Part 32<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cAngel. Sit down. Please.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia spoke the words through gritted teeth. They\u2019d arrived in L.A. ahead of schedule, Angel\u2019s speed-demon driving combined with the late-night lack of traffic had brought them careening into the Wolfram & Hart parking lot two hours before Wesley and the rest of the crew would arrive.<\/p>\n
Cordy\u2019s excitement at seeing everyone had worn off slightly in the face of Angel\u2019s agitation. Despite her attempts to calm him and redirect his nervousness on the way home, he remained more unsettled than a wild tiger caged for the first time. Cordy was surprised that the carpet beneath his feet hadn\u2019t worn through already.<\/p>\n
They\u2019d administered one additional tranquilizer to Connor when he\u2019d begun to stir and the young man was out cold once again, down for what would probably be at least another three hours.<\/p>\n
Cordy\u2019s frown grew deeper when Angel completely ignored her words. Standing, she walked over and planted herself directly in his path. Just as she\u2019d suspected, he halted abruptly in front of her as if he hadn\u2019t seen her, then looked down at her with a puzzled expression on his face.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d He sounded annoyed.<\/p>\n
Cordy raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. \u201cObsessive much?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve been pacing for a half hour now, and you would\u2019ve been pacing in the car if you could\u2019ve. We have Connor, Angel. He\u2019s safe, if a little out of it right now. It\u2019ll work out. You just need to give it up for a little bit. Let your mind rest.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t, Cordy,\u201d he said agitatedly, and walked around her as he resumed his pacing. \u201cHe\u2019s my son. I can\u2019t mess this up.\u201d<\/p>\n
She grabbed his arm, pulling him to a halt again. Reaching a hand up, she turned his jaw so that his eyes looked down into hers. \u201cYou won\u2019t, Angel. You love him. You can\u2019t hurt him like that. You won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I have before,\u201d he argued.<\/p>\n
She shook her head. \u201cHow was any of that your fault? Did you arrange for Wesley to kidnap him? Did you ask Holtz to take him to Quortoth? Did you set it up so Jasmine would seduce him?\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel\u2019s frown grew deeper. \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen it wasn\u2019t your fault,\u201d she answered. \u201cJust like it wasn\u2019t my fault when Jasmine hijacked me. If you keep holding onto it, it\u2019ll eat you from the inside out, Angel. Believe me. I know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her tone was wry, but Angel could hear the pain in it. Nodding, he reached down to grasp her hands, his thumbs brushing smooth skin on the back of each hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know it\u2019ll work out, Cordy, I just keep forgetting. Things never seem to go right for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
She smiled up at him, leaning closer until her breasts brushed his chest. \u201cWell, your luck has changed, cutie. Your soul is secure, your link to the Powers is back, and your son is safe in your care. All the rest? Itty bitty details.\u201d<\/p>\n
He smiled at her understatement. \u201cI think a plot to kill me might be more than a minor detail.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEh,\u201d she scrunched up her nose in an expression of mild disagreement. \u201cYou\u2019re a studly guy. You can handle it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel\u2019s arms came up to pull her closer to him. \u201cYou think?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah. I think.\u201d Cordy looked up at him through lowered lashes. Needing to be closer to him, she slid up onto her tiptoes and leaned forward so that her breath brushed his face. Glazing eyes hungrily took in his bottom lip, then a tongue darted out to taste him. A long, slow swipe of her tongue made Angel shudder and pull her closer, crushing her mouth to his.<\/p>\n
Whimpering, Cordy brought one leg up and wrapped it around his hip, trying to climb up his body to get closer to his mouth. Angel\u2019s hands grasped her ass, pulling her warm center against him, her other leg wrapping around so that she straddled him. She cradled his head in her hands, her tongue dancing with his in a frenetic motion that made them both breathless.<\/p>\n
A groan left Angel\u2019s lips as he pulled his mouth away from hers and buried his mouth in her neck. He licked his mark, lingering there as he breathed in his scent permanently etched in her skin. Cordy shuddered, pulling him closer, her fingernails scratching his scalp lightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve gotta. . .\u201d Angel trailed off when Cordy squeezed her legs around him and moved slightly, rubbing her pelvis against his.<\/p>\n
\u201cGotta what?\u201d she asked breathlessly, biting her lip as his hardened length rubbed her clit through two layers of clothing.<\/p>\n
\u201cGotta find a . . .\u201d he tried to say, but Cordy leaned down, snaking her tongue into his ear. \u201cGotta find a bed,\u201d he finally finished. Angel ran his hands along the length of her thighs to her calves, pulling on her legs and setting her to the floor once he got her to loosen her grip. Cordy slid down the length of his body until her feet touched the floor, every nerve ending crying out as the move created a friction and heat that only promised more pleasure to come.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, let\u2019s find one then.\u201d Eagerly, she undid the top button on his shirt, kissing the skin she revealed. Angel staggered backwards, pulling her along with him. Cordy kept her hands on his shirt, unbuttoning and licking her way down his chest as he moved, stumbling along after him.<\/p>\n
Angel found his bedroom door in a matter of minutes and abruptly turned Cordy around, shoving her up against the closed portal, cupping her ass in his hands. He pulled her up against him, grinding his erection into her heat, and they both gasped. Cordy shoved at his shirt, the material sliding down his arms and bunching at the wrists until he finally let go of her and it dropped to the floor. Immediately, her hands reached for his fly, unbuttoning him and shoving his jeans and boxers to the floor, baring him to her hungry hands.<\/p>\n
Hot, dark eyes bored into hers as she looked dazedly into his face. Her heart felt as though it would beat out of her chest as Angel turned the doorknob and they tumbled into his darkened bedroom. They fell in a heap at the foot of the bed and stayed there, not bothering to move any further.<\/p>\n
Roughened hands worked magic on her breasts. White-hot sparkles of desire burst at every touch of his big fingers to her nipples, the lace of her bra scratching at the sensitive skin. Mouth falling open, Cordy let her eyes close and her back arch, pushing her breasts up into his hands as he kneaded them, their ample size filling his large palms.<\/p>\n
\u201cThought you said you wanted a bed,\u201d she whispered into his ear.<\/p>\n
\u201cFloor\u2019s good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel had barely had the mental clarity to respond. Small, warm hands ran down his back and stroked his ass, nails scoring his skin in a way that made his muscles clench in pleasure. One hand reached around his hip, diving under him to cup him, stroking his hardening length until his mouth dropped open in a moan.<\/p>\n
In retaliation, his mouth descended on her neck again, licking his mark, before moving down and sucking at the delicate skin on her collarbone. One-handed, he unbuttoned her blouse, pushing it off her shoulders and pulling it from beneath her body. Her skirt and panties followed quickly until nearly every glorious, hot inch of her skin was flush against his. Only her bra remained.<\/p>\n
Writhing against him, Cordelia twisted her arms underneath herself to unfasten her bra, hasty as she was to feel her breasts against his hard chest. Angel grabbed her wrists, pulling her hands out of the way, and worked his mouth down her chest until his nose brushed against the delicate lace of her only remaining undergarment. His nose brushed the tip of her breast, the nipple hardened and straining against the fabric.<\/p>\n
Delicately, Angel\u2019s tongue swept out and touched her, the contact making Cordy gasp. His tongue moved over her, stroking, the movement both muffled and enhanced by the lace of her bra. He worked in a movement that had no rhythm, alternating from gasp-inducing speed to agonizing slowness. Cordy\u2019s only defense was her determination to make him just as crazy, yanking one hand away from his grasp, sneaking it down, stroking and touching in a way that had him thrusting against her hand.<\/p>\n
Cordy lost all sense of strategy just a few moments later when Angel\u2019s mouth closed fully around her sensitive nipple, sucking and biting through the fabric of her bra. She arched her back, a soft scream escaping her lips, as stars exploded behind her eyes. Reflexively, her hand tightened around him, and Angel growled against her breast, his face shifting into his demon.<\/p>\n
Abruptly, the cool heat of his mouth was gone, and Cordy\u2019s eyes flew open. Hazel eyes met yellow ones, and Angel\u2019s growl of possessiveness was met by her own. If Cordy could\u2019ve changed, she would\u2019ve. In a way, she felt as though she had. Savagely, she yanked on the straps of her bra and ripped it off, saying without words that she was done with the preliminaries.<\/p>\n
Angel slid up her body, every glistening inch of his form rubbing deliciously against hers until he was cradled in the heated junction of her thighs. Nuzzling her neck, he entered her in one long, slow, thick thrust that made Cordy growl with the pleasure of it. She spread her legs wider, wrapping them around his waist and using her heels to push him in deeper. Angel rocked against her, the hard floor giving him room to sink deep and stay there.<\/p>\n
Sharp fangs scored Cordy\u2019s skin, drawing blood to the surface. Angel\u2019s tongue snaked out to lick up the drops, a rumble in his chest signaling his deep satisfaction with her taste. Cordy bucked up against him and Angel began to move, setting a rhythm that was both rough and secure. He brought his arms beneath her back, his palms resting on her shoulder blades, and cradled her in his arms as he sank his teeth deep into her neck. He drank her, the thick, warm extravagance of her blood heating him like none other had.<\/p>\n
Cordy wasn\u2019t about to be upstaged. Licking the salty drops of sweat from his skin, she bit down hard and pulled, her savageness tearing his skin slightly. A mewl of approval escaped her, his copperish blood teasing her taste buds. She sucked at the wound, drawing his blood into her mouth.<\/p>\n
The feel of Cordy\u2019s mouth at his neck was enough to make Angel throw his head back and roar, the animalistic yell echoing off the glass and stone walls of his bedroom. He rocked harder against her, growling, his eyes flashing in the darkness. Cordy met him for every thrust, and yet it still wasn\u2019t enough.<\/p>\n
With the speed of lightening, Angel pulled out of her and sat back, then pulled her out from underneath him and turned her around as if she were no more than a rag doll. He brought her to her knees, pulling her back in a sitting position against his thighs, bringing her calves back to rest along side his. Angel sat back on his heels, lifted her hips up, and then sheathed himself inside her once again.<\/p>\n
Cordy hung on for dear life. His chest rubbed against her back, her skin slicked with sweat, her hair tangling and rubbing between them. Her legs weren\u2019t long enough for her knees to rest on the floor beside his, so he controlled her movements with his big hands on her hips. With every downstroke, she slid down his thighs, her body weight pushing him deeper than he\u2019d ever been before. He felt so huge inside her, his thick length stroking her so good it made her eyes cross. Her hands shot out, searching for something to hang onto, finally grasping the edge of the bed blindly. She leaned forward to balance herself, her fingers fisting in the thick comforter.<\/p>\n
Finally, Angel gave her the edge she needed for fulfillment. One big hand snaked around to her stomach, spreading and holding there. The other hand dove around between her legs, his roughened fingers finding the swollen, slick folds of her sex. Matching the stroke of his hips against hers, his fingers danced on her flesh as stars exploded behind her eyelids.<\/p>\n
Leaning forward, Angel sank his fangs into her shoulder, growling against her skin. The feel of her blood leaving her body again threw Cordelia over the edge, a scream ringing through the room as the orgasm overcame her. Angel\u2019s shout echoed hers, his cool body exploding inside hers.<\/p>\n
Panting, they sank to the hard floor, still joined, and spooned against each other. Cordy reached a hand back and stroked Angel\u2019s cheek blindly, her fingers lovingly tracing the side of his face. His hand stroked her belly, the touches an unspoken declaration of their love.<\/p>\n
Part 33<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cGeez, you\u2019d think you guys weren\u2019t used to weird stuff happening,\u201d Cordy commented a few hours later as the 5 pairs of shocked eyes stared back at her. Wesley\u2019s face was the only one wearing a smile. Apparently he hadn\u2019t wanted to spoil the surprise.<\/p>\n
\u201cC-Cordy?\u201d Harmony breathed. \u201cCordy!\u201d Her shriek made everybody cringe as the blonde vampiress shot across the room and lunged at her former best friend. \u201cOh. My. God! You were like, dead and everything!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLike, totally!\u201d Spike muttered under his breath in a high, squeaky voice. Angel frowned at him but couldn\u2019t suppress the twinkle in his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cHarm! Geez! Still need air here, kay?\u201d Cordy shoved Harmony away from her, holding her friend at arms length. \u201cDidn\u2019t think you cared so much.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harmony put on a pained look. \u201cNot care about my best friend in the whole world? My best friend who died? Cordy, do you really think so little of me?\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordy blinked in disbelief. Harmony was evil. A vampire who\u2019d painted her toenails glitter pink and had tried to kill her in the same night. So yeah, she thought so little of her.<\/p>\n
In the end, she just sighed and smiled tiredly. \u201cIt\u2019s good to see you, too, Harm.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harmony squealed. \u201cOh my god. We have so much to talk about! There\u2019s like totally juicy gossip around here. Especially about Wes and Freddy over there. We\u2019ve totally gotta have a gab fest!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe later.\u201d Cordy pried Harmony\u2019s fingers from her arms and turned to face the rest of her friends. \u201cHi, guys,\u201d she said softly, her smile lighting up her face.<\/p>\n
It was contagious, and the rest of them couldn\u2019t help but smile back. Wesley stepped forward first, pulling Cordy into a tight hug.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe missed you, Cordelia,\u201d he whispered into her ear, then kissed her cheek.<\/p>\n
She looked up at him, teary-eyed. \u201cI missed you, too, smart guy. Talking on the phone just wasn\u2019t the same thing.\u201d Caressing his cheek, Cordy winked at him. \u201cReady to crack the books?\u201d<\/p>\n
Wes smiled back at her, a twinkle in his eye. \u201cAs always. Are you going to help me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPfft!\u201d She rolled her eyes in disbelief. \u201cAs if! Like I ever enjoyed the dusty, sneeze-inducing research boringness.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, you know you loved it,\u201d Gunn said, coming up to squeeze her in a bear hug. \u201cYou just wouldn\u2019t admit it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHey! You lost the hair again!\u201d A light rub to Gunn\u2019s shiny head made him smile and duck away playfully.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah. Kinda ruined my look.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNeeded the baldy goodness to be the badass lawyer?\u201d she joked.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething like that. It\u2019s good to have you back.\u201d Gunn smiled at her, then moved out of the way so the rest of the gang could say hello.<\/p>\n
A hug to Fred and a kiss on the cheek to Lorne was enough to make Cordy\u2019s eyes tear again, and then she faced Spike.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, famous guy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFamous?\u201d he asked, his expressive eyebrows arching. \u201cHow\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, you\u2019re totally legendary in heaven. What with the saving of the world and all.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey talk about me?\u201d Sticking his thumbs in the pockets of his jeans, Spike straightened up and let his trademark smirk grace his handsome face.<\/p>\n
\u201cYup,\u201d Cordy nodded, grinning. \u201cI was up there almost a year after you saved the world and they were still<\/i> talking about you. Totally hung up on the Spike worship. It was way cool. I was a celebrity because I knew you.\u201d<\/p>\n
She conveniently left out the part about how she was oblivious to it all until David said something, what with her crusade to be sent back and everything.<\/p>\n
Angel rolled his eyes. \u201cPlease, Cordy. He doesn\u2019t need the encouragement. His ego\u2019s already twice the size of this room.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLike you\u2019re Mr. Humility, Peaches.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel glared at him. He opened his mouth to insult Spike back when Cordy stepped in front of him, putting her hand on his chest and glaring up at him warningly.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease, enough of the two-year-old bickering. I got enough of that with Xander back in Sunnydale. There are more important things to consider now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBig apocalypse?\u201d Fred asked. \u201cIs that why they sent you back?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething like that,\u201d Cordy said, now completely serious. \u201cI think we should go out for Mexican food. This is going to take awhile to explain.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut what about\u2014\u201d Angel\u2019s hand fell on her arm as he spoke quietly. Turning to face him, Cordy found the apprehension in his eyes. Pulling him away from the group\u2019s hearing, she stroked his hand, smiling up at him reassuringly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can stay here if you want,\u201d she said softly. \u201cI can explain it to them without you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I want to be there.\u201d They\u2019d agreed that they wouldn\u2019t reveal Connor\u2019s parentage right away; it would make things too weird and leave too many questions. Angel was nervous that the gang wouldn\u2019t buy Cordy\u2019s story at face value.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe your place is with your son right now, Angel. There isn\u2019t anything you can add that I can\u2019t tell them myself.\u201d Her expression added silently that she would make sure it all turned out well.<\/p>\n
After a moment of silent battle, Angel finally nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cFill me in when you get back.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course.\u201d Leaning up to kiss him gently, Cordy wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. \u201cIt\u2019ll be okay, Angel. He\u2019ll be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel could only hug her back.<\/p>\n
Part 34<\/b><\/p>\n
Wesley looked at the young man on the other side of the two-way mirror. Connor was obviously agitated, the tranquilizers worn off and the effects making him jittery. He didn\u2019t know where he was, didn\u2019t know who held him or why. It was understandable that he\u2019d be a little off.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you want me to interrogate him.\u201d Wesley didn\u2019t bother look at Angel as he spoke. Cordy had filled them in at the restaurant, and Wesley, even though he\u2019d known most of it from their phone conversations, had still been floored by her story. He\u2019d gotten the impression that Cordy was hiding something, though.<\/p>\n
Angel cringed at Wesley\u2019s choice of words. \u201cI don\u2019t know if I\u2019d use the word \u2018interrogate,\u2019 Wesley. He\u2019s not a criminal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut he wants to kill you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I shouldn\u2019t question him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, you should question him. Definitely.\u201d Angel paused. \u201cJust go easy on him. He doesn\u2019t know anything that we know yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wesley was silent for a moment. \u201cAnd what is it that we know?\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel frowned. He\u2019d tried to explain it to Wesley, but some how the story had come out jumbled. It made sense that Wesley would be confused.<\/p>\n
\u201cEve has this revenge scheme going. She wants me to suffer and die for killing Lindsay. She found Connor and she and her lover have trained him to kill me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cConnor has special abilities?\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel nodded. \u201cIt\u2019s kinda complicated.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHumor me.\u201d Wesley\u2019s tone was dry.<\/p>\n
Angel sighed. Telling one person wouldn\u2019t hurt, and of everyone, Wesley was the best equipped to handle the information. Finally, he turned to Wesley and met the younger man\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s my son, Wes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wes immediately did an admirable impression of a fish out of water. Cordy hadn\u2019t said a word about this. \u201cCome again?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s my son. Mine and Darla\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you\u2019re a vampire. You\u2019re both vampires. And why do I not know this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAgain, it\u2019s kinda complicated.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wesley scrutinized him with the concentration of a teenage boy studying a Playboy centerfold. \u201cYou are going to tell me eventually, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course,\u201d Angel agreed, turning back to the two-way mirror. His mouth set in a grim line as he watched Connor. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t know he\u2019s my son. I don\u2019t want to traumatize him with it yet, so I need you to question him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cVery well.\u201d Wesley didn\u2019t like so many unanswered questions, but he knew that he\u2019d probably wrung as much information out of Angel as he was going to for the time being. \u201cAnything in particular you want me to ask?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAsk him about Eve and Jace, if he\u2019ll talk about them. See if you can find out what exactly they plan to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wesley nodded, then moved towards the door. Angel grabbed his arm just before he went in. \u201cBe careful with him, Wes. I just got him back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wes only nodded again, then proceeded to enter the room. Connor\u2019s head shot up the moment he noticed Wesley\u2019s presence. Staring at Wesley neutrally, he leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms.<\/p>\n
Casually, Wesley walked over to the table and sat down, making himself comfortable. He met Connor\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan I get you anything? Soda? Coffee?\u201d<\/p>\n
Connor just stared back, his eyes nearly empty.<\/p>\n
Wesley nodded at his silence. \u201cVery well. My name is Wesley. I\u2019d like to ask you a few questions, if that\u2019s all right.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not all right.\u201d Connor\u2019s voice was low, a thread of menace present.<\/p>\n
Wesley just raised his eyebrows, poising his pen over the legal pad in front of him. Acting as if Connor hadn\u2019t spoken, Wesley asked, \u201cWhat is the last thing you remember?\u201d<\/p>\n
Connor\u2019s eyes narrowed but he didn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n
Wesley sighed. \u201cConnor, this would go a lot easier if you cooperate.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not telling you anything.\u201d There was an underlying steel to Connor\u2019s voice that made Wesley blink. For a moment, he sounded exactly like his father. \u201cI have questions of my own. Until you answer them, I won\u2019t tell you shit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wesley just blinked at him again. Setting the legal pad down on the table, he leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. \u201cWhat is it that you want to know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere am I, and why are you holding me?\u201d<\/p>\n
The older man frowned. What good it do to lie to the boy? It wouldn\u2019t hurt to answer his questions, if only vaguely. \u201cYou\u2019re at Wolfram & Hart. As for why you\u2019re here, I\u2019m not at liberty to say as of yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
At Wesley\u2019s answer, Connor felt a flood of relief course through him. Finally, he knew the lay of the land. He was in the lion\u2019s den. Wolfram & Hart, the law firm that his vampire target ran. The demon called Angel that Eve wanted him to kill.<\/p>\n
Connor sneered at the older man and sat back as well, his face showing no doubt as to his disdain. \u201cBig mistake, Wesley,\u201d he drawled, making Wesley\u2019s name sound like the profanest of words. \u201cI know the score here. And I\u2019m not going to tell you anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sighing, Wesley\u2019s eyes softened. \u201cI\u2019m not asking you to tell me anything important. Anything you would consider important, anyway. I just want to make sure that the tranquilizers didn\u2019t have any lasting effects. It\u2019s standard procedure in a case like this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wesley\u2019s voice was calm and rational, soothing the young man in front of him. Connor stared at him suspiciously, but his shoulders relaxed somewhat and he slumped down in his chair.<\/p>\n
\u201cFine.\u201d Connor twirled the string on his sweatshirt hood absently, staring sightlessly down at the metal table top. \u201cWhat do you want to know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s the last thing you remember?\u201d<\/p>\n
Connor was silent for a moment before speaking. He supposed that revealing this much wouldn\u2019t compromise him much. Wesley probably knew what had happened, anyway. \u201cLast thing I remember is a dream I was having. I thought I woke up, but I don\u2019t know what happened. Somehow my dream mixed with reality, I think, because the guy from my dream shot me with some kind of dart.\u201d<\/p>\n
With a jerk, Wesley straightened in his seat, immediately interested. \u201cYou dreamt about the man who shot you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Connor nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did the man look like?\u201d<\/p>\n
A shrug lifted Connor\u2019s shoulders. \u201cTall. Dark hair, broad shoulders. Been having these totally weird-ass dreams about him for months. Some kinda twilight zone crap or something. I\u2019ve probably just been working too hard. Exhaustion does weird things to your brain, or so I\u2019m told,\u201d he said, thinking of Jace\u2019s words at the football game last week.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are these dreams about?\u201d Wesley tried to keep the excitement out of his voice.<\/p>\n
For a moment, it seemed as though Connor had escaped to some other place in his mind. He started suddenly, jerking his mind out of the other place, and looked up at Wesley. \u201cUm. . . I don\u2019t know. Weird things. They\u2019re like memories, almost. I\u2019m in them, but I\u2019m different. Psychotic and shit. And that guy I told you about is my father. A vampire, if you can believe that.\u201d He laughed humorlessly and shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Warily, he looked up at Wesley and a feeling of sharing too much suddenly swept over him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis figure is present in each of your dreams?\u201d<\/p>\n
Connor frowned at Wesley\u2019s curiosity, his eyes narrowing. \u201cWhat\u2019s it to you? Last I checked, I wasn\u2019t taking tranquilizers with my Flintstone vitamins. No connection to what you claim to be interested in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wesley cleared his throat and fidgeted on the hard chair. It seemed that Connor wasn\u2019t going to be very forthcoming about Jace and Eve\u2019s plans. Maybe Cordelia\u2019s plan was more appropriate. Connor did seem to have a moral code, despite his bad attitude at present. Appealing to his sense of right and wrong might be a safer route.<\/p>\n
Standing abruptly, Wesley straightened the notebook on the table and pocketed his pen. \u201cVery well, Connor. I can see that you aren\u2019t willing to cooperate. I will\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
Wesley stopped abruptly when Connor\u2019s face went white, his mouth dropping open as his wide eyes fixed on a point over Wesley\u2019s left shoulder. Standing clumsily, Connor knocked over the chair and backed toward the wall, his eyes darting around the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can take it from here, Wes.\u201d Angel\u2019s deep voice seemed to reverberate around the room with the strength of a police siren. Connor jumped at the sound of his voice, retreating further still to the wall. His breathing and heartbeat regulated, though, and he closed his mouth, swallowing audibly.<\/p>\n
\u201cVery well, Angel. I\u2019ll be nearby if you need anything. \u201c Wes gathered his things and left quietly. Angel stood near the door, his hands buried in his pants pockets.<\/p>\n
\u201cY-You\u2019re Angel?\u201d Connor sounded as if someone were strangling him, the words were so hoarse. Suddenly, the lines of logic began to click into place. Eve wanted him to kill Angel, the vampire who ran Wolfram & Hart. This man claimed he was Angel. This man was the vampire from his dreams. That meant that\u2014Connor\u2019s brain suddenly stopped working.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re the Angel that runs Wolfram & Hart?\u201d<\/p>\n
He nodded. \u201cThere are things going on here that you don\u2019t know about, Connor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel\u2019s son straightened his shoulders, fire creeping into his eyes. He stood defiantly, the trembling of his hands the only clue to his near-breakdown. \u201cWho the hell are you?\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n
The vampire sighed, his eyes tired. \u201cI\u2019m your father.\u201d<\/p>\n
Part 35<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cWhere the hell is he?\u201d<\/p>\n
Absently, Jace admired the way Eve could enunciate so well through clenched teeth. God, she was beautiful when she was angry. It was too bad he didn\u2019t give a shit anymore.<\/p>\n
That ritual yesterday had changed him. More than just physically. He\u2019d seen her standing there, that smug grin on her face as he was being flayed alive for her. And yet not once did he see a look of love or concern on her face. She was using him, and he\u2019d finally realized it. She was never going to love him back.<\/p>\n
After a moment, Jace shrugged. \u201cNot here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eve whirled around, practically snarling at him. \u201cNo shit, Sherlock. But he\u2019s supposed to be here. We haven\u2019t seen him in almost two days.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jace just shrugged again. \u201cSometimes he does this. The disappearing act. He\u2019ll be back in a couple of days. No big deal.\u201d<\/p>\n
She was before him in an instant, her fists grabbing at his shirt and bringing his face close to hers. \u201cNo big deal?\u201d she hissed. \u201cThis is your fault! If you hadn\u2019t been so nice to him, he\u2019d be easier to control.\u201d<\/p>\n
A frown darkened his handsome face. God, she could be such a bitch. \u201cEve, you weren\u2019t there in the beginning. After his parents died, he was a big mess. He wouldn\u2019t trust anybody. I had to play the sensitive father figure or he wouldn\u2019t have responded. He needed that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reluctantly, she seemed to accept that. \u201cBut he shouldn\u2019t be gone. Not without at least telling you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jace detached her fingers from his shirt and stepped away, pulling a cigarette out of his pocket and lighting up. Casually, he leaned against a pillar and took a deep drag. \u201cLike I said, sometimes he does this. Especially at the beginning. Freaked me out the first time, but he came back in a couple of days and he was better for it. It\u2019ll be the same this time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eve shook her head and began to pace. \u201cBut he knows our plans. He could be double-crossing us right now! I don\u2019t trust him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jace just blinked at her. \u201cLook, if he\u2019s not back by day after tomorrow, I\u2019ll go look for him,\u201d he offered, just wanting her to shut up.<\/p>\n
Her eyes narrowed as she recognized the patronizing tone of his voice. Her heels clicked on the cement floor as she walked over to him, her fists finding the front of his shirt again.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou will find him now, Jace. I need him back where I can see him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jace\u2019s stance against the pillar had put them at almost eye level. Growling, he straightened up abruptly, and with newly-honed, lightening-fast reflexes, he snaked a hand out and grabbed her by the neck, twirling her around and shoving her up in the air.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d His voice was barely a whisper, yet she trembled at the power in it. The edges of his eyes were tinged with gold. \u201cI said he\u2019d come back. He will. And I won\u2019t go looking for him until day after tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trying to breathe, Eve nodded, a hint of fear mixed with a growing sense of desire in her eyes. Jace slowly lowered her to the ground, his dark eyes still rimmed with gold. Eve breathed rapidly, her eyes flashing, and she grabbed his head, pulling it down to hers. She\u2019d never been more turned on in her life.<\/p>\n