Hey. I'm so glad you guys liked this story. It was just something that I thought up while neglecting to pay attention to Algebra. (That's when most stories come to me. :o) It was only supposed to be one chapter, but since some of you were all like "Update!" I decided to write one more short chapter to go with it. And I'm sorry I made it all cliffhanger-y. I didn't mean to. You must know I'd never kill something as adorable as Connor! This takes place after "Apocalypse Nowish," but I threw in something that Lorne said in this last episode because I thought it was relevant. More reviews, please! I live and breathe by them. Oh, and someone let me know if Connor's eyes are really blue. I saw a picture of him and it looked like they were blue, but I can't really tell from the T.V. Please let me know! I love guys with blue eyes.
To Jule: Thank you so much for the suggestion. I actually was stuck, so I decided to make this chapter about Angel wanting Connor to move back in and his reaction. Thanks for the suggestions, they meant a lot to me.
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Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. In all his two hundred-some years on this god forsaken planet, Angel had never heard any sound that was as incessant and nerve-wracking as the ticking of a clock. Especially when you're nervous and tired and bored.
Angel was watching anxiously over his unconcious son, waiting to talk to him. While he was holding his hand in the ambulance, Angel had an epiphany (again) and he wanted desperately to tell Connor about it. He recocnized this feeling. It was the same as when he would watch over Connor as a baby and hope that he would wake up soon so he could hold him and play with him. He had to have great restraint to keep from prying his eyelids open with his fingers.
Angel had never been so scared in his entire life when that demon had sliced his son with his own weapon. The look of terror in Connor's eyes had scared the living shit out of his father. The sigh of relief that Angel let out when he knew Connor was going to be okay was still letting itself out. One thing he realized through this though was that Lorne was right. No matter what had happened with Cordelia, or anything that Connor had done for that matter, he was still going to be his son. And he had to get passed what had happened to be a father and take care of his son.
He hadn't really been doing a good job of it so far. He was living in that crap hole across town, and when the ambulance had gotten there, they had discovered that Connor had a couple broken ribs that hadn't been properly taken care of. Angel had to wonder where that had happened.
'Well, dammit, if he'd just wake up I could ask him!' Angel thought impatiently. Somehow, probably through working with Cordelia and Gunn for so long, the characteristic patience he'd had years ago was slowly leaving him. He wasn't really willing to wait for his chance to be a parent. He wanted to jump right in head first. He'd asked one of the nurses if he should be taking so long to wake up, and she'd smiled and told him to be patient, he was just resting. 'He can rest later. I wanna talk to him.' Angel impatiently grabbed his son's hand and was delightfully shocked when Connor's eyes fluttered.
Angel grinned. "Hey Connor." Connor shifted a little. "Come on, buddy. Wake up."
Connor gave a small gasp and his eyes opened. He looked around, a little confused, until his eyes rested on his father's smiling face. "Dad?"
"Hey. How're you feeling?"
"Um..fine. It-it hurts. What happened?"
Angel could see the panic starting to form in his eyes, so he laid his hand on Connor's shoulder. "It's okay. Everything's okay. You don't know what happened?"
Connor calmed down a bit. "Y-yeah. A demon right?"
Angel nodded. "Yeah. That's right. And you were hurt. But you're okay now. Right?"
Connor's hand found its way to his bandaged abdomen. "That hurt. I've never hurt that bad. Nothing's ever beat me before." His eyes found Angel's, looking to him for the answers. "Why wasn't I strong enough to beat him?"
Angel smiled. "It's part of living on Earth, son. You'll get used to it."
Connor looked suspicious. "Yeah. Right." Not really one to wait around, Connor threw back the covers and tried to get up, but Angel pushed him back down.
"What are you doing?" Angel asked when Connor winced at the movement.
"We've got to finish patrolling. There could be more like that one. What are we waiting for."
"Uh... we're waiting till you get healed. Wes and Gunn went to look for others. You're not going anywhere for a while."
This concept seemed appalling and unacceptable to Connor. Angel almost grinned. He decided that this would be a great opening for what he imagined would turn into World War III. "You're going to have to get used to asking for help, if you're going to be living with me from now on."
Connor looked at Angel confused. "Huh?"
Angel smiled. "Fred and Lorne are at this moment moving whatever small amount of crap you've got in that dump into a room, close to mine of course, at the hotel."
Connor shook his head and winced. "I'm not moving in the hotel. I'm staying with Cordy."
"No you're not."
"You can't make me move in with you!" Connor started shouting.
Angel's voice remained calm. "Yes I can. I'm your father."
"You're not my fa-"
"Shut up." This took Connor by surprise. "I am your father. I know what you're going to say. You're going to say that Holtz was your father, and that I killed him. But I know that's not how you really feel. You told me so yourself. This is just how you think you're supposed to feel. But you will get over it and you will learn to live at the hotel and get along with everyone there. I'm through playing this game with you. You will respect me because I'm your father and you will respect everyone else because they are your elders and they're there to help you. And you will respect Lorne, because he's not just a demon. He's a friend, and I know you'll like him once you get to know him. And I don't care about what happened with Cordelia. I know you...care about her, and so do I. But you're my son, and you're the most important part of my life. Nothing like that will ever come between us again. You don't hit on my girl, and I won't hit on yours. And don't ever drink Cordelia's coffee. Are we clear?"
Angel was quite surprised to find that Connor looked...defeated. He may have just not had the energy to fight him on it though, but it didn't matter. Angel knew that Connor would stay. He may not like it at first, but he was pretty sure he would get used to it. Connor's living conditions at the moment would be reason enough. But Angel knew that Connor cared about him, he had seen that in his eyes when he was holding him to his chest in the pouring rain. Connor would never admit it, but Angel knew. Father's intuition.
Connor wouldn't just go down without a small fight. "Do I get my own T.V.?"
Angel smiled. "Only if you behave."
Surprisingly, a small smile tugged at the corners of Connor's mouth, and for the first time since Connor had blasted into the hotel attacking him wearing animal skins and ears-on-a-string, Angel saw a twinkle of happiness in his son's deep blue eyes.
Angel playfully messed with Connor's hair. Connor laughed gently. Angel knew that Connor remembered everything that was said that night, but for a while, his pride would keep him from admitting it. But Angel knew perfectly well that what was said and done had meant as much to Connor as it had him. And that was something to build on.
"And you will keep your room clean."
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Weeeeeee!!!!! I hope ya liked it. Thanks for the support, I love ya'll!
To Jule: Thank you so much for the suggestion. I actually was stuck, so I decided to make this chapter about Angel wanting Connor to move back in and his reaction. Thanks for the suggestions, they meant a lot to me.
********
Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. In all his two hundred-some years on this god forsaken planet, Angel had never heard any sound that was as incessant and nerve-wracking as the ticking of a clock. Especially when you're nervous and tired and bored.
Angel was watching anxiously over his unconcious son, waiting to talk to him. While he was holding his hand in the ambulance, Angel had an epiphany (again) and he wanted desperately to tell Connor about it. He recocnized this feeling. It was the same as when he would watch over Connor as a baby and hope that he would wake up soon so he could hold him and play with him. He had to have great restraint to keep from prying his eyelids open with his fingers.
Angel had never been so scared in his entire life when that demon had sliced his son with his own weapon. The look of terror in Connor's eyes had scared the living shit out of his father. The sigh of relief that Angel let out when he knew Connor was going to be okay was still letting itself out. One thing he realized through this though was that Lorne was right. No matter what had happened with Cordelia, or anything that Connor had done for that matter, he was still going to be his son. And he had to get passed what had happened to be a father and take care of his son.
He hadn't really been doing a good job of it so far. He was living in that crap hole across town, and when the ambulance had gotten there, they had discovered that Connor had a couple broken ribs that hadn't been properly taken care of. Angel had to wonder where that had happened.
'Well, dammit, if he'd just wake up I could ask him!' Angel thought impatiently. Somehow, probably through working with Cordelia and Gunn for so long, the characteristic patience he'd had years ago was slowly leaving him. He wasn't really willing to wait for his chance to be a parent. He wanted to jump right in head first. He'd asked one of the nurses if he should be taking so long to wake up, and she'd smiled and told him to be patient, he was just resting. 'He can rest later. I wanna talk to him.' Angel impatiently grabbed his son's hand and was delightfully shocked when Connor's eyes fluttered.
Angel grinned. "Hey Connor." Connor shifted a little. "Come on, buddy. Wake up."
Connor gave a small gasp and his eyes opened. He looked around, a little confused, until his eyes rested on his father's smiling face. "Dad?"
"Hey. How're you feeling?"
"Um..fine. It-it hurts. What happened?"
Angel could see the panic starting to form in his eyes, so he laid his hand on Connor's shoulder. "It's okay. Everything's okay. You don't know what happened?"
Connor calmed down a bit. "Y-yeah. A demon right?"
Angel nodded. "Yeah. That's right. And you were hurt. But you're okay now. Right?"
Connor's hand found its way to his bandaged abdomen. "That hurt. I've never hurt that bad. Nothing's ever beat me before." His eyes found Angel's, looking to him for the answers. "Why wasn't I strong enough to beat him?"
Angel smiled. "It's part of living on Earth, son. You'll get used to it."
Connor looked suspicious. "Yeah. Right." Not really one to wait around, Connor threw back the covers and tried to get up, but Angel pushed him back down.
"What are you doing?" Angel asked when Connor winced at the movement.
"We've got to finish patrolling. There could be more like that one. What are we waiting for."
"Uh... we're waiting till you get healed. Wes and Gunn went to look for others. You're not going anywhere for a while."
This concept seemed appalling and unacceptable to Connor. Angel almost grinned. He decided that this would be a great opening for what he imagined would turn into World War III. "You're going to have to get used to asking for help, if you're going to be living with me from now on."
Connor looked at Angel confused. "Huh?"
Angel smiled. "Fred and Lorne are at this moment moving whatever small amount of crap you've got in that dump into a room, close to mine of course, at the hotel."
Connor shook his head and winced. "I'm not moving in the hotel. I'm staying with Cordy."
"No you're not."
"You can't make me move in with you!" Connor started shouting.
Angel's voice remained calm. "Yes I can. I'm your father."
"You're not my fa-"
"Shut up." This took Connor by surprise. "I am your father. I know what you're going to say. You're going to say that Holtz was your father, and that I killed him. But I know that's not how you really feel. You told me so yourself. This is just how you think you're supposed to feel. But you will get over it and you will learn to live at the hotel and get along with everyone there. I'm through playing this game with you. You will respect me because I'm your father and you will respect everyone else because they are your elders and they're there to help you. And you will respect Lorne, because he's not just a demon. He's a friend, and I know you'll like him once you get to know him. And I don't care about what happened with Cordelia. I know you...care about her, and so do I. But you're my son, and you're the most important part of my life. Nothing like that will ever come between us again. You don't hit on my girl, and I won't hit on yours. And don't ever drink Cordelia's coffee. Are we clear?"
Angel was quite surprised to find that Connor looked...defeated. He may have just not had the energy to fight him on it though, but it didn't matter. Angel knew that Connor would stay. He may not like it at first, but he was pretty sure he would get used to it. Connor's living conditions at the moment would be reason enough. But Angel knew that Connor cared about him, he had seen that in his eyes when he was holding him to his chest in the pouring rain. Connor would never admit it, but Angel knew. Father's intuition.
Connor wouldn't just go down without a small fight. "Do I get my own T.V.?"
Angel smiled. "Only if you behave."
Surprisingly, a small smile tugged at the corners of Connor's mouth, and for the first time since Connor had blasted into the hotel attacking him wearing animal skins and ears-on-a-string, Angel saw a twinkle of happiness in his son's deep blue eyes.
Angel playfully messed with Connor's hair. Connor laughed gently. Angel knew that Connor remembered everything that was said that night, but for a while, his pride would keep him from admitting it. But Angel knew perfectly well that what was said and done had meant as much to Connor as it had him. And that was something to build on.
"And you will keep your room clean."
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Weeeeeee!!!!! I hope ya liked it. Thanks for the support, I love ya'll!