Voice of Authority
an Angel: the series story
by Cimorene

"If you sneeze one more time I am going to personally kick you out of here."

Wesley raised his head at the comment, looking questioningly at the speaker. He shifted in his desk and sniffled innocently, blue eyes wide.

"That's right, I mean you, mister," Cordelia threatened, crossing her arms to prove that she meant business. "You think you can come in here sniffling and sneezing and get away with it? Think again."

Wesley glanced aside. "It's not as though I had planned on falling ill…"

Cordy sighed deliberately. "That's not the point and you know it."

Wes scribbled something down and glanced up at Cordy again. "I just have to identify this demon – it's very important, and in the long run I think -"

 "Dying of pneumonia isn't going to help us in the long run." Cordelia looked pointedly at Wesley as he continued to write. "Just look at you; you're a mess."

Wesley looked slightly offended and straightened up. "Now really, I'm only trying to contribute to our cause…"

"By making yourself even sicker in the process? Not your most brilliant plan, Wes." Cordy crossed the room and sat on the edge of Wesley's desk, straightening his already organized piles of books in a distracted manner. "You know what I mean."

Wesley sighed and finally set his pen down, reclining into the chair. "Yes, I know."

Cordy studied Wesley as he closed his eyes. Ever since Angel had fired them, Wes had been in a rather anxious state, and while he was normally quite healthy, the stress of starting anew had left him prone to catch cold. He looked reasonably miserable, and Cordelia couldn't help but sympathize. Hours of studying ancient texts had left dark circles under his eyes, and spending those same hours containing sneezes had caused his nose to become sore and red. Cordy leaned forward and placed a cool hand over his forehead. "You feel warm," she commented when his eyes fluttered open in surprise.

"Well, perhaps your hands are cold."

Cordy smirked. "Doubt it." She sighed in frustration at the stubborn Englishman and decided to try again. "Come on, how much difference is it gonna make if you wait until tomorrow to find the big nasty?"

Wesley attempted to respond but was abruptly cut off by a sneeze. "HehhCHUSSHHH!" Wes pitched forward slightly, failing to catch the sneeze in time and accidentally spraying the book in front of him. "Damn," he murmured, examining the damage as he dabbed at the book lightly with his handkerchief and then wiped his nose.

Cordy stood up. "That's it!" she announced firmly. "You are going home!"

Wesley sniffled and made an indignant noise, eyes flashing behind his glasses. "Just a moment! On what grounds do you…do you…heh…" Wesley's breath caught and his nose twitched. "Ehh…EhCHHHshhh!" He managed to capture the wet sneeze in his handkerchief and he held it over his nose to catch the sneezes that promptly followed. "KSCHH! Hah…ahhCHSHHH! EhCHMPPHH!" The sneezes were thick with congestion, wet and heavy. Wesley blushed beneath his handkerchief as he blew his nose with a damp gurgle.

"Ugh, Wes, if that doesn't prove it to you than I don't know what will," Cordelia commented, handing him a box of tissues upon noticing his handkerchief to be rather used.

"Thadks," Wes murmured, taking the tissues from her gratefully. He drew a few out and buried his nose in them, blowing again wetly and filling the tissues.

"And now you go!" Cordelia said, moving to the back of his chair and pulling him out from the desk.

Wesley sighed, unamused. "Cordelia, it's the middle of the day! You're being completely unreasonable and I…"

A resolute Charles Gunn walked through the office door at precisely the right moment and allowed Wes to leave his sentence incomplete. Charles!" he stated gratefully, springing up from his chair and pacing across the room. Cordelia scowled at his eagerness to get away from her. "Any news?"

Gunn grinned, slinging his axe on his shoulder. "You know it!"

Wesley watched him for a moment, waiting for an answer. "Well?"

Gunn continued to look proud of himself. "Caught word about half 'n hour ago about a monster running around in the sewers. Interested?"

"Absolutely! Let me get my coat." Wes rubbed at his congested nose and walked briskly back to his desk, snatching his jacket off the back of his chair. The jacket wouldn't quite come to him, and Wesley briefly wondered why until he saw Cordelia firmly holding onto a sleeve with a glowering expression on her face. "Cordelia…"

"You're being stupid!" Cordy exclaimed, one hand on her hip. "Gunn, tell Wes he's being stupid."

"You're bein'…wait…what?" Gunn gave Cordelia a look of bewilderment. "Why's he stupid, again?"

Cordelia sighed and turned to Wes, who promptly sneezed into his shoulder. She pointed in accusation. "There, see? That would be why he's stupid."

Wesley sniffled and rolled his eyes. "I hardly see…how tha…hehh…HehhhCHISSHhheww!" Wes blinked as heat rose to his cheeks. "Pardon me."

Gunn continued to look confused. "So he's stupid 'cause he…sneezed? Am I missin' something here?"

Wesley shook his head with a glare aimed in Cordelia's direction. "It's nothing…I just…Cordelia thinks I shouldn't be going out on a mission with a cold."

Gunn smirked and crossed his arms. No, wouldn't want English to get the sniffles."

Wesley sighed deliberately. "I'm perfectly fine; I just have a touch of cold and it will in no way impede my abilities." He then looked at Cordelia with eyes devoid of sarcasm, tapping into her sympathetic side. "Now would you please hand me my coat?"

Cordelia handed it over, albeit with an objecting sigh. "Fine, but if you come back dead, there's going to be an I-told-you-so fest."

Gunn and Wes exchanged glances and headed for the door. "We should be back soon," Gunn called over his shoulder, grabbing a crossbow on the way out.

"If anything comes up call my cell phone," Wesley added just before the door closed.

Cordelia paced back to the desk and sat down in Wesley's chair, looking uninterestedly over the various books in front of her. She snorted, slamming one of the books shut as she muttered, "Important research my ass."

   ***          

Hours later, Wesley and Gunn were tramping through the damp, darkened sewers, trying their best to be silent in their wanderings. For the first time in the duration of his cold, Wesley was grateful for his congestion, if only to block out the smell of the underground tunnels. He now, however, slightly regretted completely ignoring Cordelia's warnings, for his nose was running rather badly and it was difficult to sneak up on nasty demons when he had to sniffle wetly every few seconds. The chilly, stale air of the sewers hadn't helped his congestion at all, and with every step he grew more miserable and cold as his health worsened. The crossbow he was carrying was getting heavier by the minute, and with each step his water-soaked shoes squished unpleasantly. He drew his arms around himself, picturing his warm apartment and trying to mentally eradicate the chills running through his body. Gunn seemed to be apathetic to Wesley's condition as he had been focusing mainly on scoping out just where the demon was. Wesley shifted uncomfortably, wiping his nose on his sleeve and murmuring, "Perhaps you could have gathered more details?"

Gunn looked pointedly at Wesley through the darkness. "The only 'details' I heard was that there was a big people-killing demon down in the sewers. I think that's all we need to know."

Wesley sighed in frustration, glancing aside as his patience diminished. "Yes, of course, and the sewer systems of L.A. are as navigable as a maze. Why bother with information when we can spend the entire night tracking down the beast?"

Gunn was silent for a moment, apparently irritated. "We don't got Angel's help anymore, Wesley! It's not as easy as it used to be."

Another pause in the conversation occurred, and then…"HetTCHHoo!" Wesley sneezed unexpectedly, caught by surprise as the sound reverberated and echoed throughout the empty tunnels. The sneeze taxed his cold-ridden nose, overly full and blocked-up. Wesley rubbed at his nose miserably, sniffling and trying to be discrete. However, his cold would not allow for this, and the ticklish feeling refused to abate. "I…I realize that, but it doesn't mean we abandon conventional research altogether. There's a chance…a chance that…" Wesley's eyes went out of focus as he desperately tried to subdue the surmounting tickle. "Tha…ahh…ahhCHHSSHHH! KTCCHH!" Wesley allowed the first sneeze to spray freely into the air but muffled the second, wetter sneeze into the crook of his arm. Pulling away, he reluctantly took out his damp handkerchief and allowed himself a much-needed nose blow. The cold fabric wasn't exactly a comfort, but it at least lessened the fullness in his nose.

Gunn seemed to soften a bit. "You shouldn't have come…I coulda handled this myself."

Wesley sighed, sniffling for what seemed like the millionth time that day. "I'b fide. I just…"

"Shhh!" Gunn hissed suddenly, grabbing Wesley's arm and clicking his flashlight off.

Wesley tensed, ignoring the pounding in his ears and listening for whatever Gunn had heard. Sure enough, loud splashes echoed through the dark sewers, indicating a rather large demon not too far away. As the steps grew louder, Gunn turned the flashlight back on and indicated to Wesley with a wave of his hand that they move into a more discrete position. Wes followed Gunn, attempting to step as lightly as possible so that the impending demon would not know of their presence until the last possible moment.

Wesley's feet made gentle splashing sounds as he tracked through the shallow water. He listened as the demon footsteps drew near and started when Gunn shoved him behind a large pillar by the wall.

Wesley pressed himself against the cold stone and whispered indignantly, "What was that for?"

Gunn glared. "He's closing in, hush up."

Wes sniffled and reluctantly obeyed, getting his crossbow ready and positioning himself. The sounds of rippling water grew nearer for a moment and then stopped. Wesley shifted, earning him a reprimanding jab in the arm from Gunn. "Don't move," he murmured, his voice strained and barely audible.

Wesley's nose twitched involuntarily, as if in rebellion to Gunn's statement. Wes sniffled with care, hoping desperately that he was simply imagining the tickle deep in his sinuses. A stale gust of wind stung at Wesley's already sore nose and sent chills down his spine, causing him to shiver. Despite his attempts, his nose still ran, and the tickle still threatened to surmount. He knew sneezing at that particular moment would draw immediate attention to him and Gunn, and this was to be avoided at all costs. However, the likelihood of Wesley being able to contain his sneeze was growing less and less by the second. He fiercely rubbed at it, but the gesture did no good. "Hehh…" Wes drew in a sharp breath of air and exhaled, the sneeze momentarily leaving him.

Gunn groaned quietly. "You've gotta be kidding me," he muttered with a roll of his eyes.

Wes pinched his nose, hoping to discard of the sneeze once and for all. Unfortunately, his cold got the better of him. "KKCHHHaaa!" The heavy sneeze sprayed loudly for all to hear, including the demon standing a few feet away. Immediately the sound of watery footsteps quickened and within seconds the demon was plain in sight.

"Damn it, Wesley!" Gunn exclaimed, rearing his hubcap axe and charging full speed ahead. The demon, about five feet taller than Gunn, made a rather disturbing sound and countered Gunn's axe with his arm, taking no apparent injury. Gunn drew back, sizing up his opponent and deciding to go for a more vulnerable spot – his fleshy underside. This attack was also blocked by the demon's arm, indicating to Gunn that he had found a point of weakness. He attacked with full force, with each attempt getting closer and closer to slashing the demon's belly.

Meanwhile, Wesley tried to redeem himself by shakily aiming his crossbow at the demon's head, a likely point of fragility. He had trouble subduing his shivering body at first, but was able to stop long enough to hold the crossbow steadily. However, hours spent traipsing about the icy sewers had nearly frozen his already chilled hands, and his fingers clumsily struggled with the trigger. On top of all this, his nose had decided to act up again. It wasn't the runniness that bothered him; he had decided to ignore it for the better good some time ago. What was really bothering him was that terribly distracting tickle, causing his sensitive sniffly nose to twitch. The scene of Gunn fighting the demon blurred before him as he struggled for control of his body. Wesley cursed, realizing he would simply have to wait for the sneeze to come. "EhhCHHHMMPHH!" The cold wasn't satisfied, Wesley realized, and he braced himself for another powerful sneeze. "KTCHH!" Wesley wiped at his nose distractedly, taking advantage of the pause between sneezes. He aimed his crossbow and fired, somehow despite all his handicaps managing to sink an arrow into the demon's head.

The demon reared back, obviously ticked by the sharp pain in his skull. He swiped angrily at Gunn, managing to knock him into the dingy sewer water as he stormed past him and headed directly for Wesley. Wes took a few uncertain steps, overcome by a sudden and untimely wave of dizziness. His crossbow fell to the ground and he stumbled forward, trying to force his blurry vision into focus. The last thing he remembered was Gunn's yell of warning before a sharp blow from the demon knocked him unconscious.

 ***          

The distracting sound of far away noises brought Wesley into a semi-conscious state.

"I can't believe you let this happen."

"Hey, he came of his own free will. I didn't force him to do nothing."

"Phhht! Says the psycho axe-wielding lunatic."

Wesley heard Cordelia's voice wafting into his ears from what seemed like a very distant location. There was silence, and then another familiar voice spoke.

"I guess I coulda watched out for him more…I knew he was sick." Did he detect a bit of guilt in Gunn's voice?

"Damn skippy!" Cordelia exclaimed. "Of course, I blame the both of you. I warned him, but did he listen to me? No! Men, I swear…"

"He just wanted to help. Not his fault that he didn't feel good."

Wesley hesitantly opened his eyes, immediately regretting the decision. A fuzzy blur swam before him, and it took him a moment to realize the problem was worsened by his lack of glasses. He shifted, slightly disoriented as he realized he was in his own bed. Finally he gave in to his confusion and called hoarsely and waveringly, "Cordelia?"

The conversation in the next room immediately halted as the sound of footsteps neared his bedroom. Cordelia appeared first, a blurry haze that grew slightly more focused as she sat on the edge of his bed and fiercely grabbed his hand. "Wesley," she said, placing her other hand soothingly over his forehead. "Thank God…you really scared me."

Another blurred figure appeared at Wesley's doorframe, seeming hesitant and nervous. Wesley focused on Cordelia again, his mind swimming with questions. "What…what happened?"

Cordelia brushed back his hair and handed Wesley his glasses, which he promptly put on. "Some big nasty demon knocked you down…but it's okay, Gunn finished him off and brought you back here."

The scene began to replay itself in Wesley's mind as he started to remember. He feebly pushed himself up, his arms slipping against the soft blankets. Clearing his throat, he attempted to say something, but only managed to dissolve into a coughing fit that wracked his body.

Cordy glared back at Gunn, who looked extremely awkward and out of place. She motioned for him to come forward, which he did, although reluctantly. "You nailed it right in the head with your arrow," Gunn offered, smiling a little. "It was easy to take it down after that."

A faint smile came on Wesley's face as he finally managed achieved an upright position. "Lucky shot," he murmured. He then glanced up. "Are you all right?"

Gunn nodded. "Just fine."

"Good…" Wesley's eyes went out of focus momentarily. "You did a fine job back there."

This elicited a larger smile from Gunn. "Not too bad yourself, English."

Wes sighed, turning expectant eyes to Cordelia. "Well, aren't you going to say it?"

Cordy looked at him quizzically. "Say what?"

"I…" Wesley's nose twitched, a tell-tale sign of an impending sneeze. "EhhSHHHooo!" Wes breathed in sharply, his nose already sniffly and full. "KehTCHH!"  The heavy sneezes were caught between his hands, and he looked up over them sheepishly. "I told you so?" came his muffled, congested reply.

Cordelia grinned. "I think it goes without saying." She patted his leg reassuringly. "Just as long as you know the dangers of not obeying my every command…now let's get you some tissues before you create a really embarrassing situation for all of us."

Wes smiled ruefully as Cordelia stood up, deciding then and there that no matter who claimed to be the voice of authority, Cordy would always be the true boss.

Disclaimer: The brilliant Joss Whedon and his company Mutant Enemy get all the credit for these gorgeous characters...I own nothing
Author's Notes: I wrote this because I adore season 2 Wes and decided there wasn't enough fanfic about him, let alone sneezefic. I also like this time period because I thought it would be cute for the group to get all hurt/comfort-ish.