Week 18:Value Added PG

[sunnyd-lite.livejournal.com]

Title: Value Added
Author: Sunnyd_lite
Fandom: Angel Sn 5, Post Damaged
Rating: PG Spike language
Words: 1,573
Prompt: Wergild, yup wergild.
Feedback & Concrit: Yup and yup
A/N: My thanks to spiralleds for her betaing and hand holding as the muse played peek-a-boo with me all week.



His secretary had left hours ago. Unlike some in the legal department, Gunn saw no reason why the staff should suffer if they didn't have to. Most of the associates were trying to prove their power by abusing it. He'd seen how champions wielded power; they took care of their people. They treated them like family.

And family looked after each other. With the legal mojo, he was value-adding, and more than just muscle. But Gunn knew things were slipping, things he used to be able to recall. And this file was too important to be given a half ass job. For these two tribes to come to the table, willingly trying to end centuries of conflict? It was finally the type of job they'd thought they'd be able to do when they joined up.

Sure, it had been the offer of the upgrade that tipped the decision, but he'd always had the wattage, now he had the software.

But with the intel running low, he figured getting the team's second opinion couldn't hurt. It was almost time for the nightly 10 pm debriefing. Somehow they never got time during normal office hours. They kept the talk to work, 'cuz no way would the Senior Partners skip bugging Bossman's office no matter what Fred MacGyvered up, but it still felt good to spend some time with the others. Especially when he could report his successes.

The gang was all there, except for Lorne who was wooing Oscar votes for the Lord of the Rings' sweep. The firm apparently had placed a lot of demons as extras. Gunn hadn't realized Blondie was back in the house. Spike was sprawled across Angel's couch and was channel surfing with the focused attitude of an ADD kid on a sugar rush.

He let the others ramble through their reports first. They might not notice, but since Lorne's "marking your territory" comment at Halloween, he'd made sure to defer to the others. Not making a play for top dog.

Wasn't all that hard; whenever a sarcastic comment begged to be said, Spike was more than willing to take up the slack. Gunn could just sit back in his club chair and try to not to chuckle.

Angel was sitting at his desk, shuffling through piles of papers, signing things indiscriminately.

"Okay, Wes, you're on top of this week's chanting and castings? And Fred you'll get back to us on those bug things?"

"The Nanobots? Abosul-tively I should have the final tweaks tonight, if Knox gets me those test results." He loved watching Fred go all techno-girl. When she contemplated a new gadget, she got this intense look of glee. Same look Spike kinda got going into a fight, and wasn't that a disturbing thought?

"Gunn, anything new in legals? No, then--"

"Hold up there. Got a file and given how the last negotiations went down, with your assistant doing a fight to the death with disposable chopsticks, was hoping for some input before a dust up."

"Is this the K'lick and q'Rotar matter? There was a seminar at the Watcher's Academy on their feud. They've been at odds for the last five centuries."

"If by 'at odds' you mean slaughtering each other every decade or so, then yup those are our clients. They are willing to broker peace, and have approached the firm to mediate." Thinking over it, Wesley always seemed to know what was happening in his section. Did the man have eyes everywhere?

"What self-respecting demon mediates?" Spike just scoffed at the concept. "Nothing wrong with settling things by fists and fangs, monstrum a monstrum as it were."

Wesley flipped through the file he'd left on the table. "It indicates that while the decimation of their clans actually acts as population control, the activity has distracted from their economic endeavors and is interfering in their portfolios."

"Portfolios!" Spike actually did a spit take with his beer. "So you're dealing with established buggers who don't want to risk their current lifestyle? What's crawled up their arses to end the status quo?"

Gunn was about to give the executive summary when Wes continued on. "A mutual tragedy; apparently the children of the leading families fell in love and died in the subsequent furor."

"Yup, all Montague and Capulet." He noted the amazed glances in his direction. "What? You'd prefer I reference the Sharks and the Jets? I dug the Leonardo flick, and yes, that's pre-upload, thank you."

"Bet ya know all the words to 'I Feel Pretty'." Spike snorted then continued on with his running commentary. "But back to the important stuff here. Hit the suckers where it hurts."

"Spike, one of the tribes is covered in plate armor while other is--"

"You twit, think it through. You need to use that Viking thing - wergild. Or in this case monstrumgild. If it costs them too much each time they knock each other out, they'll think twice about it."

Gunn leaned forward in his chair. "If we write in a deeming clause that states that any death would trigger the wergild." His upgrade had finally given him the information on how the Viking's man price had controlled intertribal rivalry. The family of the deceased didn't seek revenge, but sheep and ox in exchange for the 'value' of the slain man. "Now the main draw back would be allocation of blame, but if we make it tribe-wide, so the tribe has to pay up no matter which individual initiated. Then leave it up to the tribes to collect from the guilty party." He was nodding and he could see that Fred was working through the possibilities too.

"So it's all self-governing? And we can just set it up and watch them go?" Fred seemed impressed by the plan.

"It does seem a rather tidy ending to the centuries of bloodshed. Do you think they'll agree?" Was that approval in Wes's tone? Felt good. It was nice to know that his smarts could go mano a mano with the brains of the team.

"If no one else can think of a better idea, I think it's worth a shot. Thanks, Spike." Gunn finished writing up his comments when Spike piped up.

"Don't mention it, and I do mean don't mention it. If these are the same q'Rotars I'm thinking of, had a bit of a run in with them a few years back. Best all round if my name's not mentioned." The tone was all bravado, but the way Spike had curled into the back of the sofa indicated this story wasn't one Gunn wanted to miss.

"How much?"

Everyone's head spun to look at Angel's only contribution to the conversation.

"Don't know what you mean," muttered Spike. Gunn began to feel like he was at a tennis match as he swung his head back to Angel in time to hear him say, "The q'Rotars generated those portfolios by being bookies. Because their blood acts like a poison, vamps, even ones like you, Spike, don't fight them. So how much are you in hock to them?"

"Like I'd tell you. I pay my own debts; not a welsher am I? No matter what Finnie the Loan Shark had to say."

Angel kept glaring at Spike. It was in the stretching awkwardness that Gunn realized that as close as the team was, and as much as Spike and Angel bickered, that the vamps were closer family than anything he'd ever had. Gunn had the urge to leave the room, he nodded at Wesley and Fred and yup, message received.

Slowly they edged towards the door as Spike kept flipping channels and Angel continued to glare.

Closing the door behind them, Gunn watched Fred exhale the breath she'd been holding. "What do you think that's about?"

"From what I've heard," said Wes, "the q'Rotars take their markers quite seriously. If you can't pay up, sometimes you have to work off your debt to them, other times they'll seize anything of value you have, including eyes, lungs or other parts needed on the black market."

"Wes, you are just full of cheer. Have I told you that lately?" Gunn shook his head. Would Spike be stupid enough to... And that answered its own question. "So, we call up maintenance for blood spills?"

"You idiot, I thought I trained you better than that!" Angel's voice, in the most animated they'd heard it for months, barreled through the closed doors.

"I thought the doors were sound proof," Wesley commented.

"They are." Fred cringed. "I checked them myself: I also threw in a couple of silencer devices. If we can hear him... Well, planes use fewer decibels."

"I vote on putting distance between us and the gruesome twosome, who's with me?" Gunn tilted his head towards the legal wing and the others followed his lead. That was new since the up-grade. This wasn't the group he'd first joined. Some of the dynamics had changed. Spike was no Cordelia, and now there was no worry about where the work would come from. But, looking over at Fred making moon eyes over an oblivious Wesley, he realized that if he was with these people no matter where they were, they'd be able to make a difference. As long as he could still contribute, he'd be a part of a team that made the world better. It was a good gig.

He hoped he could keep it.

Comments

[artemis-rain.livejournal.com]

What a great fic! I love how calculating and thoughtful Gunn has become. Thinking carefully before he does or says anything so that the team can continue to function as a familly.

Excellent.

[sunnyd-lite.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Family is important to Gunn and I think he tries harder than any of them to make sure he has one. Thank you for reading and commenting!