Ok here's the next chapter. Thanks to the-raven-angel for the lovely review. I'm glad you're enjoying this and I hope others are too. Enjoy!

Chapter 2

"How could you do that?" shouted Angel furiously at his friends all of whom were looking shamefaced. Connor had been unable to calm down and Angel had had to help him up to his room and had soothed him until he dropped off to sleep. Now he was facing his friends, blazing furious!

"Angel we were only-"

"In case you haven't noticed Connor has had his life turned upside down by that thing that's inside Cordy. She seduced him, convinced him that was his child inside her and twisted his mind so much it's no wonder he didn't know what was going on! Not to mention everything else like us thinking he's responsible for the Beast and me becoming Angelus, c'mon guys did you really expect him to just up and accept it all, he's been here for six months for god's sake! He's barely had any time to absorb the truth that contradicts everything he was raised to believe!" yelled Angel, grabbing some things that were on the reception desk and flinging them across the room in anger.

He was angry with his friends but he was angrier with himself, for ignoring his son and for being mad at Connor instead of Cordelia after they slept together. He realised that's exactly what Cordelia wanted, for Connor to be pushed away from all but her so she could use him. He suddenly felt sick with himself for what he had done. The others now had guilty faces, they had been so busy sticking by Angel that they forgot about what Connor was feeling, what he was going through.

"Hey man, look I'm sorry, I shouldn't have gotten on his back like that." apologized Gunn.

"Don't say it to me say it to him when he wakes up." They all bowed their heads in shame. "Now let's try and think of a way to save Cordelia without killing her, it should probably harder for her to move around the city now Connor isn't with her."

They quickly buried their noses in books about mystic pregnancies and anything else that may relate to what was happening. Skip sometimes made a sarcastic comment but when Angel threatened him with the Sphere of Infinite Agony he instantly shut up. As it turned out they came up with a load of nothing. The phone ringing made them all jump out of their skins. Fred answered it.

"Angel Investigations!"

"Fred it's Willow!"

"Willow! Hi how are you?"

"Um…Ok, you?"

"Uh well we're fine but there's a lot of stuff happening at the moment."

"So we heard, listen we, that is, Buffy, me, Xander, Faith, Giles and the rest of the Scoobies and Potentials are coming to help out apparently."

"You are? Why? Not that we don't appreciate it!" she added quickly

"Well I can't really say much but from what we've been told your problem and our problem are linked. That's as much I really know, we should be there in about two hours."

"Ok then but be ready for some surprises, none of them good."

"Yeah, somehow I thought you might say that. Bye then!"

"Bye!" Fred hung up and told the rest what Willow had said. They were intrigued by the Scoobies coming but knew that there was no point trying to find out what they were up to because they were on their way. Angel rubbed his eyes and stood up,

"I think I'll make something for Connor, he's bound to be hungry when he wakes up."

"Just make sure there's no tomatoes, he hates them." said Fred with a shy smile. Angel nodded and sauntered into the kitchen behind the lobby that had been installed last year. He made some hot coco and some mushroom soup, as well as a sandwich with ham and cheese, lightly toasted. He normally wouldn't do this but he doubted Connor had eaten well in many months, judging by how skinny he was. Besides he needed a distraction. He carried the tray carefully up the stairs and pushed the door open and peered in.

Connor was tossing and turning, clearly having a nightmare. Angel sighed, before Cordelia had her memory back, she had mentioned once that Connor rarely slept and when he did he more often than not had severe nightmares. This must be one of those times.

He set the tray down and took his son's shoulder and shook him gently calling his name. Connor jerked awake and grabbed Angel's wrist in a bruising grip, his eyes flying all around the room.

"Shh Connor, it's ok you're safe." soothed Angel. Connor met his gaze and said more to himself

"Right, safe, not here, gone, dead." He still looked afraid though.

"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Angel, Connor instantly shook his head. "Connor you don't need to bear this alone, besides I want to, I need to, know what it was like in there, what it was like for you. Connor please."

"No you don't want to know!" insisted Connor, then he asked quietly "Do you really hate me?"

"What! No of course not! What made you think that?"

"Cordelia said…"

"Don't listen to her. She was lying to make you do things she said."

"Well it worked didn't it."

"We let it work, but believe me when I say that I will never hate you and I love you. Connor can you believe me when I say it?" Connor looked at his father and seemed to deliberate whether his answer was positive or negative. Angel let him think, he hadn't expected an instant answer. Slowly Connor nodded

"I believe you dad, but how can you love me after everything I've done?"

"Connor you've made mistakes, everyone does, but it's how we handle the consequences. We both handled my… ocean trip badly, and in doing so gave the bad guys the perfect opportunity."

"Is Cordelia really evil?"

"No the real Cordy is stuck inside while something else is in control, but once she gives birth it will pass from Cordy to the child or whatever it is and Cordy will die." Angel hated being so cruel but he knew he had to be straight or else Connor might not understand. Connor looked horrified at the revelation. Angel suddenly realised what he was thinking and quickly tried to quell his fears

"Connor this was all done in such a complicated way, there's no way you are a demon or that you will have demon children. You are a human through and through."

"With super abilities and healing like a vampire!" put in Connor sullenly as if it was a bad thing. Angel knew Connor hated having demons for parents; it made him feel like a monster.

"Well even if you don't like it, if you didn't have it you probably wouldn't be here right now." Connor looked up at him again and his eyes told Angel that he was scared of the thought, of death.

"I never liked hearing fa-" he sighed and shook his head, "Holtz," he amended, "talk about death, it was unnerving because it's the unknown and I never knew if I would see them again."

"Them?" asked Angel in confusion, he knew for a fact that it was only Holtz and Connor in Qour-Toth. Connor suddenly looked extremely uncomfortable and sighed again,

"Him again, I still don't." he added sadly. Angel didn't exactly know what to say, what was there to say

"Here I brought you some food, better not let it get cold." he said finally picking up the tray and giving it to Connor. He was disappointed when Connor went green at the sight of it. "Can't I ever do anything right in your eyes?" he asked tiredly. Connor didn't answer and Angel found himself getting angrier with his son, "What is it? Is it me, is it because of what I am, a vampire? Is that why you never give me a chance? Well excuse me for being able to accept what I am for now! I can't help that I'm a vampire!"

"Dad stop!" shouted Connor and Angel froze realising his voice had gone from irritated to furiously loud. He then noticed that Connor's voice had been thick with emotion and tears. He sat down beside his son and apologized.

"It's just-"

"It's hard for you to know that Cordelia a woman you care about is possessed with something evil and is apparently carrying your son's child." Connor offered sharply, looking away. Angel nodded

"Yeah I guess that's it." Connor began to pick at the sandwich, then he murmured

"I'm not really hungry, I just can't look at food with out feeling sick, I could probably bring up every meal I've ever had right about now."

"That bad uh?"

"Well she lied, tricked, and used me. That seems to be all anyone wants to do with me." Connor's voice was sad, resigned. Angel reached out and squeezed his shoulder.

"No, look I know things haven't been easy for you, well, actually I don't, but I can guess, anyway I just want you to know that, well, I'm here, if you need me."

"I know and I know I will need you soon enough, something big is about to happen, I can feel it! But I need to know I have you and the others by my side. Can you promise me that dad?" he looked Angel in the eye.

"Honestly I can say I will be by your side and I know that despite the fact that they find it hard to trust you right now they love as much as I do, so they probably will stand by you." Connor nodded seriously and rewarded his dad with a small smile

"Maybe I can try the coco, but don't expect much." He picked up the mug and began to sip at it. "Mmm good! Especially considering you have no real sense of taste." Angel grinned happily, ruffled Connor's hair good naturedly and said

"When you feel up to it come downstairs, we unfortunately need you to tell us where Cordelia is and what she is up to, plus I would like to know how you came back, cause I have no doubt she would have stopped you with magic." Connor nodded but didn't say anything. Angel left the tray there in case Connor got hungry.

"Angel is everything ok? We heard shouting." said Fred, looking worried

"Yeah I just lost the plot a little, but it's fine now. Connor said something that I should tell you. He said that soon he'll need us all by his side, I already promised him I would but he needs you guys as well, can you stand by him?" The four shared a look, true they did care about Connor but he didn't seem to care about them. Still he had tried to do what was right at the time, just he had either been told the wrong thing was right or had been confused.

"Ok Angel we'll be there if he needs us." said Fred finally

"As long as he stays out of trouble." added Gunn with a slight smirk

"Can't exactly promise that seeing as it seems to run in the family." Connor said coming down with the tray that was devoid of all food.

"I thought you said you weren't hungry!" teased Angel, smiling.

"True but then I remembered I haven't eaten during the whole apocalypse, literally so I decided I may as well eat."

"You really haven't eaten since this whole thing started?" asked Fred whose appetite was huge for her size. Connor shook his head

"Survival came before food in Qour-Toth and it's a habit I never got a chance to break really." he answered casually and walked into the kitchen. He came back and asked Fred if there was anything for a headache. Fred said to check the second cabinet from the door. He nodded and went back in, they heard him opening and closing the door and then after a few moments he came back in rubbing his forehead.

"You ok kid?" asked Gunn, hands stuffed sheepishly in his pockets.

"Yeah just feel like I fell a hundred stories, hit my head and then got rammed by a truck."

"Did you get the registration?" chuckled Lorne, Connor looked bewildered, "Ok what did you two teach him in the three months Angel was gone because you don't seem to have taught him a thing!" the green demon exclaimed to Fred and Gunn who shook their heads in amusement.

"He is standing right here!" grumbled Connor good-naturedly. Then and only then did he notice Skip. "Who's that?" he asked

"Oh that's just Skip, he's got info on Cordelia, like what's happening to her and all that." said Angel glaring at the metal demon.

"Oh! Ok." shrugged Connor flopping onto the couch, feeling exhausted.

"Connor how did you realise what was happening, like what made you leave Cordelia?" asked Fred. Connor looked at her and said

"My mother told me."

"Darla?" asked Angel in surprise, a softness in his voice.

"Yeah apparently the powers sent her with a message for me."

"Really!" asked Angel a little doubtfully. Connor chuckled quietly and shook his head

"You don't believe me yet you can't deny stranger things have happened, such as two vampires having a child." He looked at his father with an amused face. Angel half shrugged, half nodded

"I guess, but how did you get away?"

"Mum helped me. She used some magic against Cordelia's spells and gave me enough time to escape."

"Right good, now where is she?"

"Last time I saw her she was in a package plant, but she may have moved. I can go track her whenever you're ready." Connor sat up to prove his point. Angel shook his head.

"Not yet the Scoobies are on their way."

"The who?"

"Sorry, you wouldn't get that would you, but they are the slayer and her friends."

"Faith's coming?" asked Connor perking up at the mention of the dark haired slayer.

"Yes but there's also Buffy the other slayer."

"Two slayers? I thought there was only one."

"Usually yes but let's just say that the Sunnydale group have a knack for the impossible."

"Sounds familiar."

"Yeah I guess it is like us."

"So two slayers and their friends are coming here, when?"

"They should be here in an hour."

"Cool so until then what do we do?"

"We rest! Take this opportunity to recover some of our strength."

"I feel like I could sleep for a week!" declared Gunn yawning.

"I hear ya!" sighed Fred resting her head on her folded arms that were resting on the reception table.

"We should rest but stay down here so when the Scoobies arrive they don't find an empty lobby." suggested Wesley, sitting down on the pouf chair and leaning his head against the top of it. Connor frowned,

"Did they say if there was anyone else with them, aside from their team?"

"No. Why?"

"I was just… wondering." Connor fell quiet and Angel placed his hand on his shoulder questioningly. He smiled reassuringly at his father, "I'm ok."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Don't worry about me."

"I'm your dad. I'm meant to worry about you."

"Then it's a good thing you don't age, or I'd have given you a lot of grey hair by now."

"Yeah. Good thing."

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Night's Darkness