Home

Summary: Okay, this is something short and hopefully sweet. This is a continuation of "Home" in Season Four of Angel. Basically, I changed the ending a bit, so let me know what you think.

Rating: PG-13 because of violence.

Disclaimer: I did not write the original episode of "Home" instead I created my own ending using what was already there (excellent episode by the way). I own none of the characters either.

Angel hovered over his son, the neck of Connor's red shirt gripped tightly in his hand. A shiny silver knife glowed sadistically in the other, catching the light.

"I really do love you Connor," Angel said, barely above a whisper. He knew what he had to do, and inside that decision was tearing him apart.

Angel looked carefully into Connor's eyes, peering deep into something he could never have again.

"So what are you going to do about it?" Connor asked, almost intrigued to the fact that Death was very possible for him at the moment.

For one split second, Angel thought he saw a glimmer in his son's eyes; a faint spark of life. But that couldn't be, he knew that any sign of life from Connor was impossible and it always had been. Like it or not, his son was a shell of Holtz; Like it or not, Angel loved Connor unconditionally.

"Prove it."

With one swift motion, Angel brought down the knife on Connor's throat, closing his eyes to the sound that followed…

"Connor?"

Silence.

"Connor? Are you all right?"

He heard the sound of a woman's voice, like it was pulling him back to reality. But where was that? Was it Cordelia calling him? Wait! Who was Cordelia? He couldn't remember at all.

He felt a slender hand touch his shoulder and shake him.

"Connor?"

The sound of his name being said with a slight edge of panic awakened him. Connor blinked his eyes and when he opened them fully, saw his mother's worried face above his.

"Connor Reilly? Wake up!"

"I'm up, I'm up! What happened?"

As her features finally came into focus, Connor sat up hanging his feet over the bed. The cold floor beneath him shook away the rest of the fatigue.

"Dinner's ready, sweetie. I've been calling you for nearly fifteen minutes."

"Oh, sorry mom."

"It's okay, you just gave me a scare. Now, how about washing up and joining us downstairs?"

"Sure. I'll be down in a minute."

"Don't fall back asleep," his mother said warningly, making her way out of his room. Before she shut the door she added, "For a second I could have sworn you were dead."

Connor's head snapped up at the remark, but he couldn't comprehend why it sounded so…correct. Sighing, he changed into a pair of jeans, then changed his shirt heading down to the dining room.

"There he is…" Mr. Reilly said proudly as his son entered the room.

A conversation was started, but was unheard by the limo pulling up the driveway. It stopped a good distance from the house, obviously not wanting anyone from the family discovering it during their meal. Angel emerged from the limo's interior and into the darkness, walking until he had a good line of vision into the room where they all sat exchanging words and food. His eyes went immediately to Connor who sat to his dad's left, laughing at a joke that had been told. He was also looking at the bargain he made in agreement to take over Wolfram and Hart. Connor had no memory of Angel or anyone else and vice versa.

Regardless, he still watched proudly as Connor's new father announced that his son had made outstanding grades in high school and now had the choice of going to any college he wanted to. Then Connor had interrupted and made a toast, "To Family."

This was Angel's final farewell. Once he departed, he would leave his son forever and never again set foot on these grounds. It was a hard fact to face, although he trusted that Connor was in good hands. But in Angel's mind, he easily saw himself bursting through the door and taking him back. He heard himself tell Connor that he made a mistake, a big mistake and then would tell him everything. In reality, that was called kidnapping, and the last thing Angel wanted to do was stoop to Holtz' level. None of that mattered now because Connor had the one thing he had always wanted, even if Angel had lost his own.

With that thought, the vampire turned and headed back to the car, smiling from ear to ear.

No sooner had Angel disappeared from the window that Connor glanced out of it, absolutely positive that someone had just been watching them. Surprisingly, it didn't startle him, but instead erupted a feeling of safety inside him. He smiled, returning his attention to his loving family.

Slowly, the limo backed out the Reilly residence and headed back to the City of Angels.