Chapter 8
Thanks again for the reviews and I hope I can do this next part justice. I have a million ideas but they're all different.
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The library was quiet at the moment. The story had been told to the Scooby Gang, who as predicted did not take it well.
Connor had retreated to Giles' office, sick of the looks everyone was sending his way. As if he made the future happen. Connor didn't know most of the people in the main room of the library and the past versions of the people he knew from L.A. were a surprise. Connor wondered what had caused the group to split up.
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Sitting on the stairs next to the weapons cage, Buffy was asking herself the say question. Shock seemed to have left all the Scoobies speechless for the time being, although she knew the outbursts would come. The whole story seemed too farfetched to be true, but looking at Connor and into Angel's eyes told Buffy it was. Connor reminded her so much of Angel, even after only a few minutes. But vampires couldn't have kids. But throw in a prophecy and suddenly anything was possible...stupid prophecies. Prophecy or not, Angel having a son was too much for Buffy to handle, mainly because of his mother. Darla. Angel's sire. She had been dust for 2 years. But somewhere in the future she was going to be back and she and Angel would be together and they would have a child. A miracle child. A child that she and Angel could never have together.
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Willow sat at the large table next to Oz thinking over the story they had been told. She wanted to talk to Buffy, but she knew the Slayer needed time to think about all that she had heard. Finding out that Angel would leave her in the future had to be horrible. Willow didn't know what she found out Oz left her in the future. But not only that, Buffy also had to deal with the fact that Angel slept with Darla. Willow knew her best friend was having trouble processing this information and Willow was ready to duck and cover when she had.
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Wesley sat next to Giles' at the library table. The full story was interesting if vague. The boy seemed to be telling the truth, and if that was so, Wesley know lived in Los Angles. No longer a watcher. He worked with Angel and Cordelia, fighting demons. Or he had until he had taken Angel's son. Wesley had trouble imagining how he had ended up in L.A., but stealing Connor did not seem like something he would do. Although Connor had said he was trying to protect him. But again it had been vague.
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Xander sat next to Buffy on the steps of the library. He and Cordy hadn't really been on good terms and college was coming soon, but he was surprised to hear that Cordy not only left Sunnydale, but never even went to college. Instead she started a detective agency with Deadboy. Angel leaving sounded great to Xander, who still didn't like the creature of the night, but from the look on Buffy's face she didn't agree. Losing Angel and Wesley didn't cut Xander up, and he had figured Cordelia would be going to some fancy college in another state, but Xander felt a pang of sadness. In the present he teased them, but he had never really imagined them not being around in the future.
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Oz sat next to Willow. She was focused on Buffy. He figured that was good. Buffy needed someone to be worried about her. But Oz was focused on Angel. No one had said anything to him since he had announced that Connor was his son. But Oz could see that Angel was disturbed by everything he had learned. He had been in deep brood mode since his short talk with Connor. Buffy was near to bursting, but Angel was crumbling inward. Oz was sure that the library was not going to be a calm place much longer.
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Cordelia sat on the stairs opposite Buffy and Xander. She hadn't been surprised to hear that she had left Sunnydale. But that she was living in L.A. and working with Angel fighting demons had made her want to laugh hysterically. She was Cordelia Chase. She was rich and popular. She was ready for college and higher education, complete with college guys. How did she end up in L.A. as a demon fighter? Connor hadn't mentioned a lot of specifics, so her personal life was a mystery, but she doubted it was great if she was still playing in the supernatural. Connor seemed nice, and she felt a little sorry for him, but he kept looking at her. Looking at her...maybe not quite lustful or anything but not quite 'just friends' either. Cordelia knew there was a lot more to the story than what had been explained, but knowing what she did, she wasn't sure if she wanted to find out.
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Author's Note: Sorry for putting this in and it may not be popular cause its about the C/C thing. But I'm want to state my opinion real fast. I like Connor, I think he's a great character. I also like Cordelia, or I did until recently. I blame her for the whole Reign of Fire crap. It was totally her fault, because Connor was willing to be just friends. That said, Connor does look at her in a I want to be with you way. So anyway, on with the story.
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Giles sat quietly between Wesley and Angel. He was amazed at what the future held for three of the people in the room. But he saw the logic behind it. At least with Angel. Angel and Buffy tried to be together, but Giles knew it would have to end at some point. Even in they didn't want to admit it. Cordelia and Wesley leaving; however, seemed mind-boggling. Cordelia going away to college would have been believable, but demon fighting in L.A. was a stretch. Wesley leaving the Slayer was also hard to fathom. Of course, Faith going evil may have influenced Wesley more than Giles knew. But regardless of the future, they would have to find a way to send Connor back, he just didn't know how.
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Angel sat in the corner of the library between Willow and Giles. Buffy. L.A. Cordelia. Wesley. Angel Investigations. Darla. Connor. His whole life had changed. No Buffy was huge. Angel wondered what his future self without Buffy was like. And he had friends. Not honorary friends, but actually friends. Cordelia and Wesley. Two people he barely considered Buffy's friends, let alone his. He had his own company. He knew it hadn't been his idea, it wasn't his usual style. But the two biggest were at the end of his list and the events he knew the least about. Darla and Connor. Connor hadn't been very forthcoming with the details, either because he didn't know or he just didn't want to say. In this time, Darla was dead. He had killed her. Watched as her eyes looked at him in disbelief and betrayal before turning to dust. But she would be back...in his future. He left Buffy and he slept with Darla. Angel tried to wrap his mind around the thought, but it wasn't working. He slept with Darla. It sounded like he was talking about someone else. And he had a son. A human son. Something that he was not capable of ever having, no matter how long he lived. Connor. Connor was his and Darla's son. It was unthinkable. He had been repeating it to himself ever since Giles had started repeating the story to the Scoobies and he still couldn't believe it. But even more, if Connor was to be trusted, Angel hadn't seen his son grow up. Connor had been a baby, then taken by Wesley, sent through a portal with someone else, and appeared weeks later as an 18 year old. Even though Angel never knew Connor as his son, he still felt the wrenching pain in his chest with the thought of losing his son. And he felt anger. Anger at whoever had taken his son through the portal, a faceless person. But most of his anger was directed at Wesley. Because he was here. But this Wesley hadn't done anything. This Wesley knew no more than he did, or Cordelia for that matter. Angel looked over a Cordelia trying to imagine her working with him. He caught her eye and she hesitantly smiled, although small. Angel did the same and turned his eyes to the opposite side of the room. Towards Buffy. She was staring into space, obviously having a hard time as well. She looked over and caught his gaze. That seemed to snap her out of it.
"You left me."
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Hope you enjoyed. Please let me know what you thought because I was trying to show everyone's reactions and I want to know if you thought it worked. Thanks!
