1 Authors Note: On popular demand, I've written a few more of these. This
one is when Connor is 10. He goes through a few rough days, when he begins
to be teased. He tries to find the truth about who he is.
2
3
4 Questions Needing Answering
Fred and Gunn walked in the hotel with Connor, now age ten, tagging behind. Cordelia walked toward the little boy with a big smile on her face. Connor wasn't as happy. He passed her and sat on the lobby couch. He took out a folder and put it on the lobby table, then he began to work.
Cordelia walked closer to Fred. Gunn sighed and then started to explain. "Connor's teacher, who is very hot by the way,: Fred nudged him. :Right, right. She said some of the kids were making fun of him."
"Making fun of him?" Cordy asked. "For what reason?"
"The strength. With the whole" Fred said. She continued to talk in a low whisper. "super strength that he got along with to vampire parents. He's too strong and he sometimes breaks things. The children were making fun of that and the fact that Angel never goes to any of the parent meetings."
"Well, he can't. They're all during the day." Cordelia observed.
"But the little ones don't know that. Tell them and your just giving them more bait for teasing." Gunn told her.
Cordelia sighed and walked toward the child. She sat besides him. "Whatcha doing?"
"My homework."
"Need some help. Believe it or not there was a time when I had to go to school and I hated homework. Well, come to think of it I still have homework. Just not the kind that you have."
"I don't need help. It's easy."
"That's nice to know." Cordy said. "I heard you were having a bit of trouble at school. Is there anything I can help with?"
Connor looked up from his homework and jumped from the seat. "I don't want any help. I don't want to go to school! I don't want any of this. I'm a freak."
"Connor! Who told you that you're a freak?"
"Jimmy."
"Jimmy? What kinda stupid name is Jimmy? Connor, you are NOT a freak. I don't care what any of those people at your school say. You are not a freak. I know freaks. I used to hang out with a few in high school and you aren't one."
Connor sat down again, little less peeved. Cordy could tell that just what she had said wasn't going to be enough. He would want answers to questions that he needed to ask. "Then what am I? If I'm not a freak. I'm stronger then other boys my age. I'm smarter. I don't do anything to be this way but I am."
Cordelia didn't know how to answer that. What was she to say? You're a boy who is destined to save the world? No. You can't put that sort of pressure on a kid. She learned that from Buffy. She had to grow up way to fast. Cordy didn't want that for Connor.
Cordy just sat there quietly, with no response. They both sat in a moment of silence. Angel walked down the stairs, looking at the two. "Hey little fella. How was school?"
"Horrible! I don't want to go to school. They called me a freak!"
It was kind of sweet. Connor looked up to his father to make things right. Even though he had Fred, Gunn, Wesley, and Cordelia, nobody could make him feel better like his dad.
"Really? Who? Give me names and addresses." Angel said, concerned.
"No, no, no!" Cordy said. "There will be no violence. Angel sit down." He obeyed. "We will solve this like adults. Gunn get the crossbows."
Now Fred had to interfere. All of the people in this building loved Connor with all their hearts. But this group of people were irrational. As Gunn moved toward the weapons cabinet, Fred grabbed his arm. "This is not the way to solve this. We will all sit down and talk this out. Understand!?" Fred ordered. The 4 others nodded. "Good."
She sat down on the couch pulling Gunn with her. Connor looked back on his homework and began to work on it again. Angel pulled it away from him. "Talk starts now. Connor?"
"Why am I like this? Why am I stronger then others?"
Angel had been asked questions from his son before, and at the time he was not ready to answer them. But now he had no choice. His son needed answers and the only one who could give them to him was him. "Uh- Cordy?"
"Angel! Not again."
" Fine, I'll answer. I'm a vampire and Aunt Cordy, Uncle Gunn, Aunt Fred, and Uncle Wesley, and I fight against demons. Your mother was a vampire as well and we had a history together. One night, something happened and nine months later she came here. We thought that you would be evil, but it turned out you had a soul. Your mother sacrificed herself so that you would be born. You are suppose to some day save the Earth."
"Dad, If you didn't want to tell me you could have just said so. Ha. Save the Earth?" Connor stood up. "How'd you come up with that one? But you prove your point. I guess my life could be a lot worse." He grabbed his homework and started up the stairs. "Thanks Dad. I needed a good laugh" He chuckled.
"Glad I could help."
2
3
4 Questions Needing Answering
Fred and Gunn walked in the hotel with Connor, now age ten, tagging behind. Cordelia walked toward the little boy with a big smile on her face. Connor wasn't as happy. He passed her and sat on the lobby couch. He took out a folder and put it on the lobby table, then he began to work.
Cordelia walked closer to Fred. Gunn sighed and then started to explain. "Connor's teacher, who is very hot by the way,: Fred nudged him. :Right, right. She said some of the kids were making fun of him."
"Making fun of him?" Cordy asked. "For what reason?"
"The strength. With the whole" Fred said. She continued to talk in a low whisper. "super strength that he got along with to vampire parents. He's too strong and he sometimes breaks things. The children were making fun of that and the fact that Angel never goes to any of the parent meetings."
"Well, he can't. They're all during the day." Cordelia observed.
"But the little ones don't know that. Tell them and your just giving them more bait for teasing." Gunn told her.
Cordelia sighed and walked toward the child. She sat besides him. "Whatcha doing?"
"My homework."
"Need some help. Believe it or not there was a time when I had to go to school and I hated homework. Well, come to think of it I still have homework. Just not the kind that you have."
"I don't need help. It's easy."
"That's nice to know." Cordy said. "I heard you were having a bit of trouble at school. Is there anything I can help with?"
Connor looked up from his homework and jumped from the seat. "I don't want any help. I don't want to go to school! I don't want any of this. I'm a freak."
"Connor! Who told you that you're a freak?"
"Jimmy."
"Jimmy? What kinda stupid name is Jimmy? Connor, you are NOT a freak. I don't care what any of those people at your school say. You are not a freak. I know freaks. I used to hang out with a few in high school and you aren't one."
Connor sat down again, little less peeved. Cordy could tell that just what she had said wasn't going to be enough. He would want answers to questions that he needed to ask. "Then what am I? If I'm not a freak. I'm stronger then other boys my age. I'm smarter. I don't do anything to be this way but I am."
Cordelia didn't know how to answer that. What was she to say? You're a boy who is destined to save the world? No. You can't put that sort of pressure on a kid. She learned that from Buffy. She had to grow up way to fast. Cordy didn't want that for Connor.
Cordy just sat there quietly, with no response. They both sat in a moment of silence. Angel walked down the stairs, looking at the two. "Hey little fella. How was school?"
"Horrible! I don't want to go to school. They called me a freak!"
It was kind of sweet. Connor looked up to his father to make things right. Even though he had Fred, Gunn, Wesley, and Cordelia, nobody could make him feel better like his dad.
"Really? Who? Give me names and addresses." Angel said, concerned.
"No, no, no!" Cordy said. "There will be no violence. Angel sit down." He obeyed. "We will solve this like adults. Gunn get the crossbows."
Now Fred had to interfere. All of the people in this building loved Connor with all their hearts. But this group of people were irrational. As Gunn moved toward the weapons cabinet, Fred grabbed his arm. "This is not the way to solve this. We will all sit down and talk this out. Understand!?" Fred ordered. The 4 others nodded. "Good."
She sat down on the couch pulling Gunn with her. Connor looked back on his homework and began to work on it again. Angel pulled it away from him. "Talk starts now. Connor?"
"Why am I like this? Why am I stronger then others?"
Angel had been asked questions from his son before, and at the time he was not ready to answer them. But now he had no choice. His son needed answers and the only one who could give them to him was him. "Uh- Cordy?"
"Angel! Not again."
" Fine, I'll answer. I'm a vampire and Aunt Cordy, Uncle Gunn, Aunt Fred, and Uncle Wesley, and I fight against demons. Your mother was a vampire as well and we had a history together. One night, something happened and nine months later she came here. We thought that you would be evil, but it turned out you had a soul. Your mother sacrificed herself so that you would be born. You are suppose to some day save the Earth."
"Dad, If you didn't want to tell me you could have just said so. Ha. Save the Earth?" Connor stood up. "How'd you come up with that one? But you prove your point. I guess my life could be a lot worse." He grabbed his homework and started up the stairs. "Thanks Dad. I needed a good laugh" He chuckled.
"Glad I could help."
