Title: Family

Author: Aset



A/N: sorry for the delay, I've been busy with a dull task, and exams start pretty soon now, so this will be one of the last chapters in some weeks. Sorry! Last chapter (for now!!!) tomorrow.

Enjoy, and please, do review!  That will cheer me up when I'm studying soiltaxonomy or something :o)

And to all the others who have exams: GOOD LUCK ! ! ! ! ! !



Chapter 24: A mirror



'Awtch' they both screamed as the fell on the ground, in the middle of a field;

'Wow, cool!' Dawn exclaimed as she had her first look around, 'Do you think it worked?'

'We are here, aren't we?' Cordy said with a smile, 'now all we have to do is find the others, find Connor and get back home'

'How hard can that be?!' Dawn laughed, then sighed as she looked out over the meadow, which seemed to be reaching far behind the horizon.

***

They had kept walking east for several hours, seeing the landscape change from flat to mountains, from sun and flowers to snow, but they hadn't found Connor. Every time they rested Wesley continued to decipher the Scroll.

'Now how can this Menelaos know how we can get out of here? I'm just wondering…' Xander said, sitting down next to Willow.

'It's Archelaos…another king' Willow said with a smile, 'I don't know… I didn't knew he'd done that'

'What's that for a name anyway … Achelolos?'

'Archelaos…He was a Macedonian king in the 5th century BC. He tried to bring his kingdom closer to the Greek culture'

'Oh...okay'

'He had visions' Wesley said, looking up from his scroll, 'he predicted the coming of Alexander the Fred…well of course not his name, but a great king, who would unite the Greek and the Macedonian empire'

'Cool!'

'I think I know now how we can get back' Wesley said, putting the scroll away in a backpack as everybody got up to continue their journey, Connor was waiting! 

***

A large mountain rose in front of them

'The caves' Fred said, looking over at the impressive mass of stone

'Connor's in here?' Angel frowned…and then there was Holtz, still.

'Maybe…we don't know, Angel' Buffy said, as she went to walk next to him, 'Angel...' she said as she touched his shoulder, 'Don't worry, we'll find him'

'I know'

The walk continued in silence until they arrived at a large stela, carved in the rocks.

'What?' they all exclaimed as they saw the markings slightly glow. Angel stepped up and touched them…nothing.

'A stone, all grey in the night of day, A mirror in the night, The warrior will loose his fight.' He read out loud, 'the lover will be gone, as will the son…'

'Angel…' Buffy whispered as they saw the light dimming inside the stone and the letters were all grey again.

'What was that?' Fred asked, still looking at the rock as Gunn put an arm around her shoulder.

'It's…it's about me' Angel established.

'Yeah…But what does it mean?'

'Nancy boy here's in trouble, that's what it means' Spike said

'Spike!' Buffy hissed

'No… Spike's right…' Angel sighed

'Angel, we don't even know what this thing means…' Fred walked up to Angel, hesitated a bit before putting her hand on his arm.

'It says I'll loose Connor, and Cordy' He sighed and walked away from the stone, and his friends. He needed to be alone right now.

***

'It is working, sir' A brown-haired man said to his superior, sitting in a chair.

'Good…' the man said as he turned around to face the man talking to him. It is Holtz.

'The vampire has read the sacred words.'

'So the spell has started… Time to face your worst nightmares, Angelus!' Holtz said, then he began to laugh…

A bit later he asked,' And what about the baby '

'The child is safe in the village. They won't get near him'

'Fine'

***

Fields had changed into forests and mudpools, and back into fields as they'd started their search, while the sun travelled across the sky. They stopped, as the sun was setting, at the edge of a meadow, a little river in their vicinity.

'Cordy?' Dawn asked as she looked over to the young woman, who was staring into the little fire they'd started, a tear caught in her eye, 'What if we don't find them?'

Cordy looked at Dawn, quickly wiping away the tears, 'I…I don't know, Dawnie…' she saw no use in lying to the teenager.

'Do you think they are okay?'

'Yes…yes, I think …I know they are fine'

'How do you know?'

'I had a vision…I saw them all, but Connor'

Dawn got up and went to sit next to Cordelia, placing her hand on hers. Cordy raised her arm, putting it around her shoulder, pulling the girl against her.

'It'll be okay, don't worry'

Silence took over for several minutes.

'Do you know what it's gonna be?' Dawn was first to break the silence

'What?'

'The baby'

'Oh … no! …I'm not that far yet'

'Angel must be thrilled'

'He is…he is'

'Have you thought of a name yet?'

'We haven't got time to think about a name' She said with a laugh

'Sorry'

'It's okay…go to sleep now, we'll need our rest.'

***

They'd continued their journey as the day dawned. After several hours they arrived at something which appeared to be some kind of village. The inhabitants were demons, mostly. It reminded Cordelia a bit of Pylea, but here humans weren't slaves. They had hid themselves in the bushes as they heard a noise…A baby! A human baby, with a demon-surrogate-mother. He was left alone on the grass, in the light.

'Connor?' Cordelia asked as she saw the little baby, sitting on the lawn on a blanket, 'It is you!' Cordy said cheerfully, ' he's grown so much!'

'Is that Connor?' Dawn peeped through the leaves. 'He's so cute!'

'Stay here, I'm gonna get him' Cordelia said as she moved closer to the baby…

A quick look, then the run, taking Connor along.

'Run!' Cordy yelled at Dawn as she saw the demon coming out of the house. They ran back towards the meadow and further on, into the forest, until they had lost their pursuers.

Cordy went to sit down against a tree, Connor in her arms. Finally back together. She placed a gentle kiss on the boy's forehead. Connor started laughing. His mom was back!

***

The others had also walked on, exploring every cave, but with no result. When the sun had set, they'd settled down at the entrance of a cave. It didn't take long before everyone was fast asleep; Buffy in Spike's arms, Fred in Gunn's. Willow had found safety in Xander's company, Wesley, in a corner, alone. At the opposite corner, Angel, against a rock, also asleep. They were all exhausted.

A little noise, growing in strength, woke Angel from his sleep. It sounded like a child's cry.

'Connor' he whispered, still at the edge of awakening.

Another cry…a baby calling out for his father

'Connor!' he was awake now, completely as he got out of the cave, moving towards the cries as fast as he could.

***

'Connor!' he said as he ran up to the crying bundle of rags. As he scooped it up into his arms, the cherubs' face of the child was revealed to him.

'Connor!' he whispered as he recognised the face of the child in his arms. A tear ran down his cheeks. Connor had stopped crying as he was being rocked in his father's arms, safe again. As the others awoke silently they laid eyes upon a sweet, almost unreal view; Angel, with a baby, gently humming a lullaby as he cradled the child in his arms… Connor!'

***

The morning sun was already shining bright, waking up the creatures living underneath it. Angel hadn't slept; he couldn't. All he could do was look at his refound miracle, holding his little hands…

The others had shared his joy until sleep had taken over again. As the sun rose, Angel's worries grew. Connor had grown a fever during the night, and his cool skin could cool the child's feverish body down for just a little while. He wanted to wake his friends, but the sun had already done that for him.

'Good morning' Buffy said cheerfully as she got up, quickly placing a kiss on Spike's cheek, causing him to grumble as he woke up.

The others also awoke, mumbling 'mornings' to each other.

'He's sick' Angel said, his eyes never leaving his son.

'What?' Fred asked, walking over to the baby, feeling the heath coming of the child's forehead.

'Fever'

***

A/N: slightly confused? Don't worry, it'll get better later on…. (hehe)

Tnx to Horus!  For reading and reviewing and correcting my stupid mistakes ( :oS )