Disclaimer: They belong to the WB etc.

Summary: Okay this is the third chapter, we're still taking a little look see at Angel's relationships with his father and sister back in the day, and seeing how everyone is dealing now that Angel has been back on land for two months.

Also, there's a scenes which really lets you know why Liam makes Anna nervous!! This one bumped the censorship up I tell you!

Cordy's still missing, Lorne is still in Vegas, Connor has learned the truth, and Angel and Wesley have started to patch things up. To learn more, read the damn story. Enjoy!



Chapter 5

Jim entered the house from the yard.

The stables had not been good, but at least Liam had made an effort.

He was going to the boy's room now to be sure he was in bed rather than out. If he was awake he would have words with him. He wasn't sure what he'd say, but the morning conversation had ended in anger, and now that Liam had actually obeyed his orders, he felt there was more that needed to be said.

He carried a lamp with him. All the lights within the house had been extinguished so he needed the lamp to see where he walked. The floorboards creaked beneath his feet, and the shadows flickered with the flames.

Liam's door was slightly ajar. Jim nudged it open with his free hand, then dimmed the lamp before shining it into the boy's room. If he was asleep Jim wouldn't wake him. Better to keep him safely in bed.

But the bed was neatly made. Liam was nowhere to be seen.

Jim cursed. The boy would never learn!

He entered the room and sat heavily on the bed, making it creak, then let his head rest in his free hand. He felt like crying. What had he done to deserve such a son?

Long moments past as Jim wallowed in self pity and disappointment.

A faint sound of movement interrupted his thoughts. He froze, listening for more.

Was Katherine still awake? The sound had come from the girls bedchamber.

Concern for his youngest overrode concern for the eldest, as Jim left Liam's room, quietly closing the door behind him..

Katherine's door was closed. Jim had to turn the handle to enter the girl's room, but he did it quietly, knowing for certain that unlike his son, his daughter would be in bed where she belonged.

As he opened the door and shone the lamp into the bedchamber, Jim wondered briefly if he had entered the wrong room.

Liam's large form was lying asleep on the bed.

The thought was quickly banished though as he realized that Katherine was also in the bed. He had missed the girl at first, partly because she was so thin next to her brother, and partly because the only part of her that showed from beneath the covers was her tiny head resting on her brother's shoulder.

Liam on the other hand was lying above the covers, his bright clothing contrasting with the white sheets.

Relief washed over Jim as he realized that Liam had for once stayed at home of an evening. Even if he was in the wrong bed.

Jim noticed the book on the floor. Ah. Liam had been reading to girl again and had accidentally fallen asleep then.

Jim then noticed that Katherine's eyes were wide open and watching him nervously. It surprised him, the same way it had surprised him when Liam had noticed his father the previous night. Her expression was wary rather than hostile though. She didn't resent him the way that Liam did.

"Shhh. Don't wake him," she whispered.

Jim smiled at his daughter, he had no intention of waking the boy. He nodded, and quietly left the peaceful scene.

Katherine also smiled, glad that her father had not taken Liam away. It might have led to yet another row. She hated it when they fought.

She let her head rest on Liam's shoulder again, and five minutes later began to snore softly.


LA 2002

Connor beat the door with his fist.

When no one answered immediately he beat the door again.

Wesley was supposed to be here!

Had he read the address wrong? He'd learned how to read maps a while ago, but he'd had to learn so much over the last five months that not everything could be remembered correctly.

He jumped as the door swung open.

"Connor!" Wesley exclaimed, looking like deer caught in the headlights.

Connor regained his composure quickly.

"I'll help with the research." he said, in a tone that left no room for argument.

He entered the apartment uninvited.

He looked around, taking in the bookshelves, the tidy lounge suite, the kitchen table covered with open books and notes, and the teacup resting on a coaster.

One thing Connor had learned about Wesley. The man liked his tea.

"Come right on in," said Wesley sarcastically to himself. He turned to find the boy examining his half empty teacup. Wesley wouldn't have been surprised if he had picked it up and sniffed it.

He closed the door and addressed the boy,

"You're here for a reason other than research I assume?"

Connor opened his mouth to reply, but Wesley cut him off,

"Does your father know you're here? I didn't think he'd worked his way up to letting you out unaccompanied just yet."

"Don't tell him." said Connor.

Wesley gave him a blank look, and waited for him to continue with the reason he'd come.

With no response from his tutor Connor started to fidget but went on with an explanation, "He went to speak to the powers. I found your address in Fred's diary. I wanted to ask questions."

His face was like stone and did not reflect his nerves the way his fidgeting hands did.

Wesley nodded in understanding and motioned for Connor to sit. "I suppose this is about the false prophecy I spoke of earlier?"

Connor sat slowly, still glancing around the apartment, his eyes taking in any unfamiliar details.

"Yes. And Sahjahn. And Wolfram and Hart. And why you don't like to speak to my father. And why he doesn't like to speak to you."

Wesley stared. He hadn't expected a confrontation like this with Connor so soon. He'd known that the questions would come up eventually, and that he would have to talk to the boy about the tangled relationship, but he wasn't prepared for it yet. He still needed time to work through the pain and guilt and wounded pride.

He'd been working so hard trying to find Cordelia that there hadn't been room for much else. No time to deal with Angel, or the incident with the pillow at the hospital. No time to deal with Lilah and her persistent advances.

Connor waited for an answer with a cool steady gaze.

He'd sensed the tension between Wesley and Angel that he could not understand. He didn't trust the secrets, Wesley decided. This boy respected open honesty. And no surprise. He'd been lied to all his young life.

Fear of how Connor might react if Wesley revealed his own part in the kidnapping suddenly clashed with a desire to clear his conscience.

He wondered what Angel would want him to do.

Connor was looking for information behind Angel's back.

Wesley had very rarely witnessed the interaction between the father and son, as he'd been staying out of the vampire's way, but now he realized that there was little trust between the two.

He decided that he would be honest with him. If Connor was ever going to learn to trust again, he needed truth from those who surrounded him.

He wasn't certain how Angel would feel about that. The vampire had a tendency to tell people only what he believed they needed to know. Wesley decided he would deal with that later. Right now Connor needed answers.

"Alright." Wesley said carefully, trying to frame his thoughts into words.

"No lying!" said Connor. He'd sensed Wesley's hesitation.

"Alright!" said Wesley.

Two long sips of tea later, Wesley began:

"I'll begin with Sahjahn then. He is connected to all of this and to everything that's happened to you since you were born so I suppose it's best to start with him."

Wesley had never met Sahjahn though. His information on the demon had come from Fred, Gunn and Lilah, and wasn't complete.

"Who is Sahjahn?" Connor asked, for the third time that day.

"A demon."

"I knew that already!"

"Stop interrupting then!" Wesley was getting slightly irritated. Connor was getting his answers. Did he have to be so impatient!

"He's a very powerful demon who was insubstantial, couldn't touch objects without passing through them, oh, and he had the ability to travel through time."

"Had?"

"Well not anymore, he's trapped in an urn, but I'll get to that."

Connor nodded so Wesley continued, leaning back in his chair and looking at the ceiling as he did so.

"He became involved in all of this when he happened upon the Niazian scrolls, and found in them the prophesy of your birth."

Connor looked curious. "What did it say?"

"Basically it said that you would grow up and destroy Sahjahn."

Wesley looked at the boy for a reaction, but got none.

"He decided to take matters and the prophesy into his own hands."

"He went back and changed the prophecy to read that my father would kill me." Connor said thoughtfully, "he thought if he wrote it, it would come to pass?"

Wesley raised his eyebrows. He'd known Connor was intelligent, but now he was becoming intuitive, piecing the puzzle together as Wesley told the story.

Wesley was impressed.

"Not exactly, but close. He did change the prophecy, but that happened later. His first order of business was to contact Holtz back in the 1700s."

"Why?" asked the boy, suddenly suspicious, "He would not have hurt me. He never killed human's. Just demons."

He seemed so certain. Stating the facts as they were. Wesley looked into the clear blue eyes and saw that the boy believed what he said.

He almost laughed. Then he did laugh.

"If that's what you say, I don't believe you knew him very well." he said harshly, and in the back of his mind he realized that with those words he had just put himself in danger of being punched by a sixteen year old with super powers. He'd really struck a nerve.

The look on Connor's face would not have scared most people, for while it was angry and intense, Connor had inherited Darla's build: thin and fragile. But Wesley had seen the boy in action, and Angel had warned him that Connor could be temperamental. The vampire hadn't said much to Wesley since the ex-watcher's return, but he had seen fit to warn him about Connor's volatile nature.

"Connor. Calm down." Wesley said in a soothing tone, "You wanted truth remember. I'm telling it how I see it."

Connor relaxed, but only a fraction.

"You believe he did kill humans then? That he would have killed me? You've been lied to!"

Wesley began his answer in a controlled tone.

"I know for a fact that he killed several employees of Wolfram an Hart. I know that he ordered your friend Justine to kill me. I know that he ordered his followers to lure Fred and Gunn into a nest of vampires where they could very possibly have been killed! And according to Angel he did indeed threaten to kill you when you were this big and defenseless!!"

His hands were held about a foot apart from each other to demonstrate how tiny Connor had been. His voice had risen to a frightening yell. There were tears in his eyes.

Connor sat stunned. Not just from the words but from the uncharacteristic behavior. Wesley had never even raised his voice in Connor's presence before this day. But more than that, the words had the ring of truth to it. Wesley's pain was very real!

Suddenly Connor got up and walked out. Slamming the door behind him.

Wesley sat for a moment, wondering what he'd just done. Then panic hit. Connor had only half the story. He couldn't just leave!

He rushed to the door, pulled it open and looked out to be greeted with the sight of Connor's retreating back.

"Connor wait! There's more! Wait!"

"I can't! Connor cried.

He turned a corner and disappeared.


Chapter 6

Galway 1753

Liam was in a good mood as he wandered through the courtyard. Bored, but in good humor.

His father had been civil to him at breakfast, Katherine had been very bright and happy, Anna had been wearing the dress he really liked. The one with the lace and the plunging neckline.

And there was Anna now. Holding a watering can and smiling as she inspected his mother's garden. Pink roses mostly. They were in full bloom and the smell was gorgeous!

And it certainly was a day for smiling. The sun was warm, the sky was clear, the breeze was light.

It blew through Anna's pinned up hair as she bent over the flowers and moved in a slow tantalizing way, taking more time than she ought to watering them because she was loath to leave the pleasant atmosphere.

Anna hadn't noticed Liam yet, so he stood there contemplating her for a moment. He played with the thought of what it might be like to have her hands on his skin. To feel her breathing against his neck as he took her. She was far more beautiful than she realized.

He'd made advances on her before and each had been unsuccessful. He'd also been drunk each time.

It occurred to him suddenly that the sober approach might be more effective.

Now she was humming a tune beneath her breath. He smiled. Her innocent humming combined with his own active imagination, was making his blood run hot.

He crossed the courtyard, making no attempt to disguise the sound of his footsteps on the cobbles. He wanted her to hear him coming.

She heard, and turned to see who had joined her in the garden. She stopped humming and turned abruptly to face the flowers again. Her face began to burn and her back stiffened.

When he was standing close enough, he leaned over her shoulder and pretended to look at the flowers.

"Beautiful, yes?"

"Master Liam?" she responded, embarrassed to hear her voice was shaking. He hadn't touched her yet but his intensions clear enough. He was standing so close she could feel his breath against her ear. Breath not tainted with alcohol. He would not be so easy to fend off today.

"The flowers." he said softly.

"Yes. Yes they are." she agreed. Partly to be polite and partly because she really did love the roses.

He took a step closer and she began to shake. He'd brought their bodies into contact. Light stubble brushed against her cheek, his broad chest leaned lighly against her shoulders.

"And so are you." he whispered.

He stayed that way for a moment, waiting for her to move away. When she did not, he placed his hands lightly on her hips, pulling them into his own.

She began to panic.

It was a fine line she walked with Liam. As the eldest son of the house, he had a lot of power over her, but ultimately it was his father she answered to. Pleasing them both was a task and a half, particularly when the hansom yet morally bankrupt son grew amorous.

Anna had not wanted to lose her virginity to a spoiled rich boy who was only using her for pleasure, and to intentionally displease his father. But his latest advances had been difficult to rebuff.

He had eyes like a puppy, and strong yet soft hands that made her shiver if they came in contact with her skin.

And those hands were on her now.

"Master Liam. Please. Your father. If he found out . . ."

"Sshhh," he murmured into her neck before gracing it with a light kiss. Still she did not move away. Her breathing was becoming heavy. She cursed to herself as she felt her defenses melting away.

Liam felt the tense muscles relax and silently rejoiced. Perhaps being sober was all he'd needed to win her after all. And being sober, he was far more aware of the effect he was having on her than he had been in the past. He smiled.

"He needn't know." he whispered, running a hand over skin of her breast that could be seen at the neckline.

Gently he turned her around to face him, arms going softly around the small of her back. He looked at her face to find her eyes closed, her lips parted. He had her, he thought, and leaned in to kiss her breast, as his hands worked their way through the laces that held her dress in place. She moaned.

A thought struck him suddenly and he released her slowly, looking toward the house. They could be seen from the windows here.

Anna caught the look, and understood. He didn't want his father knowing any more than she did. Relief flooded through her. This would end now. She'd remain chaste. He would leave her alone. The temptation would remove itself.

But Liam had other ideas.

"Come," he said, taking her hand and leading her toward the stables.

She saw where he wanted to go. There was a patch of grass behind the building, just big enough for the two of them. The stables would hide them from view. Her heart sank as she allowed herself to be led there.

When they reached their hiding place his hands quickly found her again. He pulled her close to him so that her face rested against his chest, then peered over her shoulder so that he could see what he was doing with the laces. They came lose under his fingers, and for the first time she felt a man's hands on her bare back. It made her shiver and shake against him, but also made her face the reality of her situation.

She made one last protest, one last attempt to keep her innocence in tact.

"Stop. Oh. Liam please stop."

But it must not have sounded convincing, because he didn't. He just smiled and slid her dress down her shoulders and then to her waist. Next thing she knew, her undergarments were also sliding away, leaving her naked from the waist up. He took a moment to let his eyes appreciate her breasts before leaning in to kiss them again. Her hands reached up of their own accord and began to tangle in his hair. It felt like thick silk.

While he hadn't heeded her requests to stop, there was nothing forceful in what Liam did. She could at any time walk away, and he would not stop her. But she was too scared, too confused, and enjoying the sweet shivers he was sending up her spine far too much to physically push him away.

He started to slide down her body, sinking to his knees in the grass and sliding his hands over her still dressed thighs before pulling her down to join him. She watched as he removed his own shirt, and as he did so, she wondered if this would hurt.

She began to shake again. She was now equal parts fear and longing, and his hands were coming for her again. She had an overwhelming desire to kiss his bared chest, and as his hands reached her hips, she gave in to it.

This had the unexpected effect of making Liam suddenly gasp, and reach quickly for her dress, forcefully dragging it down until it rested around her knees. Anna cried out in surprise.

Liam pressed himself against her and their eyes met. Hers' were scared and apprehensive, his seemed to be asking a question that she couldn't interpret. Big brown eyes

Then he was using his weight to lean her down into the grass. It felt cool on her bare skin.

She found herself pinned beneath him, knees on either side of his thighs. She was sweating lightly, her hands around Liam's shoulders, instinctively stoking him as though he were a cat while he used his whole body, lips, hands, chest, to explore hers. Her eyes began to tear up, and she felt sobs building in her throat. She could feel him pressing against her. It would be only moments before he was inside her. She wasn't ready!

He took the moment to pause and look into her eyes. Then he looked at her hair, still pinned around her face. He reached up slowly, allowing her to relax, and drew the pins out, careful not to hurt her, then ran his hands through the dark mass, then finally, he kissed her on the lips for the first time.

The kiss was warm, and passionate, and she kissed him back, losing herself in the moment completely. Then she realized that he had somehow managed to remove his own pants while kissing her.

And then she realized that he was slowly pushing himself into her, and gasped. He'd done it while distracting her with his lips!

The pain was not so much she thought, and she could feel the tension and pleasure, building as he began to move faster moaning into her hair as he did..

She breathed into his neck, taking in the scent of soap, and the bacon he'd eaten for breakfast. Her hands trailed along the smooth skin of his back, and she felt his own breath against her temple, warm and soft.

All thoughts fled as they both began to move frantically, each becoming desperate for a sweet release.

An hour later they lay together, arms around each other's waists. Both still naked from the waist up.

Liam was smiling. Anna was more contemplative.

This had to have been one of the more stupid things she had done in her young life.

She knew Liam. Knew that she had been no more than a challenge to him, and she'd allowed him to touch her regardless.

She felt that she'd lost something special. Her first time had not been for a husband or even for love, and she would never have it back.

But at the same time, it had been long and passionate, and with a man who was handsome, tender, and also skilled. It had been good, she decided. But it could never happen again. If she made a habit of this the chances of the master finding out, or worse: pregnancy, would increase, and she could not risk losing her job.

She stood abruptly, and began lace her dress, reaching awkwardly around her back. Liam looked put out for a moment, finding himself alone in the grass. Then he stretched out languorously watching her as he did so.

After a few moments he decided to help her with the dress.

He stood slowly and reached for the laces.

She flinched as he touched her. He didn't move away. Instead he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Don't tell me you didn't enjoy that." he whispered into her ear.

She closed her eyes and leaned into him. He kissed her ear as he finished with the laces.

She turned to face him, mouth inches from his.

"This will never happen again," she whispered, then walked away toward the house, picking up her watering can as she went, long brown hair flowing out behind her.

Liam watched her go, the left side of his mouth twitched up into a smile.

It really was a beautiful day.

TBC

Wow that was hard to write!!

Again, thanx for the reviews!!!
I love you guys!!

And if you haven't reviewed yet, review now and I'll love you forever!

And Jo, I'll fix that sentence soon, your right it doesn't read well at all. Thanks for pointing it out.

More to come!

Wesley and Angel still have lot to deal with, and I also think it's well past time I brought Cordy back.

Also, I've never written a sex scene before, so go easy on me if it sucked.