wesleynotponcy | The Hyperion Hotel | Los Angeles, CA

Wesley was still finishing up his schoolwork and starting to wonder if he oughtn't get started booking a portal back to Fandom when there was a noise at the front door, and he looked up.

Angel	Angel threw the door open with maybe just a bit more force than was necessary, and walked in. He didn't say anything, just headed straight for his office. Because that would work.
Wesley	"Angel!" Wesley got off the couch at once, abandoning his homework there and scrambling after him.
Cordelia	"Is everything okay?" Cordelia asked, hurrying to follow. Because it didn't really look like everything was okay.
Angel	"Took care of some things," Angel said shortly, taking a seat at his desk and starting to go through the drawers.
Wesley	Well, he certainly didn't look particularly distraught... "Darla," Wesley said. "Is she...?"
Gunn	"Dead?" Gunn filled in, coming over to lean on the doorframe behind where Wesley and Cordelia had taken seats in front of Angel's desk. "In a more-permanent-than-usual sense?"
Angel	"No," Angel said shortly.
Cordelia	"So you left her alive?" Cordelia demanded. Look how much faith she had in that plan, guys. Look at it.
Wesley	"Angel, what happened?" Wesley asked urgently, carefully modulating his tone to make sure he didn't sound judgmental.
Gunn	"We're here for you, man," Gunn chimed in. "If you need us to go kill her and that other one for you..."
Angel	"I think they'll be busy for a while," Angel said. Wasn't he just full of helpful remarks today?
Cordelia	"What does that mean?" asked Cordelia, who was done with the crypticness, thank you very much.
Angel	"Means they found a party to go to," Angel said, barely looking up from his desk. "And I wasn't invited."
Wesley	"A party?" Wesley repeated, looking suddenly very wary. "Angel, what sort of party?"
Angel	"Wine tasting," said Angel shortly.
Cordelia	Cordelia narrowed her eyes. "Is that a euphemism?" Look, who knew how vampires talked about ritual bloodletting?
Wesley	"No," Wesley breathed. "No, a wine tasting -- when I spoke to Mr. McDonald's assistant at Wolfram and Hart, she mentioned that he was going to a tasting tonight." Unspoken went the question: Angel, what did you do?
Angel	"At Holland Manners' house," Angel said. "Big lawyer bash down in the cellar. Darla and Dru crashed. I walked in just after they ate his wife."
Cordelia	Cordelia stared, and waited for elaboration. When none came, she demanded, "So what'd you do?"
Angel	"Not much," said Angel lightly.
Wesley	...what? "So you just... walked away?" That couldn't possibly be right. Angel was the Champion, the vampire with a soul; he couldn't simply just leave a cellar full of people to be devoured by two evil vampires, no matter who the people were.
Angel	"No," said Angel dispassionately, "I got into my car and then I drove away."
Gunn	Gunn looked a little perturbed himself. Or a lot. Let's go with a lot. "You didn't do anything?"
Wesley	"You allowed Darla and Drusilla to have free reign?" Wesley summarized, to clarify. That couldn't possibly be right -- Angel would never --
Angel	Angel... didn't look remotely guilty. "I didn't bring either one of them into this," he said simply. "Wolfram and Hart did."
Wesley	Wesley felt every ounce of pride he had in his employment for Angel slowly drain out of him. "You could have stopped them," he countered quietly.
Angel	"And I will," said Angel.
Cordelia	"When?" Cordelia interrupted harshly. "After they've finished off all the people you don't like?"
Wesley	"Angel," Wesley interrupted, still struggling to speak up, "while it's certainly true that these lawyers brought this on themselves -- what you did is... it's--"
Cordelia	"It's wrong," Cordelia summarized.
Gunn	"You went too far," Gunn agreed.
Wesley	There was an uncomfortable, heavy pause, and finally Wesley managed to summon the words to speak again. "We've all been worried about you," he said cautiously, "and I guess it's fair to say we all share some of the blame. We should have spoken up sooner."
Gunn	"And louder," Gunn added.
Cordelia	"You have to change the way you've been doing things," Cordelia said sharply. "Don't you see where this is taking you?"
Wesley	When Angel didn't immediately respond, Wesley snapped, "Listen to her! Right now the three of us are all that's standing between you and real darkness."
Gunn	"Best believe that, man," Gunn put in.
Angel	"I do," said Angel quietly. He stood up. "You're all fired." And as that sank in, he left the office.