Part 27<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cI guess now we know when to expect them to drop by,\u201d Cordy whispered, her ears twitching as they heard Connor, Eve and Jace move the conversation back to more mundane things. They were in a dim diner, ensconced in a back booth right next them. They could hear every word spoken, and as the conversation had progressed, Angel\u2019s tension had mounted.<\/p>\n
Beside her, Angel sat as still as granite, his jaw locked and his body tense. All he wanted to do was reach over the high back of the booth and yank Eve out of her seat, then rip her head off her body in one swift pull. He could, too. And boy, oh boy did he want to.<\/p>\n
The only thing that stopped him was Connor. He knew that his son didn\u2019t remember him, and he wasn\u2019t about to reinforce the ideas Connor had about him from before his new life was created. Connor would remember him manhandling Eve, and when he got his memories back, he would think that Angel was the same person he\u2019d been before. He\u2019d never understood his father well enough to let him in his heart, and Angel didn\u2019t want to jeopardize it again.<\/p>\n
There were already too many burned bridges in their past.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo what are we going to do?\u201d Cordy said a little louder after the trio got up from the table and headed toward the exit.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wait,\u201d Angel said through clenched teeth. \u201cWe wait until Connor\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel stopped abruptly, pulling Cordelia into his arms and kissing her thoroughly. His mouth attacked hers, his tongue sweeping inside and brushing hers until she arched into him and moaned, despite their location. His hands roamed her torso, briefly brushing her breasts, restraining himself only because he knew she wouldn\u2019t appreciate getting naked in public. He didn\u2019t really have a problem with it<\/p>\n
\u201cE-Excuse me?\u201d A timid voice infiltrated Cordelia\u2019s now-foggy brain and she pushed Angel away. He let her, gave one quick glance back toward the restaurants front door, then flashed a big smile at the waitress.<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry about that.\u201d Angel grinned, squeezing Cordelia against his side. \u201cWe\u2019re newlyweds,\u201d he said as if that explained everything.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh! Congratulations.\u201d The waitress\u2019s blush fading slightly. \u201cWould you like me to come back later?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, we\u2019re ready to order,\u201d Cordelia said, a fierce blush of her own lighting up her face. The waitress wrote down their choices and left, smiling at them knowingly before walking away.<\/p>\n
As soon as she was out of earshot Cordy elbowed Angel hard. \u201cWhat the hell was that for? Embarrass me, why dontcha?\u201d<\/p>\n
He grinned. \u201cYou loved it. Admit it!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, pfft, yeah,\u201d she said, smiling. \u201cBut you aren\u2019t usually one for public displays of affection,\u201d she pointed out.<\/p>\n
\u201cExcept in restaurant bathrooms,\u201d he countered, his eyes darkening.<\/p>\n
Blushing again, her face heated. \u201cDumbass!\u201d was all she could say.<\/p>\n
He finally took pity on her and explained. \u201cConnor suddenly turned and looked over here, and I freaked out, okay? I just wanted him to think he noticed us because of our behavior, not because of anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pausing, he tried to figure out how to explain himself. \u201cHe\u2019s got a sixth sense about the supernatural,\u201d Angel said slowly. \u201cI remember him mentioning it when he was staying with us. He can sense vampires and demons close by, just like I can.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordy nodded, seeming to be satisfied with his explanation. \u201cThen you were probably smart to do that, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGlad you approve,\u201d he said dryly.<\/p>\n
They sat in silence for a moment as Cordelia drank some of her water. \u201cSo what are<\/i> we going to do about him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we should tranq him, then take him back to L.A. and restore his memories,\u201d Angel said bluntly.<\/p>\n
\u201cAngel!\u201d Cordy gasped. \u201cHe\u2019ll hate you for that when he remembers. We should just explain it to him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t,\u201d Angel said, shaking his head. \u201cWe can\u2019t afford to. What if he doesn\u2019t believe us and he runs off to tell Eve? She told him my name, Cordy. He thinks I\u2019m evil. He won\u2019t trust me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe doesn\u2019t trust you anyway, Angel, remember?\u201d She hated to say it, knowing it would hurt him, but it was the truth.<\/p>\n
He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. \u201cYeah, I know,\u201d he said darkly, \u201cbut it\u2019s going to change. It has to. I won\u2019t have the life I created for him be destroyed completely.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd it won\u2019t be,\u201d she reassured him. \u201cEven if we restore his memories, he\u2019ll still have the new ones to help cushion the blow. Happier times to remember.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut they weren\u2019t real.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter,\u201d Cordelia insisted. \u201cThey were real to him, so that makes them real. End of story.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stared at her for a little while, pondering the good fortune that had brought her back to him. He pulled her into his side, reaching his other hand up to cup her chin and bring her mouth to his. He lingered there for a moment, the kiss they shared as sweet as warm honey, and they both basked in the strength of their love.<\/p>\n
Whatever happened with Connor, they had each other, and no one could take that away from them.<\/p>\n
Part 28<\/b><\/p>\n
Angel stood over his son, his big form blending into the apartment\u2019s shadowy corner near Connor\u2019s bed. He clutched the tranq gun in his hand tightly, barely noticing it. His son\u2019s beautiful face held him in thrall, commanding every bit of his attention. Greedy eyes, long starved for a close view of his child, swept over the shrouded figure on the bed, resting briefly on each limb. He released a breath he didn\u2019t know he\u2019d been holding as his exceptional vision reassured him that his son, after months away from his protection, was safe.<\/p>\n
To the father in Angel, the fact that Connor was now an adult did nothing to assuage the worry raging within him. Angel knew that Connor was special. He knew that his son could take care of himself, even without the memories and lessons he\u2019d learned about combat in his troubled youth. Surviving without Angel had been almost a badge of courage to Connor, and there was nothing to indicate he couldn\u2019t do so for another eighteen. But Angel had every intention of seeing that he wouldn\u2019t have to.<\/p>\n
The love he felt for Connor overwhelmed him, bringing tears to his eyes. His fingers tightened further on the grip of the gun, his finger lightly brushing the side of the trigger. He didn\u2019t want to do this. Didn\u2019t want to bring his son back into the darkness of a life with too many bad memories. Bottom line: he didn\u2019t want his son to hate him again.<\/p>\n
But as fate would have it, he didn\u2019t have a choice.<\/p>\n
If he didn\u2019t restore Connor\u2019s memories, Connor would never believe him. He\u2019d heard what Eve had said about him, and Connor thought he was an evil demon crime lord. Cordy seemed to think that they could appeal to Connor\u2019s sense of reason and convince him to be on their side without destroying his new past.<\/p>\n
Angel knew better.<\/p>\n
He knew his son was just like him, despite Connor\u2019s desperate wishes to the contrary, and Angel didn\u2019t trust anyone without a good reason. The same stubborn, mistrustful streak had been present in his child from birth. He\u2019d been wary of strangers as a baby, clinging to Angel, Cordy, or Wes if a stranger wanted to touch or hold him. The teenage version had the trait in spades, his time in Quortoth only sharpening it to a razor\u2019s edge. No, there was only a slim chance that even this well-adjusted Connor would take Angel and Cordelia at their word in enough time to stop Eve\u2019s plans.<\/p>\n
The only other recourse had been to abduct his own son and restore his memories by force. Despite the fact that the whole plan made Angel queasy, he was more determined than ever to carry it through. The only hitch in the plan was that the old Connor didn\u2019t trust him either.<\/p>\n
He could only hope that his happy life, though fake, would give his son the level-headedness he\u2019d always so desperately needed.<\/p>\n
Connor\u2019s arm twitched in his sleep and Angel was startled out of his musings. The time had come to bring his son home. Angel raised his hand, the gun steady, and pointed it directly at Connor\u2019s jugular. Connor moaned in his sleep and Angel\u2019s steady grip wavered. He watched, his resolve faltering as Connor began to toss his head from side to side, moaning, moving restlessly against the mattress. His eyes moved rapidly underneath his eyelids, his REM cycle in full swing as the nightmare overtook him.<\/p>\n
Every paternal instinct within Angel screamed for him to lay the gun aside and cradle his son in his arms until Connor\u2019s breathing evened and his heartbeat slowed. Angel fought against it, knowing what he had to do and knowing that prolonging it would only make it more difficult. Every second that ticked by made it harder for him to squeeze the trigger, knowing what it would mean for Connor.<\/p>\n
His son began to stir more violently, his fists clutching at the blankets and sheets as if they would save him from the images that plagued him. He began to mutter, phrases that begged the phantoms to leave him alone, to go away and never come back.<\/p>\n
Angel closed his eyes and turned his head away, gun still raised, and swallowed hard. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he swung back to face Connor, his finger tightening on the trigger.<\/p>\n
Just then, Connor\u2019s back arched, his mouth opening in a blood-curdling scream that sent chills up and down Angel\u2019s spine. His finger flew from the trigger, the gun lowered immediately. He took a step forward, his hand reaching out for his son, and Connor bolted upright in bed, his breath coming in gasps.<\/p>\n
Wide blue eyes met anxious brown ones, and for a moment, time stood still. Angel recovered quickly, raising the gun and firing in one swift motion, the dart lodging itself in Connor\u2019s artery.<\/p>\n
Connor\u2019s fingers brushed the dart in his neck, pulling it out and holding it up in the moonlight. Angel\u2019s eyes widened in shock as recognition flashed in Connor\u2019s eyes, his breath hitching. Eyes struggled to focus as the tranquilizers began to overtake him, and looking up at Angel, he said the one thing his father never could have anticipated.
\n\u201cDad?\u201d<\/p>\n
Part 29<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cI told you that he\u2019d fallen for it, Jace,\u201d Eve said smugly. Snuggling into his side, she kissed his chest lightly, then rubbed her fingers over the spot where her lips had been. The black cloth under her fingers was warm, the fabric of his shirt soaking up the late morning sun that shone above them.<\/p>\n
Jace just squeezed her tighter, shifting slightly on the blanket beneath him, the grass rustling underneath. He wasn\u2019t convinced that Connor was completely won over to their side. A look of mistrust had been clear in Connor\u2019s eyes and it had grown into a visible emotion that threatened to explode all over them when Eve had made her barely-veiled threat against Connor\u2019s family. The boy\u2019s face had hardened instantly making Jace hold his breath as he waited for Connor\u2019s reaction.<\/p>\n
The sigh that had escaped him when Connor shrugged off her threat should have been of relief, but it was almost wholly of regret. He didn\u2019t want to ruin this young man\u2019s life; God knows he\u2019d been through enough horrible things already.<\/p>\n
But Jace had chosen his path. He loved Eve. He was Samson to her Delilah; he would give everything to her if she asked him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, you were right,\u201d Jace conceded, keeping his reservations to himself. \u201cHe\u2019ll do it, and he\u2019ll do it well, just like I taught him.\u201d<\/p>\n
He felt her cheek shift as she smiled against his chest. \u201cIt\u2019s almost noon,\u201d she finally commented, making a move to get up. \u201cTime for your appointment.\u201d<\/p>\n
The grimace he gave her made her smile. \u201cI don\u2019t want to do this, Eve.\u201d His voice was deep and pleading.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know you don\u2019t, but you\u2019re going to.\u201d Her smile fell away abruptly. Moving closer, she stood so that she blocked the sun in his eyes. \u201cThis,\u201d she gestured to the blanket and the remains of their picnic lunch, \u201cis nothing. Nothing! The mission is what\u2019s important, Jace. Angel will die. And I won\u2019t have you standing in my way, do you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n
When only uncertain silence answered her, Eve pressed her point. \u201cNeed I remind you that you almost fucked this up already with your little Daddy Dearest routine? You owe<\/i> me, Jace. Upgrading your strength will make you strong enough to throw him around a little bit. Maybe there\u2019s time to salvage this, time to make him hate the sight of you yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was no mistaking the threat in her words. If he didn\u2019t comply, she would destroy him. He would do as she asked. Submitting to the ritual would be painful beyond measure, but he would do it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI get it.\u201d He stood up abruptly, gathering the basket and blanket before reaching for her hand. \u201cIt\u2019ll work out, Eve. I won\u2019t let anything destroy this for you. I\u2019ll do the ritual.\u201d<\/p>\n
A smile that stole his breath lit up her entire face. \u201cI knew you wouldn\u2019t let me down, Jace.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jace only nodded. He really liked Connor, but he\u2019d never choose Connor\u2019s happiness over Eve\u2019s. He loved her. There really was no other choice.<\/p>\n
Part 30<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t you think he\u2019s been asleep for too long?\u201d<\/p>\n
The worry in Angel\u2019s voice was starting to grate on Cordelia\u2019s nerves. She glanced back at Connor\u2019s still form, noting that his chest rose and fell with a regularity that was anything but frightening.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s fine, Angel. Tranquilizers haven\u2019t been known to kill anybody.\u201d<\/p>\n
He glared over at her before turning his eyes back to the road. \u201cOf course they have. He could be having an allergic reaction and we won\u2019t know until its too late. Or maybe I gave him too much and it\u2019s damaged his brain. What if\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGeez, will you just shut up about it?\u201d she groaned, glaring back at him. Instantly, she felt guilty as she saw the hurt expression on his face. She wasn\u2019t usually so mean, at least not to Angel.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d she said quietly, resting her hand on his arm. \u201cAngel, you have to let go. I know that there are issues here that make you clingy, and its perfectly understandable. But he\u2019s an adult. A healthy adult. An adult that wouldn\u2019t be knocked unconscious until you shot him three times!\u201d<\/p>\n
A sigh escaped his lips and he ran his fingers through his hair. They were halfway back to Los Angeles, and the road wound in front of them like a dangerous snake. At the other end, Connor would come to and they\u2019d have to give him back a life he\u2019d hated.<\/p>\n
At the other end, Angel would have to ruin his son\u2019s happiness.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m worried about him,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n
\u201cI kinda figured that out,\u201d Cordelia said dryly. \u201cBut you have to have faith that we did the right thing. It will work out. I know it will. The Powers wouldn\u2019t have sent me back if they thought we would fail.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel shook his head, unconvinced. \u201cI hope Wesley\u2019s research goes fast.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordy laughed at that, scooting over and snuggling up against Angel as he drove. \u201cI think he was a little surprised when you called him,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
He made a sound that suspiciously resembled her patented Pffft. \u201cSurprised? That\u2019s an understatement.\u201d Wesley had been anything but prepared for the news Angel had thrown at him earlier that night.<\/p>\n
They\u2019d pulled Connor into the car quickly after he\u2019d lost consciousness. A short drive led them to an empty parking lot where Angel stopped to make a call that was sure to turn his friends\u2019 lives upside down. He hadn\u2019t wanted to be driving while Wesley was sure to be yelling into his ear. Wesley didn\u2019t yell often, but something like this was bound to shake him up a little. Even now, the conversation made Angel\u2019s mouth twitch in a grin.<\/p>\n
\u201cWes, it\u2019s Angel.\u201d He\u2019d put on his no-nonsense boss tone and he could almost see Wesley straightening up in bed.<\/p>\n
\u201cAngel, it\u2019s 2 in the morning.\u201d Wesley\u2019s voice had been gritty, his British accent slightly more pronounced at the edge of sleep. \u201cWhat in the world is so important?\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel decided that being up front was probably the kindest option. \u201cCordy\u2019s back,\u201d he said simply.<\/p>\n
Silence descended on the other end. \u201cAngel, where are you?\u201d Wesley\u2019s voice was calm. Measured. As if he doubted Angel\u2019s sanity.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not crazy, Wesley. She\u2019s back. You wanna talk to her?\u201d<\/p>\n
Wesley sighed. \u201cAngel, I really don\u2019t think that\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, Wes!\u201d Cordy\u2019s cheerful voice rang in Wesley\u2019s ear and he jumped, holding the phone out in front of him as if it were a snake about to bite him. \u201cWes? Hello! Angel, he\u2019s not there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wesley quickly closed his mouth and brought the receiver back to his ear. \u201cI\u2019m here, I\u2019m here!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGeez, freak out much?\u201d she said good-naturedly. \u201cYou\u2019d think you weren\u2019t used to friends\u2019 resurrections or something.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, they don\u2019t exactly happen every day.\u201d It was all he could think of to say.<\/p>\n
\u201cVery true. You okay, Wes? Angel told me about the close call with Fred. Alls I gotta say is that I\u2019m glad you two finally got your heads outta your asses and got together. It\u2019s about time. Everybody in heaven was betting on the date you\u2019d come to your senses.\u201d She winked at Angel in the darkness of the Plymouth\u2019s interior.<\/p>\n
On the other end, Wesley was startled. \u201cPeople there pay attention to us?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, hell yeah!\u201d she said enthusiastically. \u201cNo TV there, you know? Gotta have something to keep themselves entertained. Eternity\u2019s kinda boring without something to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI see.\u201d To say he was dumbfounded would\u2019ve been a gross inaccuracy. This entire conversation threatened his mental stability.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, I\u2019ll let you talk to Angel again, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes. Okay.\u201d He paused for a moment, then sat up and said loudly, \u201cCordy, wait!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah?\u201d she said softly, pulling the phone back to her ear.<\/p>\n
\u201cI missed you,\u201d he said simply. \u201cWe all did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI missed you guys, too. Can\u2019t wait to see everybody. But Angel needs to tell that part, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n
She\u2019d handed the phone back to Angel, and he\u2019d explained part of what had happened to bring Cordy back. He told Wesley only that there was a young man who was trying to kill him and that he\u2019d had his memories altered somehow. He needed to find a way to restore them. Wesley had assured him he\u2019d have something by the time Angel got back to L.A.<\/p>\n
Not once had Angel mentioned that Connor was his son.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo are we there yet?\u201d<\/p>\n
The whine in Cordelia\u2019s voice was enough to jerk Angel painfully back to the present. He gritted his teeth and glared at her briefly, but his face softened when he saw her smirk.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t tease me like that,\u201d he shuddered. \u201cIt was bad enough the first hundred times.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, shut up,\u201d she countered. \u201cYou just looked so serious I had to do something. You\u2019re so cute when you smile.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cVampires aren\u2019t cute.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhatever you say, Angel.\u201d One of her mega-watt smiles beamed up at him. \u201cBesides, I like teasing you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel just sighed long-sufferingly.<\/p>\n
Cordy laughed at him. \u201cMaybe I could change my methods,\u201d she suggested. \u201cMaybe a different kind of teasing would be better.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLike what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, I don\u2019t know,\u201d she said innocently, pulling away from him and sitting forward in the seat, now better to be seen in his peripheral vision. Lightly running her fingers down the edge of her collar, she let her gaze get hot. \u201cSomething fun, maybe?\u201d<\/p>\n
Her fingers pulled the collar away from her chest, two buttons sliding loose as she tugged. Her lacy bra peeked out at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cCordy!\u201d he gasped, reaching an arm out to push her back against the seat. \u201cConnor\u2019s right there!\u201d<\/p>\n
She rolled her eyes and pouted, but ran her hand up his leg from the knee to his crotch anyway. \u201cYou\u2019re no fun,\u201d she grumbled, then stroked him through his jeans.<\/p>\n
Angel groaned. \u201cYou\u2019re going to kill me,\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood thing you don\u2019t die easily.\u201d She grinned. \u201cSo we\u2019ve got a lot of time to figure out a really fun way to get there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Part 31<\/b><\/p>\n
The pain searing through Jace\u2019s body was excruciating. It felt like someone had peeled off his skin, smeared jalape\u00f1o sauce all over the open wounds, and stitched his skin back on. Fire crawled up every square inch of his body, his eyes stinging and his mouth dry.<\/p>\n
Nearby, Eve watched him with a grim smile. Jace lay on a stone slab, his hard body bared for the ritual. Black tribal artwork covered his arms and torso, snaking down around his powerful thighs and ending halfway down his calves and forearms. His black hair was wet with sweat, his face flushed. The pain on his face was evident but it didn\u2019t deter Eve from her mission at all. She needed Jace at his best. Nothing else would do.<\/p>\n
Satisfied that Jace wasn\u2019t dying, Eve turned her critical eye to the other elements of the ritual. A hooded figure stood at Jace\u2019s side, his arms crossed over his chest and his hands tucked into his voluminous sleeves. The figure had no face, only a deep, black void that seemed to suck light and energy from the room. The demon was the best at what he did, and it didn\u2019t matter what he looked like. He could resemble a cockroach for all she cared as long as the result of the ritual was the same.<\/p>\n
A bloodcurdling scream drew Eve\u2019s attention away from the demon and to the stone slab to Jace\u2019s right side. It was identical in size and shape to the one under her lover, but its occupant was almost a perfect opposite. A vampire lay rigid, back arched and jaw locked. Long, flowing blonde hair cascaded off the end of the slab, brushing against the floor. The vampire\u2019s pale skin gleamed, her full mouth contorted in pain as the hooded figure drew closer to her side. She moaned, her blood being sucked from her drop by drop, only to be siphoned into Jace\u2019s bloodstream. The end result: Jace\u2019s mixed blood would give him the power, strength, and speed of a vampire. The vampire would be dust.<\/p>\n
Naturally, Jace had been reluctant, but Eve had managed to persuade him. It was sad really. He was so in love with her, and she didn\u2019t really care about him at all. Oh, she liked him okay, loved his body and what he did to her in bed, but her heart was off limits. Lindsay had taken it with him to the afterlife and she had nothing left to give Jace. She was using him and he knew it.<\/p>\n
He followed her anyway.<\/p>\n
Eve watched wordlessly as the last of the vampire\u2019s blood drained into Jace . One final, eerie wail emerged from its mouth, floating away with the dust as the body disintegrated into nothingness.<\/p>\n
Eve\u2019s smile spread wider, shoulders straightening. The full moon was in eight days.<\/p>\n
They would be ready.<\/p>\n