, just like emergency recovery on a re-formatted hard drive, we all remember Connor." "But does Connor remember us?" Angel questioned in a very weak voice. "I reviewed the head contract, a term wasn't specified. We were to work for you, which we have for almost a year. Nothing in the legalese about quid pro quo, Connor's protection is absolute, whether we're still here or not." Turning to Angel, Gunn said, "Gotta give it to you boss. You did a better job on those terms than I gave you credit for." "Lilah helped," Angel muttered. "One smart cookie, even if I never trusted her." Turning back to the Partners, Gunn continued. "So Connor stays as is. His memory won't be returned until...and unless...we do the spell directly on him. Stinky herbs and all. You put Fred back as damages for your breach of my upgrade and then we walk. And evil continues to fight the next battle. If the settlement is not to your liking, we could take it up with the Demon Congress. 'Course I'd start with an injunction so we'd leave anyway and foot you with the legal bill. That's gonna hurt." The Partners glared at each other. A paper was passed up and down the table. Then the chairman, um...chair-demon, said. "We accept your terms, if you waive your right to seek redress from the Congress." "Done." Suddenly Gunn and Angel were standing in the lobby of W&H, along with Wesley, Lorne and Fred. And it was Fred, glasses and all! Gunn pulled her into a long hug, and then handed her to Wesley who proceeded to kiss her in a very through fashion. Upon coming up for air, Fred asked, "How?" which caused them to laugh hysterically. As she stood looking puzzled, Angel said, "Let's go back to the Hotel. What do you say to some Chinese?" Back at the Hyperion, Spike was already sitting in the lobby stretched out over one of the sofas. He looked around saying. "Dusty, slightly decrepit, but above ground with good sewer access, plus bugging Peaches 24 and 7? It'll do." A/N: Once the excitement wears off the team still won't be peachy- keen. Failure. Betrayal. Distrust. All still lurking in the hearts of men, vampires and Fred (as the shadow knows). But at least they are home. And they have a Spike who will pick at the sore spots until they are properly healed. Go team!