"That was too easy," Angelus voiced what Jack was feeling and he nodded in reply.

They were sitting in a park under the dappled shade of a large oak tree, a mound of food piled on a blanket between the four of them.

"What was?" The boy tilted his head questioningly, spraying crumbs as he spoke around a mouthful of pastry.

Jack polished an apple on the front of his shirt, eyeing the boy who was dressed in some of Jack's spare clothing. Their finery wasn't really suited to the sleepy town he'd made his safe house in. Angelus, however, was still wearing his, Jack's clothing being far too small for his large frame. Far from looking out of place though, he managed to make it look as if this was what he wore everyday.

"Our escape from Ira," he bit the apple, not wanting to explain it further. It was a gut feeling, one he shared with Angelus since they were so closely bound, but the boy sprawled on the grass across from them was an intruder on their unspoken communication.

The boy rubbed his temples distractedly and nodded, feeding Valiant another precooked sausage. Valiant had spent the morning bouncing between the three of them. He was, technically, Jack's dog, but he'd spent most of his time with Angelus, even before they had been so brutally separated. Jack felt a twinge of jealous annoyance that Valiant fawned over the boy as much as he did.

Angelus's hand lacing through his brought him out of his brooding.

"His affections are easily brought and just as easily lost," Angelus's voice was warm and deep, full of affection.

"Unlike his masters." Jack leaned into his blood-bound and sighed contentedly. Angelus was sitting with his back against the ancient oak, an arm wrapped around Jacks waist, so Jack felt no guilt letting his whole weight rest against the larger man's chest.

"Unlike his masters," Angelus confirmed, dropping a kiss on the top of Jack's head.

"So what do we do now?" The boy was rubbing Valiant's ears and looking at Jack and Angelus, while Valiant gave traitorous huffs of delight at the attention.

"I think we have to assume Ira let us escape." Angelus's voice vibrated against Jack's back, "so we need to understand why. What would he have to gain by letting us go?" The fingers of his free hand brushed Jack's cheek, "did you learn anything while you were there love?"

Jack closed his eyes and let his own fingers play idly with the hem of Angelus's shirt.

"He's building an army, but for what purpose I don't know. He was trying to teach his enthralled to work magic, but even those with innate talent can't tap it while under his charm spell."

"Why were you there?" The question sounded like an accusation coming from the boy.

Jack didn't open his eyes, but the arm wrapped around him tightened in response to his surge of annoyance.

"I was looking for Angelus, or proof that he was truly dead. I knew he had been apprenticed to Ira, and it was Ira who separated us, though he never set eyes on me at the time. It was a risk, a last attempt to know if I should give up all hope or not." He squeezed the fingers laced between his tightly, and felt the pressure returned. "Ira tried to charm me with the promise that Angelus was waiting for me in the next room." Jack snorted, "I don't think he'd ever met a blood mage before, or he would have known better than to lie. He had nothing I didn't already know, but I think he may have gone looking for you because of me."

"That makes sense," Angelus rumbled quietly behind him.

Jack shifted slightly, making himself more comfortable. "He might be trying to recruit magic users using coercion rather than his charm magic now." He opened his eyes and tilted his head back to take in Angelus's expression. "If I hadn't been there, would you have stayed and done his bidding to keep the boy safe?"

"Yes." Angelus replied heavily.

Across from them the boy grumbled and buried his face in Valiant's side.

"I hate being so weak, I'm just a liability!"

Jack felt a twinge of pity for the boy, he remembered feeling the same when he was young, before he became a blood mage.

Angelus snorted.

"You are not weak Gretchen, you just lack training. You have a rare and unique skill, do not under estimate how helpful it could become."

Jack raised a questioning eyebrow at this and Angelus murmured, "sensitive."

Jack felt like iced water had just been poured down his spine and his head snapped to stare at the boy. Sensitives were just myths, stories to frighten those who dreamed of misusing magic. Their other names weren't so innocent or mythical however, witch finders, inquisitors, purifiers, mage killers, deaths heads.

Jack could feel his body trembling under an onslaught of emotions, the loudest being fear.

Angelus's arm tightened on him.

"What is wrong love?"

"You brought... That... A witch finder, a mage killer, here, with us?!" He was trying to back peddle right through Angelus and the tree behind him.

Angelus's grip tightened and he murmured soothing words, radiating calm.

"Gretchen is neither of those love, it is ok."

The boy lifted his head at the sound of his name and peered at them.

"What language are you speaking?" Jack wasn't even aware he'd switched back to his childhood tongue.

"Aramaic."

"Is he ok?" The boy leaned closer, his face wrinkled with concern.

Jack would have bolted then and there if not for the firm grip Angelus had on him.