Ketterly thank very much for the translation the history
Upon hearing the noise coming from the other room, Angel gathered what little strength he had left and went to see what was going on. He found himself face to face with Connor.
"Sit down," he ordered calmly but with authority. Connor had never seen him like this. Angel always tried to be his friend. The only time that he had seen a glimpse of his father's paternal nature was when he had checked his arms to see if he had taken drugs, but never again until now, and it scared him. He couldn't stop thinking about the threat that Gunn had made. "That's right, Sparky. Daddy's coming home. And I'm guessing there's gonna be a spanking," sounded over and over in his head, and he could not shut it up. He took a step back and worked up the courage and finally he said,
"You can't take me."
"Do you really believe that?" No, in fact, he didn't believe it. He knew that he was in trouble. He knew that Gunn was right, and he also knew that he didn't have any other option, so he picked up the chair where he'd been tied up and sat down as defiantly as he could, trying not to show any fear. His attitude could say one thing but his face said another. It was in that moment that Angel realized all was not lost with his son. He sat down in a chair to have a conversation with him. He knew that he had to punish him, but he also should clear up some things. His son needed and deserved to know how things had really happened.
"So... How was your summer? Mine was good. Saw some fish. Went mad with hunger. Hallucinated a whole bunch."
"You deserved it."
"Because I killed Holtz—except I didn't." He could see that his son was trying to be brave. "I tried to tell you that while you were busy offshore dumping me, but I didn't know the whole score. Holtz killed himself. Actually, he had your buddy Justine do it with an ice pick. Just to make you hate me." He could see that his son was overcome with guilt, but the boy acted rude.
"Even if. You still deserved it." Angel could see the pain of betrayal in his son's eyes. The man that he had considered his father had lied to him.
"What I deserve is open to debate. But understand there is a difference between wishing vengeance on someone and taking it. So now, the question becomes, what do you deserve?" That was it for Connor. Now what Gunn had said sounded in his head with even more force. "That's right, Sparky. Daddy's coming home. And I'm guessing there's gonna be a spanking." Spankings, Holtz had given him a few when he was growing up and he hated them. He had always complained that he was the Destroyer and he couldn't get punished like that and Holtz had always told him, "You may be the Destroyer, but I am your father." Of course even after a well-deserved spanking his father consoled him until he fell asleep. How he missed his father. He could not think of Angel in those terms, so he ran, but was intercepted by his father, who held firmly by the arm and said,
"Daddy's not finished talking."
"I am."
"What do you deserve, Connor?" Connor almost said a spanking but changed the sentence before it left his mouth. Connor knew what Holtz would have done to him, but with Angel, he didn't know, and he doubted that he would have thought of that.
"You're going to kill me?" he said, halfway between a question and a statement.
"No, Connor. I'm going to act like your father," Angel said, and began to drag him to his room.
Connor entered into a blind panic, certain now that Angel was going to beat him and he didn't want that, much less with Fred and Gunn in the hotel.
"NO! NO SPANKING! NO…" But when he didn't get an answer from Angel, he continued, screaming, "DAD, YOU CAN'T HIT ME. I'M TOO OLD FOR THAT."
"That's right, Connor—Dad. I'm Dad and that's why I can do it."
"You're tired… You have to eat… No… Just… You can get rid of me," he begged.
"You're my son, Connor. I will never get rid of you."
When he entered the room, he sat down on Connor's bed and deposited his son, kicking and screaming the whole time, over his knees.
"I AM THE DESTROYER. YOU CAN'T JUST SPANK ME!"
"And I'm the Destroyer's dad." Connor little by little began to see the similarities between his fathers. He never thought that Angel would act like a father but instead like a monster that would tear his head off or throw him out into the street. But here he was with his behind pointed toward the ceiling waiting to be spanked.
"You don't want to do this. You don't want to hurt me," he tried to manipulate his father as a last resort.
"I don't want to, son, but I have to do it," he said, taking down his pants and underwear.
"NO, DAD!" Connor yelled, trying to grab his clothes but being prevented by Angel.
"Enough, Connor. Now, why are you getting this spanking?"
"…"
SWAT
"Ah!" he cried out, more from the surprise than from pain.
"Answer me, Connor. We can stay here all night." This terrified Connor. If spankings from Holtz had hurt, the vampire's would be worse.
"Because I locked you in a box." SWAT, SWAT
"What else, Connor?" SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT
"I lied to you." SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT
"No" SWAT "more" SWAT "lies" SWAT "Connor" SWAT "I need" SWAT "to be able" SWAT "to trust you" SWAT.
"Owww, Daaaaad, it huuuurts!"
"What else, Connor?"
"I lied to everyone. To Fred and Gunn."
"What else?"
"I don't know."
"How did you behave for them?" If he had treated them this past couple months like he had treated them in the ten minutes since Angel got home, his boy was in big trouble.
"Good, Dad, I swear."
"You sure? That's not what I saw." SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT
"They were torturing me, Dad." Connor was grateful that his father at least stopped hitting him long enough to let him answer. He knew that a voice mixed with sobs wasn't very befitting of the Destroyer, but from a very young age he knew that in these conditions, it was better to do and say what his father ordered.
Angel couldn't resist hugging his baby at this declaration, and with vampire speed he had his son cradled in his arms.
"Baby, what did they do to you?" Connor didn't understand at all. He had done something much worse to his father and now his father was consoling him. That made him cry harder as he felt even guiltier, and he couldn't help but sound like a baby accusing his abusers.
"Fred shocked me with a taser a few times."
"I'm going to kill her," Angel said, releasing his son.
"Noooo, Dad, no. It was my fault. She had just found out about what I did to you."
"Nobody touches my baby," Angel growled furiously.
"And Gunn yelled at me all the time and they tied me in the chair and Gunn punished me and wouldn't let me go out to hunt." This suggested to Angel that his little angel had not behaved as well as he'd said he had, and he put him back across his lap with a threatening hand on his butt.
"Dad, we were talking," Connor complained.
"What did you do that made Gunn have to punish you?"
"I…" SWAT "I didn't follow orders and a vampire almost killed me."
Angel looked around and saw a wooden hairbrush. He was grateful that his son had long hair (something that he would take care of soon; it was too long for his liking). He stood up to get it without letting go of Connor, who looked horrified.
"Dad, what do you need that for?"
"So that you don't risk your life again," he said, rearranging his little whelp, and CRACK!
"OWWW!" Connor screamed in pain.
CRACK, CRACK, CRACK
"You never risk your life."
CRACK, CRACK, CRACK, CRACK
"Hunting is not a game, and you are not allowed to go hunting until I can trust you to play it safe and not risk your life."
CRACK, CRACK, CRACK
"Daddy, stop… You're hurting me."
CRACK, CRACK
Angel left the brush at the side of the bed and said,
"Connor Angel, if you ever put your life at risk again, I will give you the whipping of your life. It'll make this one seem like a boat ride." SWAT "Is that clear?"
"Yes, Dad," he sobbed.
Angel rested his hand on his son's butt. Connor, despite being ashamed and embarrassed by this whole ordeal, was grateful because that cool hand helped ease a little bit of the pain. After letting him cry for a few minutes, Angel decided to finish up his son's punishment.
"Connor Angel, never again are you going to try to fight with me."
SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT
"You are not going to try to kill me."
SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT
"And you are going to obey me."
SWAT, SWAT, SWAT
"Because I am your father and I love you."
SWAT, SWAT, SWAT
"Everything that I do is for your benefit. You are the most important thing in my life and I don't want to lose you."
Meanwhile Connor cried desperately because of the pain in his butt and because of the words of his dad. Yes, Angel was his dad, and for his own well-being, he'd better get used to it soon, he thought, rubbing his bottom.
"It's over, little one. Daddy's got you. You're safe." Connor let himself be hugged by Angel until his crying turned into sobs and then until the sobs subsided.
"Come on, Conn, go wash your face," Angel said, giving him a kiss on the forehead.
When Connor returned, he saw his dad taking the television from his room.
"What are you doing?"
"Connor, you're being punished. No television and none of that little game," he said, motioning for him to give him his Game Boy.
"But Dad."
"But nothing. Three months."
"That's too much."
"Would you prefer a spanking a day for every day that you had me in the ocean?"
"No," he said, looking at the floor embarrassed and handing over the Game Boy.
"That's a good boy. Now come with me. You have a lot of apologies to make."
"Now?" he asked, rubbing his bottom. He did not want to see anyone. He was so ashamed that his dad had spanked him like a kid, but he had to admit that that was what he was.
Angel left the TV and the game in his own room and went with Connor to see the rest of the gang.
"Guys, Connor has something to say…" He saw that his son was visibly distressed and added, "But first, if anyone touches my son again, I will kill them."
"Angel," Gunn said angrily.
"I know what he did, and I know why you did it, but Connor is my son, and I will be the only one to discipline him." At that, Connor's cheeks, which were already pretty red, looked like they were going to burst with shame. "Is that clear?"
"And if by chance you get buried again?"
"It's not going to happen again… Right, Connor?" Connor nodded painfully. "But if he ever again puts his life in danger and I'm not around, his butt is yours." Of course his son's safety came first.
"Dad."
"Don't give me that look, Connor Angel. I'm still very angry with you."
"I'm sorry," he said, wanting to be done with all of this. "Sorry I lied to you and kicked your asses." He just couldn't pass up the opportunity to say that. Of course, he was rewarded with a hard slap. "Ouch," he said, putting his hands on his butt to cover it from future blows.
"Try again, Connor."
"Sorry I attacked you after you tortured me."
"Connor."
"And for disobeying and putting myself in danger and not listening to you guys."
"Guys, Connor is grounded for three months. There will be no hunting for him, no television, and no Game Boy."
"You would have to tell them," he complained.
"Connor, they are also in charge of you."
"Connor, I'm sorry about how I reacted," Fred said.
"It's okay… It's not like I didn't deserve it," he said in barely a whisper.
"Good boy. It looks like you got what you deserved, so we're cool," said Gunn, ruffling his hair.
"Didn't it ever occur to you guys to take Conn to get a haircut?" Angel complained.
"Excuse us for being more concerned about saving your ass."
"Okay, I'm sorry," Angel said, raising his hands.
"Conn, do you want something to eat?" Fred asked.
"Only my dad can call me that," he complained childishly, but he liked having something that belonged to just Angel and him.
"Okay, then. Connor, do you want something to eat?"
"No taser?" he asked. Obviously he couldn't pass up that opportunity, either.
"And no tomatoes," Fred said, embarrassed.
Everyone ate dinner peacefully. Connor couldn't stop moving around in his seat, even though doing so hurt. He would heal quickly, but he thought it would hurt at least a couple more days. Nobody said anything about it except for Gunn, and after the glare Angel gave him, he didn't make any more comments.
Angel accompanied his son to bed and gave him a goodnight kiss on the forehead, and Connor dissolved into tears again.
"Baby, what's wrong?"
"He used to do the same thing."
"Sweetheart, it's over."
"My father died. He left me alone, Dad. And I had to cut off his head."
"Son, you did what you thought was best."
"I thought that he loved me, and he only used me for revenge and I sank you in the ocean for that… I'm a mess… How can you love me?" he cried hysterically.
"I'll always love you, always. And I am your father, only me."
"He took care of me the same as you're doing now. But he couldn't have loved me."
"He loved you, baby. He gave you back to me."
"But he killed himself so that I would kill you."
"Holtz was consumed by revenge, son. He loved you very much, but his pain would not let him see that he was hurting you."
"I'm sorry, Dad. I'm a bad son."
"No, baby. You were just confused. But now you have your dad at your side." They embraced until Connor fell asleep. Angel gently rose to go to his room but Connor took hold of his hand.
"Don't go. Don't leave me." He sounded like a little boy. Angel thought about it for a few seconds and said,
"I'm not going anywhere." He settled onto the bed and fell asleep with his baby in his arms.