Connor's First Christmas!
Part 4
Disclaimer: I don't own Angel. Joss and the rest of the executive producers owe it all.
Author's Notes: Thank you so much to all the lovely people that have reviewed this little story. To have 19 reviews so far makes me really happy, I really didn't expect such a good response for this and I do hope you keep it coming. So a huge thank you to everybody who's reviewed, favorited and put on their alerts!
I really hope you like what I did with the chapter, it was actually an idea that I thought I had to try out and so this wasn't a planned part but I did like it a lot. Hopefully you'll do too. Thanks again for the amazing feedback and a huge sorry for the wait! I apologize for all the mistakes. This hasn't been thoroughly proof-read, so sorry in advance.
Additional note: I just took my poetic license on this one because I needed it all to fit. Hope you don't mind the fact that I'm writing the hotel having a chimney and other kind of weirdness you may find.
Warnings: Mild parental discipline and some swearing.
Next chapter: Within two weeks or so. I'm sorry but school's been caotic and I don't want to fail you guys and tell you that I'll be able to update next week. Maybe I will but just to be sure and given the fact that I don't want to disappoint anyone, I'll set that tentative date, alright?
On with the story!
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Connor just couldn't forget how beautiful the tree had looked. And to even think he'd done that with his very own hands was an even bigger reward. Maybe his dad was right, perhaps it was the way it looked and the fun of decorating it, that made the Christmas tree tradition so special.
He did as his father told him and went upstairs only to notice that Cordy had gone down to the lobby and was now talking to his father. He kept on walking to his room and once he was there, he threw himself at the bed and just lay there peacefully.
The teen was thinking about all the new and amazing things he had learned. The origins of Christmas, the meaning of the tree, and to even think that he'd never actually experienced one of his own before, saddened him a little. He bet all the kids that were now his age, had to have tons of happy memories by now and those memories were all about the 15 Christmases he'd already missed and will never get back. Of course, he had many skills the other boys didn't have, and his unique lifestyle made the comparison a little harder, but still, he really felt like he'd missed all the big moments in his life and he wasn't sure that enhanced abilities and amazing hunting skills were worth all the things he'd lost.
Connor heard Cordelia's footsteps indicating that she was coming back to her room and a few minutes later he heard his father's which made him realize that he would be the only one awake in just a little while. He stayed lying on his back just starring at the ceiling for a good half an hour; contemplating all the good things he now had around him, trying to avoid thinking about the past and concentrating better on the happy present events. After that, he used his enhanced hearing to notice that his father was now breathing evenly, which could only mean that he was already sound asleep.
The kid didn't really feel sleepy or anything, therefore he used the opportunity to go downstairs so he could take a look at the tree once again. He quickly got up from the bed, untied his tennis shoes and took them off so he wouldn't make any loud noises. His hand went softly to his bedroom's door knob and he opened it as silently as humanly possible.
His footsteps were enormously calculated and his breathing had slowed down so that not even his father could pick up he was doing anything but sleep soundly. Once he reached the first step of the stairway, he thought he heard something and saw a small shadow. But he paid it no mind, as he figured it must have probably been his imagination due to his recent lack of sleep.
Connor continued his way downstairs and then walked slowly towards the round couch, which was situated right in front of his proudly well decorated tree. He stood there only contemplating its beauty for a few minutes and then noticed some coal powder remains falling down the chimney.
He stood up and walked towards the stone-made chimney and then put his head in the hole to see if he could determine what was causing all the now low noises that he began to hear. When he put his head in the dark place and looked up, he saw two bright yellowish eyes and some kind of fidgeting creature, which by noticing it had been discovered, immediately released his grip of the chimney wall and fell down almost landing on top of the boy.
The creature was amazingly fast moving and looked gross. It had some strange type of pointy horns on the top of his head and didn't appear to have regular skin, most likely replaced by reddish scales. Connor had never seen anything like it before and was a little stunned to react at first.
The demon took him by the waist and carried him aiming to throw him at the wall, but Connor managed to somehow release his hold before that, and ran furiously towards the gun's cabinet, opening it desperately. He took the first ax he could grab and then turned around, waiting to be attacked again.
Once the thing noticed his prey was loose, it came back and starred at the now armed boy. It made a horrible sound, then took out claws from its large hands and went after Connor who could barely start using the ax against his opponent before he found himself being scratched a few times by the fast and sharp claws that were aiming at him.
He managed to make a deep cut in one of the demon's leg which hurt it badly. The wound forced the creature to run towards the main entrance and down the street in an attempt to escape. Connor, who had a few cuts in both his shoulders bleeding a little, stood frozen for a second, pretty impacted about the creature's sudden escapade and then, when he came back to his senses, the kid began to run towards the door only thinking about chasing and killing the damn thing once and for all. He was about to be out of the building when he heard a loud and somehow angry voice.
"CONNOR!" someone yelled to the top of his lungs.
The kid, having recognized the now too-well-known bellow, froze in his step not daring to turn around.
"Connor, you come back here right this second!" said the vampire for the second time. The command was spoken through gritted teeth and didn't leave room for any kind of foolishness.
Connor, being the hard-headed boy he is, just stood there not wanting to turn around and face his father, knowing all too well he was going to be more than angry at him.
"Connor, I told you to come back here. My patience at this hour of the night is pretty low, young man, so I suggest you comply immediately before this turns into something really ugly," there came the threat. Truth was, Angel was tired and seeing the last bit of his son's battle didn't really help any.
Connor persisted in his current position and just lowered his head and said softly, "I didn't do anything."
"I'm not discussing whether or not you did anything. I'm telling you to come here right now and if you don't bring your butt here in the next 3 seconds, then I'm going to be really angry," Angel said in a final tone. The sweet kid that had listened to him barely hours ago was now openly defying him, which he didn't find funny in the least.
"1…" The vampire began to count with an annoyed tone.
No response.
"2…" He continued, hoping this wouldn't turn into an unnecessary debacle, but knowing that with his son he could never possibly know what to expect.
This time Connor finally decided to turn around only to repeat his defense statement once again, "But I didn't do anything!"
Angel was a little startled at first when he noticed the few scratches his son had on his shoulders. The blood in all of them was mostly dry by now, but nevertheless, he felt furious at the thing that had dared to do that to his precious child. He made his best effort to keep his stoic face and said, "Last chance, Con."
Seeing no way out of this predicament, which by the way was totally not his fault, Connor began to walk reluctantly towards the stairs and then stopped when he was right in front of his father.
Angel gave him a hard look and said, "Care to explain me what the hell just happened in here?" He was no longer watching his language because he was more on the upset stage by now.
"Oh nothing, my good friend the demon and I were just having a little claw practice. Sorry if we woke anyone up…" Connor said sarcastically. But before he could even smirk, his father grabbed his wrist and turned him around, landing two sharp swats on his jean-clad bottom and then turning him back to face him once again.
"You were saying?" he said raising an eyebrow and daring his son to keep being smart mouthed to him.
Connor sniffled a little and brought his hand back, instinctively trying to cover his butt. "Well, a demon attacked me. I thought it was pretty obvious," he said with an obnoxious voice, a little mad about being swatted.
"Oh, no kidding?" Angel held back his first instinct, which was to show the kid a lesson right there and then, but he really did want to find out what had happened before that. "You know I meant how did that thing appeared here? Please don't tell me you went hunting and that little puppy just followed you home?"
"What if I did?" Connor was feeling pretty defiant that night and felt the need to release all his saved energy channeling it towards pissing his father off.
Angel had had about enough of his son's recent acquired and certainly not appreciated attitude. So, he decided that he had to show the teen how serious he could be when he set his mind to it.
He took the teen by the collar of his t-shirt and marched him to the round couch in less then a second. Before Connor could realize what was going on, he found himself starring at the perfectly waxed lobby floor that now reflected the diffuse lightning coming from the Christmas tree. Damn it!
"Well, if you did, then you and I are going to have a pretty long conversation, but you know, one of those were there are no actual words involved," Angel answered in a low calmed voice and then brought his hand firmly right on the center of Connor's backside. He spanked him five times before stopping, knowing his son was probably just bluffing, but wanting to make sure the teen knew the attitude had to go. And pretty damn fast. "So, what's it gonna be?" he said while resting his hand on the crest of Connor's butt, to remind him that no other smart comments would be tolerated.
"It came down the chimney, alright?!" Connor yelled in an exasperated rude tone, which only got him another hard swat on the butt. He was feeling trapped by his father's seriousness and knowing full well that he would keep on going with the spanking if he didn't change his attitude, he decided to be as compliant as he could. Right about now, with his butt throbbing already from the swats he'd just gotten, a spanking didn't seem appealing at all, so thanks but no thanks.
"Down the chimney? You mean like Santa?" Angel said with a puzzled expression. He found it very odd that any demon would use a chimney to get inside a place. He certainly hadn't heard that one before.
"What's Santa?" Connor asked and turned around intrigued. "Is it a 'Santa'?" he repeated thinking that it must have been the name of that strange demon.
"No, it's not Santa," Angel answered a little unsure. "At least it's not the one I've heard about before." The vampire then noticed that he had Connor still in his lap but wanted to make sure the attitude was gone before he let him up. "So, are you ready to be civil to me and drop the attitude once and for all, or do you need a little more incentive before that?"
"I'm sorry," Connor apologized none too sincerely, but Angel decided to let it go for now. He really felt bad having to do that to his son and so he tried to avoid it as much as possible; even though Connor didn't make things any easier for him. He finally let the boy up and hugged him. "Are you alright, son?"
Connor's face to respond at the question his father had just asked him was priceless. It was like a combination of 'Are you freaking kidding me?' and 'How dare you even ask something like that?' Angel couldn't help but to smirk at even thinking what may have gone through his son's mind at the moment.
"I meant the cuts that the demon did to you. Not the other thing," he said with a grin.
"'m fine," Connor mumbled, trying to keep as much dignity as the situation allowed. Being attacked and hurt by a demon and then semi-spanked by his father hadn't exactly made that easy, but still he didn't want the vampire hovering over him like he always did when he was hurt.
"Let me check those cuts," Angel said determinately and started to tug his son's shirt in order to get a better look at the scratches on his shoulders and looking around to see if there were any other damages in his child's body.
So much for not wanting to be hovered over, the teen thought bitterly. But given the fact that Connor knew his father was not in the play around kind of mood right now, he decided to let him take a look at the cuts without doing any more fuss about it.
"These don't look too deep," he said pointing at the scratches the kid had on his left shoulder and forearm. "But I think these two could use some dressing," Angel continued, now looking at a couple of deep cuts that were located in his right forearm and hadn't stopped bleeding completely yet. "And well, we need to put the medicine on all of them to avoid an infection."
"But that horrid stuff itches like hell!" Connor yelled with desperation. He really didn't like that evil substance.
"Watch your mouth, Con. I'm not repeating myself, alright?" Angel said as he walked with the kid in tow towards the round couch. He saw that the two cuts he'd thought needed extra care were starting to bleed again so he said, "These two certainly need dressing –"
"No, they don't. They'll be better in the morning anyways, and I'll be fine, there's no need for you to do that, it's not like I'll bleed to death or anything," Connor muttered knowing fully well his father was bound to hear his complaint.
"I didn't ask for your opinion, and it is not wanted nor appreciated. I'm dressing these cuts and that's that, so let me go and get the first aid kit," Angel told him grumpily. It had to be the wee hours of the night already and here he was, wide awake and about to dress Connor's cuts. This night was just getting better and better, he thought bitterly. "Stay," he whispered orderly-like knowing his son couldn't be still for more than three seconds straight.
Connor felt a little aggravated at the dog-like command but chose to shut up about it. He knew his father was really tired and sleepy and if he even though about complaining, let's just say, he was pretty sure wasn't going to be sitting comfortably in the near future.
Angel came back with the first aid kit in hand in a matter of seconds, hoping his son had been smart enough to have followed one simple request. When he saw the kid was still sitting where he'd left him, he let out a small unneeded sigh that expressed his eternal gratefulness for small favors and then approached him and seated by his side.
"Take your shirt off please, Con," Angel said softly, trying to avoid any further confrontation.
Connor looked at him with his big blue orbs trying to ask for any mercy that could be left in the vampire's un-beating heart. But seeing his father's determined gaze, he knew that there was nothing he could possibly do about any of this. He reluctantly reached the bottom of his shirt and slid it up his head, being careful enough not to over-touch any damaged skin.
"Thanks, son," Angel said with approval. "Let's check this out," he said as he inspected carefully all of the wounds, no matter how small they were. When he finally drew his plan of action he got a cotton-ball from the first aid kit and the poured some brownish substance. That was exactly what Connor dreaded.
"Dad, c'mon. You know it probably won't even get infected. We heal faster than that," Connor slowly pleaded.
"I'm sorry, son. I know you hate this stuff, but it's for your own good. I promise it won't even be that bad," Angel said with a fatherly voice and gesturing for his son to place his arm over his hand.
"You say that because you're not the one feeling it," Connor muttered with annoyance. He was starting to believe that all things that were accompanied by the statement 'it's for your own good' sucked beyond.
"The tyke's right, Peaches," a now well-too-known voice said, making both Angel and Connor turn around at the stairs. "You've always been kinda hypocrite if you ask me, sire."
"Well, then it's a good thing I never ask you, isn't it Spike?" Angel said through gritted teeth and making an effort to stay calmed. "What the hell are you doing here anyways?"
"We've been to that question before, haven't we? Or am I having a dejá-vu?" Spike said grinning.
Angel just looked back to his hatred grand childe and struggled to retain the last straws of his patience.
"Well, one would think that staying at a hotel would grant a good night's sleep, but since you happen to run this one, well… what else could I expect?" Spike continued evilly, knowing full well that Angel must be furious by now. "I heard some disturbance down here and decided to check it out myself."
"You saw the thing that attacked Connor too?" Angel asked intrigued, perhaps Spike had taken a better look at it.
Connor internally groaned, realizing now that if Spike had been there ever since the thing attacked him, he'd probably seen his father's angry rant and all the consequences that had brought him. Damn it! How could he face him now? What will he think of him?
"Well, tonight's a tad blur to me, Peaches, so I could see a shadow along with the floor sort of dancing and one or two black spots here and there," Spike answered sincerely, which was not that usual.
"Great! How could I even think you could be useful! You're always drunk!" Angel ranted on. He really wanted to break that skinny little vampire wanna-be.
"You know, you are going to wake everyone up if you keep proving you've got as good pair of lungs as your little runt over there," Spike said pointing at Connor, who had conveniently went as far on the couch as possible.
Angel suddenly realized that Spike had interrupted him when he was dressing Connor's wounds and now the kid had escaped from the grip in which he had him earlier on.
"Connor, come here please, I wasn't done with your cuts," Angel said trying to reach his son and bring him back to position
Connor swore under his breath and tried as hard as he could to avoid his fathers reach.
"Yes, tyke, your father wasn't done with you. And you know what happens to bad lads who don't listen to their poppas, don't you?" Spike was trying to tease the boy.
"You of all people should know, right William?" Angel said with a voice full of anger and sternness and noticing Spike blushing and flinching at the tone and at the fact that he was called by his original name. "Go back to bed. Everything's fine now. Leave," he continued determinately. The last thing he wanted to have was Connor feeling bad about the whole thing.
"Alright, alright. Don't you get your panties in a bunch," Spike said sort of defeated. That comment his sire had made, had had quite an impact.
The bleached vampire retrieved himself to the stairs and then straight into his room again. There would be time for revenge later, he thought. Because he was surely planning on getting back on Angel for that annoying statement he'd just made.
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Back downstairs, Connor stood next to the tree, remaining as far away from his father as possible.
"C'mon Con. Let's just get this over with so we can finally go to sleep," his father said calmly.
"I don't understand why you can't just leave it like that. You know it won't get infected. You're just doing it because you know it hurts!" Connor pleaded and sounded more like a five year old not wanting to take his medicine because it tasted yucky.
"Connor, have I ever told you about Santa?" Angel decided that a change of tactics was in order and he thought that maybe this story would change his son's mind once and for all.
"No. Is it a demon?" Connor softly spoke, not getting any closer to his father but instead deciding to keep a little more distance; just in case. "Like the one that attacked me tonight?"
"No, it's not a demon, son. I really don't know what kind of creature attacked you earlier, but I can assure you it wasn't the Santa Claus I'm telling you about," Angel softened his tone once again, knowing his son had been pretty upset about the demon that attacked him being still out there. But he was going to chase it down and make him pay for everything it did to his beloved son; that much he was sure of.
"Who is this Santa Claws then?" Connor asked intrigued, feeling partially bad for not knowing stuff he thought he was supposed to.
"No, son. It's not Santa Claws it's Santa Claus," Angel explained to Connor trying very hard not to smirk at Connor's way of putting it, but ultimately not really succeeding. His son was so innocent sometimes.
"Who is he, anyways?" Connor sounded more demanding, and suddenly blushed noticing his father's grin at his misspelling.
"Well, I think it's correct to say that he is one of the most common references for Christmas, son. It is said that he is an old man named Nicholas that brings presents to kids who have been good all year long in every place of the world," Angel started explaining, hoping no more complaints from Connor were coming.
"Does he have a credit card?" Connor asked out of the blue.
"What? What do you mean does he have a credit card?" Angel was startled, where did that come from?
"Well, Cordy said if you wanted to buy lots of presents you needed a credit card without limit," Connor asked innocently, not knowing why his question had been misunderstood.
"Figures," Angel muttered. That would be exactly what Cordelia would have said.
"What figures?" his son asked him a little confused.
"Nothing, son. And to answer your question, no, he does not have a credit card –" Angel tried to break it down to his son, but before he could even finish the statement Connor had spoken again.
"Is he rich?" Connor surprised him yet again.
"Why would you even ask that?" Angel said out-loud not even directing to his son in particular. And just when his son was about to open his mouth and answer him he gestured for him to not talk. "No, don't even tell me. Let me guess. Cordelia told you that rich people were the only ones that could afford to buy lots of things, didn't she? So you think in order for Santa Claus to give all those presents to all the kids in the world he must be rich. Am I wrong?"
Connor couldn't do much but nod at his father's assumption, because it had been correct. He wondered why he got angry about Cordelia explaining him the facts of life and how to get through it in one piece. He knew that if there was something that Cordy really did know about, it had to be shopping.
"He actually manufactures the presents in his toy factory at the North Pole," Angel told him shaking his head. He actually thanked God this time, because if Connor had been a normal boy, he'd start asking about how he could build all the toys from all the trademarks and serious stuff like that. Of course, Connor would never even think about such thing.
"Wow, he has a toy factory?" Connor's eyes lit up. It sounded so much cooler than having a dad that owns a hotel.
"Yes, and elves work for him and make the toys the entire year so he can bring them to all kids who have been good all year long," Angel continued explaining. He'd never really understood why parents made such a big deal about the being good part when telling their kids about Santa. He now knew it was an excellent incentive (or threat) to keep the kids from misbehaving and to actually listen to their parents. He made a mental note to thank anyone who had come up with such a bright idea.
"That's sounds cool. But how can he manage to visit everybody in a single night?" Connor asked very intrigued. "We are faster than average people and still there's no way we could travel around the world in one night."
"Well, son, he had magical powers and magical transportation. He uses a magical sled with flying reindeers –" Angel kept going with the same story he'd been told as a child many centuries ago, but was abruptly stopped by his son.
"What? That's insane!" Connor said flatly. "There is no such thing as flying reindeers and magical sleds. I haven't lived in this dimension very long, but I'm not even thatstupid," he said with defiance.
"Well, that's the story. And if you ask me, I do believe in Santa," Angel said trying to act like his son's skepticism was totally out of place.
"And how does he supposedly get into kids' houses to deliver the presents?" Connor asked with disbelief clearly present in his voice.
That's the part that Angel though he might leave out for the night. He really didn't want Connor to think that the creature that had attacked him was the same that he was telling him about. He thought it over for a few seconds but decided against making something else up as the kid had already been lied to too many times during his life.
"He climbs up the roofs of the houses and then goes down the chimney to put the presents under the tree," Angel told him calmly, waiting for a major reaction. "He also drinks the milk and eats the cookies some kids leave him in a table near the tree," he added carefully.
"What?!" Connor exclaimed. "You mean to tell me that same ugly thing that attacked me enters everybody's houses and gets away with it?" he said outraged. "He's a demon; I don't see why you're defending him!"
"The thing that attacked you is not Santa Claus!" Angel tried to calm his son down with little success.
"Yes it is. It all adds up. Maybe they tell that story so no one will be scared when he comes and kills them at night!" the teen shouted his conclusion. He just couldn't believe his father sometimes. "Stupid humans! They are such an idiotic race."
"Connor, please, calm down, son. It's not the same thing. I'm telling you, what attacked you today is definitely not Santa Claus," his father said with a cold tone. He had tried so hard to prevent this from happening and now here he was: back to square one.
"I'm going out to kill it!" he announced more to himself than to his father. The teen quickly started pacing towards the gun's cabinet but just before he could reach it his father grabbed him forcefully by the upper arm, being careful enough not to touch his wounds.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he whispered so only his son could hear him, even though no one else was awake at that time.
"I have to go and kill it!" his son bellowed at the top of his lungs.
"First off, you don't have to do it. And second of all, you won'tdo it. I forbid you to," Angel said dryly and started to walk his son back to the couch so he could finish dressing his wounds.
"You forbid me?" Connor repeated outraged. "It could be killing people right now, and you're just going to go upstairs and have a good night's sleep?!"
"We don't work like that Connor. We need to do a little research first and find out what we're dealing with. And even so, you are NOT going on your own to hunt it down. And that's the end of it," he said calmly sitting on the round couch and gesturing for his son to do the same with one hand and with the other still holding him firmly. "Come here so we can dress those cuts and try to at least get a couple of hours of sleep, okay?"
Connor didn't move. He couldn't believe how stubborn his father could be sometimes. That thing was dangerous and it was out there and here he was sitting on the couch getting his not even bleeding cuts dressed.Great, just fucking great.
"Connor," Angel said in an audible warning tone. "Here. NOW."
His son moved reluctantly, knowing trouble would ensue if he didn't grant his father's wishes. He stood there and then saw when Angel poured for a second time that night that horrible brownish stuff on a cotton ball, as he mentally prepared himself for the horrors it would bring.
"Ow," Connor complained. "It itches!"
"I know but it will be for a short time. We need to make sure they don't get infected," Angel offered nicely.
Connor only rolled his eyes and hoped he could be over with this soon enough.
After several more complaints and open yells Angel finally finished.
"There, all done," he said with a slight smile. This had been harder than he had hoped.
Connor shrugged. He hated every time his father babied him. It made him sick.
"Are you 'kay?" his father asked him with a bit of a concerned look.
Like you care. "'m fine," the kid murmured bitterly.
"Alright. So I guess we should both go to sleep at least for a good couple of hours," his father told him walking him to the bottom of the stairs.
"But –" Connor whined but was cut off all of a sudden by a large palm on his shoulder that made him turn to face his father.
"The discussion is closed, Con. We'll find about it later… we all need a little rest. I need to sleep and God knows you need it too. You look beat," Angel said firmly directing his characteristic non-readable glare to his son.
"Wonder why that is…" Connor muttered to himself, forgetting for a second his father's enhanced hearing ability was just like his own.
"I'll start to watch it if I were you, Con. I'm not really happy with your whole attitude at the moment, so you just keep on pushing me and see what happens," Angel warned him coldly and then marched him up the stairs and to the kid's room.
"Here are your PJ's," the vampire said while taking the sleep-clothes out of the closet.
"'anks," Connor whispered neutrally.
"Good night. And remember what we talked about, okay?" Angel said as he saw his son climb up the bed and the he turned around, clicked the lights off and walked out of his boy's room. He had to actually drag his feet to his bedroom and once he was there, he threw himself on the bed and fell asleep almost instantly. This had really been a long night.
After a few minutes passed, Connor got up from his bed abruptly and walked towards his window. He opened it and then looked down. He was pretty sure he could make it. He took one last glance at his room and then after hearing his father's even breathing, he finally jumped out the window.
Connor was not going to let that thing escape, even if it meant getting into a little bit of trouble. Or a lot. He just was going to kill it once and for all, even if it was the last thing he ever did.
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Fred and Gunn woke up pretty early and went downstairs to the lobby. Fred started breakfast and Gunn just paced around looking at the mess that the room was. He wondered if anything had happened last night. He was sure he had heard something, but just forgot about it as he thought he was just dreaming very vividly.
Cordy was just coming downstairs when she glanced around at the room and was very surprised by the look of it.
"What happened in here?" she asked a bit confused. "You guys weren't getting wild this early in the morning, were you?" she said with a squeaky smile.
"Nope, we just came downstairs and it was already like this," Gunn answered her and Fred just blushed a little.
"Well, someone surely had a ruckus night," Cordy commented. "I'm going to wake Angel up. God knows that vampire can't get out of bed on his own in the mornings."
She went upstairs and walked towards Angel's bedroom and saw him sleeping with his already characteristic pose and of course that non-breathing thing.
"Hey, sleepyhead," she whispered to his ear and to that Angel shifted.
"What's up Cordy?" the vampire said yawning a little and getting up from his bed, not without realizing that he'd actually slept in his regular clothes.
"Nothing, just wondering what happened down at the lobby," she told him simply.
"Oh Con and I had quite a night," he said while heading to the bathroom and cleaning up his face.
"What happened?" she asked intrigued.
"Long story, I'll tell you later. Could you please check up on Connor please, I don't really hear his heartbeat," he asked her while he was still in the bathroom.
"Course," she responded nicely as she headed towards the kid's room.
When she opened the door noticed that the window that was just beside the bed was open and then when she ventured herself to check up on the kid's bed she found that, just as she'd suspected, he was gone.
Cordelia came back to Angel's room and then saw him just as he was butting up his shirt since he had changed his clothes.
"Look, Angel, I don't know how to say this, but Connor is kinda… umm… not here," she dropped the bomb, hoping she didn't have to pay for it.
"What do you mean he's not here?!" Angel bellowed, feeling the concern and fury grow in him at the same time.
"Well, I just checked and he wasn't in his bed and the window was open," Cordy elaborated a little more.
Angel was about to explode when Gunn went quickly into his room.
"What's all the fuzz 'bout people?" he asked both of the figures standing in front of him.
"Connor's not here," Cordy answered shortly.
"You mean not here like, not here in this room or not here-here?" the man asked her yet again.
"Not here-here," she told him with a bit of exasperation.
"I thought Sparky had been over the staying here kinda lesson," Gunn commented.
"We have been over it," Angel answered through gritted teeth and grabbing his jacket. "But apparently he thinks I talk just because I like the sound of my own voice."
They all came downstairs just to find Fred serving them all breakfast and Spike drinking a cup of microwave-heated blood.
"What's with the long faces, fellas?"
Angel just plain ignored the unwanted guest and directed his gaze at the three members of the gang.
"Could you guys please do some research about this creature that attacked Connor last night?" Angel told them dryly while he headed to the gun's cabinet.
"What? What do you mean something attacked Connor?" Cordelia was outraged. If the vampire thought that this long story could wait, he was sorely mistaken.
"I don't have time for it. But Spike here," he said pointing at the bleached vampire, "will tell you everything he saw," Angel paused and sighed retrieving one large ax and a few stakes. "Minus the black spots and the dancing floor, of course," he added bitterly, "there's no time for us to discuss your drinking habits".
"Well, sire, I don't see why they are such a big deal," Spike was not totally awake and didn't feel like a confrontation for once.
"Just can it Spike," Angel grumbled. "I'll go look for Connor. Anything new you guys may find, call me on that weird thing," he said pointing at his cell.
"It's called a cell-phone," Cordelia automatically corrected just to have Angel roll his eyes and leave immediately walking towards where the sewer of the hotel was located. He just knew a creature like the one that had attacked his son would be living in a place like the sewers. And of course, there was also the fact that he couldn't take sunlight. This would just have to do.
"And to just think that we all wanted for this to be the perfectChristmas for Connor," Fred commented while taking all the plates she'd settled away as the table was going to be used to do research.
"I'm betting when Sparky's found he's going to have anything but a perfect day before Christmas," Gunn added smiling slightly, knowing full well what Angel might do once he found the kid. "He ain't gonna be happy at all."
"And they still have to go shopping later today!" Cordelia half-whined.
"So who's interested in finding the thing that attacked mini-Peaches?" Spike asked them all, thinking they weren't the brightest set of humans in the world. They all looked at him nodding, knowing it was time to start looking at the books. "Okay so here's what happened after I stopped seeing yellow elephants dancing around my head…"
Oh yeah… Christmas had a lot in store yet for the Angel household… hopefully they'll all survive it.
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To. Be. Continued.
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I'd appreciate you guys telling me what you think about it! I promise next chapter will be full of surprises and of course we are reaching the actual Christmas Eve so look out for it! Any suggestions are welcome, so in case you want to see something specific you just leave it on the review or PM me and I'll do my best to include it somehow.
Please review! You'd make me feel less guilty for actually writing this instead of doing my homework! LOL!
Love you guys! Thanks for the huge encouragement! Laters!